CGI Window Installation Nationwide

CGI Window Installation: The San Francisco Owner’s Guide

CGI window installation in San Francisco typically runs $850 – $2,400 per opening installed, depending on the series, glass package, and condition of the existing frame. Most single-unit replacements are done in one day, and we keep the most common CGI hardware and weather-seal components on our trucks so a failing unit doesn’t become a two-week project. The way most homeowners find us: a crank handle spins without moving the sash, water shows up on the sill after a hard rain off the Pacific, or the window simply won’t close square anymore.

Call (831) 273-7126

We stock and install CGI-compatible components, and we’re an independent service provider, not affiliated with CGI. That matters because we’ll tell you when a genuine OEM part is worth the wait and when a properly spec’d equivalent does the job at a better price. Elliot Vance, our owner, has retrofitted CGI units into enough San Francisco Victorians to know that what’s on the spec sheet rarely matches what’s in the wall cavity.

Which CGI Models This Applies To

CGI’s product line splits into a few families: the Estate Collection (heavy extruded-aluminum frames, common in coastal and hillside homes), the Targa series (impact-rated, often specified for multi-story buildings), and the Sentinel line (their insulated vinyl line, common in mid-century construction). The part that fails on a 2008 Targa in the Sunset District is often not the same part that fails on a 2016 Sentinel in Noe Valley, and mixing series hardware is the most common mistake we correct from previous installs.

To identify your unit, open the sash and look for the CGI sticker on the frame edge. It will have a product code like CGI-TG-3040 or similar, plus a date code. If the sticker is gone (sun and salt air eat adhesives faster than people expect), we measure the visible glass and the frame depth and match it against CGI’s spec sheets. The critical compatibility gotcha: CGI’s Estate and Targa series use a 3-1/4-inch frame depth in most California code applications, while the Sentinel uses a narrower profile. Ordering a sash for the wrong depth creates a 1/8-inch reveal gap that lets water in. We’ve seen it more than once.

Signs Your CGI Window Installation Is Failing

• The sash drops when you let go of the crank. The block-and-tackle balance system (the tensioned arms inside the frame) has lost tension or a pivot shoe has cracked. On older CGI units approaching 15 years, this is the most common failure we see in San Francisco, where constant temperature swings between fog banks and sun cycles stress the hardware.
• You feel airflow with the window closed and locked. The weather seal has compressed or the sash has shifted off its track. Over time, the foam or vinyl bulb seal flattens, and the draft at the meeting rail becomes obvious. This also drives heating costs through fog-heavy months.
• Condensation between the panes. The insulated glass unit (IGU) seal has failed. Once moisture is inside, the argon or krypton gas fill has escaped and the glass’s thermal rating is compromised. This is not repairable on-site; the IGU gets replaced as a unit.
• The crank turns but the sash sticks at one corner. A stripped gear in the operator or a bent linkage arm. This happens when someone forces a stiff window open. The hardware on CGI’s Estate line is robust, but San Francisco’s salt air corrodes the zinc-coated steel parts over a decade-plus.
• Visible rot or soft wood at the sill corners. Water has been getting past the frame or through failed sealant for at least two wet seasons. By the time you see it, the damage extends further than the visible stain suggests. In San Francisco’s rainy winters, this progresses fast once it starts.

Replacement Cost & What’s Included

Here’s what San Francisco homeowners should expect to pay, installed:

• Single sash replacement or hardware rebuild: $350 – $750, including parts and labor. Covers a new balance system, operator, or pivot shoe, plus re-seating the sash.
• Full IGU replacement: $650 – $1,500 per unit, depending on size and glass package. Includes removal of the old insulated unit, cleaning the frame, and setting the new glass with new sealant.
• Complete window replacement: $850 – $2,400 per opening, installed. Includes the new CGI-compatible unit, removal and disposal of the old window, flashing, insulation, and interior/exterior trim work as required.

The range is driven by size, the condition of the existing frame, access (third-story work on a Marina District walk-up costs more than a ground-floor window in the Richmond), and whether we’re preserving historical trim. Every price is on paper before any work starts, and it does not move at the door. The work is covered by our 365-Day Done Right Promise: if the repair or installation fails within that full year, we come back at no charge.

DIY or Call Us?

You can safely check a few things before calling: verify the window is not locked in a partially open position (a locked sash with a loose strike plate will sometimes behave like a failed operator), and look for obvious obstructions in the track. Cleaning the track and applying a dry silicone lubricant to the roller channels can quiet a noisy operation. That’s about where safe, no-risk DIY ends.

Opening the frame to replace a balance system or IGU requires disassembling spring-tensioned components under load. If that spring releases while you’re working, it can take a finger. The IGU itself is heavy tempered glass; guessing wrong on the measurement means paying for the same piece twice. We’ve rebuilt enough of these to do the job in a few hours without damaging the surrounding wall finish, and we order the part matched to your specific CGI date code. Call Elliot and the team at (831) 273-7126. Let’s look at the unit and get the right part on order the first time.

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