Window Replacement in San Francisco - Free In-Home Measure, Written Price

Trusted Window Replacement for San Francisco Homeowners

Window replacement in San Francisco typically costs $850 – $2,400 per window installed, with most single-window retrofit jobs running $950 – $1,600 depending on frame condition, glass package, and whether you’re in a Victorian in the Richmond or a 1970s build in the Sunset. Fog between panes, sashes that stick when the marine layer rolls in, or window frames that rattle every time a Muni bus passes on Geary are all signs the window has failed, not just gotten old. Elliot Vance and the crew at Meridian Windows and Doors San Francisco have handled window replacement across every district in the city since the Garrison Partners network began holding itself to The Garrison Standard in 2009. We answer the phone live, 24 hours a day. Call (831) 273-7126 and we’ll give you a straight answer about what your windows actually need, not a sales pitch.

Call (831) 273-7126

Energy Efficient Windows

Energy Efficient Windows use low-E glass (a thin coating that reflects heat while letting light through), warm-edge spacers, and insulated frames to cut the heat loss and gain that drives San Francisco heating bills up in June, July, and August when the fog burns off west of Twin Peaks and the flats bake. When your existing single-pane windows feel cold to the touch in a Pacifica-facing living room or you can feel heat radiating through the glass at 3 p.m. in Noe Valley, that’s when insulation value matters. We spec double-pane and triple-pane packages from Mr-Glass and ViewLux, usually $1,100 – $2,000 per window installed, depending on glass coating selection and frame material. See our Window Replacement cost guide for a full breakdown.

Double-Pane Upgrades

Most San Francisco homes built before 1980 still have single-pane sash windows. Swapping to a double-pane unit with low-E coating typically cuts window heat transfer by 50 – 60%. We measure, order, and install the full unit so the new glass sits square in the existing opening.

Coating and Gas Fills

Argon or krypton gas between panes adds insulation without adding weight. Low-E coatings vary by orientation: south-facing windows in Bernal Heights want a different solar heat gain coefficient than north-facing units in the Marina. We spec the right coating for the direction the window actually faces, not whatever happens to be in stock.

Window Repair

Window Repair covers everything from replacing broken sash cords to re-bedding loose glass, fixing rotted sills, and rebuilding the tracks so a double-hung window stops dropping when you open it. You need repair when the window is structurally sound but no longer operates or seals correctly: drafts through a closed window, condensation between panes, or a sash that won’t stay up. Meridian Windows and Doors San Francisco performs window repair as a separate line from full replacement; most jobs run $250 – $800 per window depending on what’s failed.

Sash Cord and Balance Work

Older double-hung windows in the Mission and Potrero Hill hang on cotton sash cords that dry out and snap. We pull the trim, replace the cord or the spring balance, and reset the sash so it travels clean. The window stays original; it just works again.

Hardware and Track Rebuild

Cranking mechanisms on casement windows strip over time, especially in salt-air zones like the Outer Sunset. We replace stripped gears, clean and re-lubricate tracks, and adjust the operator arms so the window closes tight against the weatherstripping.

Window Replacement Company

A Window Replacement in San Francisco company that shows up as promised, prices the job in writing before any work starts, and stands behind the install for a full year is what most San Francisco homeowners actually need. You need us when retrofit caulking won’t fix the problem anymore, or when the frame itself is soft, twisted, or radiating cold. We carry eight manufacturer lines through the Garrison Partners network, including Therma-Tru and ECO Window Systems, so the right window gets spec’d for your opening and your exposure. Most full-frame replacement jobs in San Francisco run $1,400 – $2,400 per window installed.

Written Pricing, No Door Moves

The price we write down before work starts is the price you pay. If a rotted header or hidden framing issue changes the scope, we document it and get written approval before proceeding. No change orders that show up at the end of the job.

The Garrison Standard

Every crew member is background-checked and uniformed. They show up with their name on the work order and The Garrison Code on the dashboard: no mess left behind, no shortcuts, no leaving a job that isn’t done right. Elliot Vance enforces that standard on every install.

Window Glass Replacement

Window Glass Replacement swaps only the glass unit, not the frame, which is the right call when the sash and frame are still square and solid but the insulated glass unit has failed. Fog or mineral haze between the two panes means the seal between them is gone and the argon or krypton fill has leaked out, so the window now insulates about as well as a single pane. We replace glass units in vinyl, wood, aluminum, and fiberglass frames from any manufacturer in our eight-line portfolio. Most San Francisco glass replacements run $350 – $900 per pane installed.

Insulated Glass Unit Swap

We measure the exact daylight opening, order the replacement IGU to the correct thickness, and bed it in fresh glazing tape or silicone. The frame stays in place; the window performs like new. That’s usually a same-visit fix on standard sizes.

Impact and Laminated Glass

Homes in hillside zones or on busy corridors sometimes need laminated or tempered glass to meet code or reduce noise. We stock impact-rated options from PGT family lines and can order custom laminated units for sound control near the 101 or 280 corridors.

Window Sash Replacement

Window Sash Replacement rebuilds or replaces the moving panel of the window without pulling the entire frame, which preserves the surrounding trim, stucco, or siding. You need sash work when the wood in the moving part of the window is rotted, cracked, or split, while the jamb and frame are still solid. We order or mill sashes to match the original profile and hang them on new balances or hinges. Expect $600 – $1,200 per sash including finish work.

Wood Sash Restoration

In older districts like Haight-Ashbury and Pacific Heights, the original fir or redwood sashes are worth keeping. We strip failed putty, epoxy-repair minor rot, and re-glaze the glass so the window stays original but seals tight.

Complete Sash Builds

When the sash is too far gone to repair, we build a new one to the original dimensions and profile. Same species, same joinery, new weatherstripping. The window looks like it was always there, because it was measured like that.

Window Glass Repair

Window Glass Repair is the service for cracked, chipped, or shattered glass in an otherwise functional frame, and in San Francisco it’s usually driven by a wind-driven branch, a thrown rock on a hill street, or thermal stress from one of the city’s dramatic temperature swings. A crack that starts at the edge of the glass will keep running, and a broken pane in a bedroom is a safety and security issue until it’s replaced. We replace broken panes in wood, vinyl, and aluminum frames, cutting glass on site for single-pane units or ordering replacement IGUs for double-pane setups. Most single-pane glass repairs run $150 – $400; double-pane IGU replacement runs $350 – $900.

Same-Visit Pane Cuts

For single-pane windows, we cut the replacement glass on the truck, set it in fresh putty or glazing bead, and leave the window weather-tight before we go. There’s no board-up and no waiting a week for a piece of glass.

Thermal Crack Assessment

Some San Francisco windows crack not from impact but from thermal stress, especially dark-framed windows on south-facing walls in the Mission. We’ll tell you if the crack was a one-time event or a sign that the glass spec is wrong for that exposure, and what to do about it either way.

Window Pane Replacement

Window Pane Replacement addresses the individual sheet of glass within the sash, including single panes in older divided-light windows and the individual lites in multi-pane configurations. When one pane in a six-over-six window in a Richmond District row house cracks, you don’t need a whole new window; you need the one pane cut, fitted, and re-puttied. We handle single-pane and divided-light replacements with glass matched to the original thickness and clarity. Typical pane replacements run $120 – $350 for the pane and labor, with an additional $80 – $150 if the surrounding putty needs full removal and re-bedding.

Divided-Light Matching

Older San Francisco homes often have true divided-light sashes with individual glass lites. We cut each replacement pane to the exact opening, set it in linseed putty, and tool the putty to match the existing profile so the repair doesn’t announce itself.

Thickness and Clarity Spec

Original glass in pre-war homes is often 1/8-inch with slight waviness. We source reproduction glass that matches the visual character of the original, so one new pane doesn’t look like a different material than its neighbors.

Window Seal Repair

Window Seal Repair restores the barrier between the glass panes and the outside air when the seal is the only thing that has failed, and in San Francisco’s fog-driven humidity that failure is common in windows ten years or older. A failed seal shows up as persistent fog, haze, or water spots between the panes that you can’t wipe off from either side. Meridian Windows and Doors San Francisco repairs seals by replacing the failed insulated glass unit in the existing frame, which typically runs $350 – $900 per window depending on glass size and whether the sash needs to come out for the swap.

IGU Ordering and Swap

We measure the exact width, height, and thickness of the failed unit, order the replacement from the original manufacturer when possible (including ECO Window Systems and ViewLux lines), and install the new unit with the correct setting block and glazing bead. The frame stays; the window reseals.

Diagnosing Seal Versus Surface Moisture

Not every wet window is a failed seal. Condensation on the interior surface is usually a humidity and ventilation issue, not a window failure. We’ll tell you which one you’re looking at and what actually needs to happen, even when the answer is that nothing does.

Brands We Service

Our eight-line portfolio means we install and replace products from PGT, CGI, CWS, ES Windows, ECO Window Systems, Mr-Glass, Therma-Tru, and ViewLux. We spec Therma-Tru for fiberglass and steel entry systems where dimensional stability matters most; ViewLux for aluminum and thermally broken configurations that stand up to coastal salt air in the Sunset and Richmond; and ECO Window Systems for impact-rated openings where code or exposure demands a heavier glass package.

Whether you have ViewLux in a 1990s Marina condo, original Mr-Glass double-hungs in a 1960s West Portal build, or anything else that came with the house, we can service it. And if the right window for your opening isn’t one of the eight lines we carry, we’ll tell you that straight before we ever write an estimate.

Signs You Need a Pro Right Now

• Visible cracks running toward the frame edge. A crack that reaches the edge of the glass will keep traveling, and in San Francisco’s temperature swings (cold fog mornings, warm afternoons), that movement accelerates. Broken glass in a reachable window is also a safety issue for anyone inside the house.
• Fog or haze between the panes that won’t wipe off. That haze is the seal between the panes failing and the insulating gas leaking out. The window looks dirty permanently, but it’s actually no longer insulating, which means higher heating costs and cold drafts in west-facing rooms.
• Sashes that stick, drop, or won’t stay open. A double-hung window that slams shut on its own has failed balances or broken cords, and it’s a hazard for fingers and paws. A window that won’t open at all can be an egress problem in a bedroom, which matters for fire safety.
• Drafts you can feel with the window closed and locked. Air moving through a closed, locked window means the weatherstripping is shot, the frame is racked, or the sash is warped. In San Francisco’s wind corridors like the Outer Richmond, that draft carries fog moisture into your walls and invites rot.
• Soft or discolored wood around the window frame. Probe the frame with a screwdriver; if the wood gives, it’s rot. Left alone, rot spreads into the rough opening, the sheathing, and the structural framing. That’s a repair bill that doubles every year it waits, especially in damp microclimates like Pacifica and Daly City.

Our Process, Step by Step

1. 1
   Call and describe what you’re seeing. A live person answers at (831) 273-7126, any hour. We ask about the symptom (fog, draft, break, rot), the window type, and the age of the house. We’ll tell you whether it sounds like a repair or a replacement and what the likely price range is before we ever book a visit.
2. 2
   On-site measurement and inspection. We show up on time, in uniform, with the name on the work order matching the person at the door. We measure the actual window, inspect the frame, the rough opening, the flashing, and the interior casing, and we document everything so the estimate reflects the actual job.
3. 3
   Written line-item estimate. The price goes on paper before any work starts: product, glass package, hardware, labor, finish, haul-away. No verbal numbers, no “we’ll figure it out as we go.” You review the full scope and approve it in writing before we order anything.
4. 4
   Installation or repair. The crew removes the old unit or sash, preps the opening, installs the new product to manufacturer spec, insulates the rough opening, flashes the exterior properly against San Francisco’s wind-driven rain, and finishes the interior clean. The site gets swept, and the old window goes on the truck, not in your flower bed.
5. 5
   Walkthrough and written guarantee. We walk the job with you, hand you the written 365-Day Done Right Promise, and answer anything that doesn’t look right. If the installation or repair fails within that year, we come back at no charge. No fine print, no labor exclusions. That’s the standard, every time.

How Much Does Window Replacement Cost in San Francisco?

Our Service Area Near San Francisco

We install and replace windows across San Francisco, from the Richmond and Sunset to the Mission, Noe Valley, Bernal Heights, Potrero Hill, and every neighborhood in between. We also serve Window Replacement in Oakland and Window Replacement in Hayward, plus Richmond, Alameda, San Rafael, Hillsborough, Vallejo, San Mateo, Pacifica, Hercules, and San Lorenzo. Wherever you are in the Bay Area, we show up on time, in uniform, with the price written down before any work starts.

Frequently Asked Questions About Window Replacement in San Francisco

Schedule Your Window Replacement Service in San Francisco Today

Fogged panes, drafty sashes, rot you can see from the sidewalk. We’ll tell you what’s actually wrong and what it costs to fix, in writing, before any work starts. Call (831) 273-7126 now for a free, no-obligation estimate from Window Replacement in San Francisco. A live person answers, any hour, every day.

Written by Elliot Vance, Owner at Meridian Windows and Doors San Francisco, serving San Francisco and the Bay Area since 2009.