Free in-home measure and quote - PGT, CGI and CWS impact lines compared on your actual openings, style by style
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AfterWindow Company in San Francisco, CA
Most window and door jobs in San Francisco run $800 – $3,200 per opening depending on the product and the condition of the existing frame, with full-home window replacements typically landing between $15,000 and $35,000. The city’s Victorian and Edwardian housing stock, combined with Planning Department historic-review requirements in many districts, means San Francisco window work demands different products and skills than standard suburban vinyl swaps. At Lightwell Windows & Doors, we carry PGT, CGI, CWS, and ViewLux lines suited to these constraints, and every job starts with a written price before any work begins. Call (562) 478-8017 to schedule your free estimate.
Why San Francisco Homes Are Different
San Francisco’s dominant housing stock of Victorian (1880s – 1900s) and Edwardian (1900s – 1920s) wood-frame row houses, concentrated in the Western Addition, Castro, Haight-Ashbury, and Mission, means most window jobs involve original wood sash units with rope-and-pulley or chain counterbalance systems. Many of these fall under the city’s historic district controls, which require Planning Department review before replacement and mandate historically-compatible profiles. That preservation-first regulatory layer effectively rules out the standard vinyl-swap approach common in neighboring cities.
The Outer Sunset and Outer Richmond add another variable: tens of thousands of post-WWII stucco homes with original steel casement or jalousie windows that corrode heavily in the salt-laden marine air. In fog-belt neighborhoods west of Twin Peaks, west-facing wood window sills can be structurally rotted all the way through while interior paint still looks intact. Moisture drives inward from outside, so by the time a homeowner feels a draft, the rough framing and sill plate are usually part of the repair scope too. Unlike the rest of California, heat expansion is almost never the failure mode here; persistent humidity cycling is almost always the culprit.
Our Main San Francisco Services
San Francisco homeowners call us most often for window replacement and new window installation, though door installation is growing quickly as families update entry systems for security and energy performance. Each service page below details how we handle San Francisco’s specific conditions.
Window Replacement in San Francisco
Window replacement in San Francisco typically means removing original wood sash units from Victorian and Edwardian homes and installing new products that satisfy both the homeowner and the Planning Department’s historic compatibility requirements. We regularly see jobs in the Castro and Haight-Ashbury where the counterweight pocket has been damaged by decades of fog-driven moisture, requiring carpentry repair before the new unit goes in. Our crews carry shoe covers and drop cloths on every visit, and we photo-document the clean-up before leaving. Window Replacement in San Francisco
Window Installation in San Francisco
New window installation in San Francisco often happens in converted attics, rear additions, or garage conversions where the original structure never had an opening. In the Sunset and Richmond districts, we frequently cut into stucco exteriors that have been saturated by marine fog for sixty-plus years, requiring careful flashing detail to prevent the moisture problems that plagued the original steel casements. We pull permits and coordinate inspections as part of every job. Window Installation in San Francisco
Door Installation in San Francisco
Door installation in San Francisco presents unique challenges because wood doors swell and rack in their jambs seasonally due to humidity cycling, and many Victorian entryways have non-standard rough openings that require custom jamb work. We install Therma-Tru and ViewLux entry systems with proper sill pan flashing to handle the moisture load, and we always explain the price before touching anything. Door Installation in San Francisco
What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
- 2
You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
- 3
A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
- 4
You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Brands We Service in San Francisco
We stock and install from eight manufacturer brands: PGT, CGI, CWS, ES Windows, ECO Window Systems, Mr-Glass, Therma-Tru, and ViewLux. Our San Francisco Bay Area office maintains local inventory of PGT and CGI coastal-grade frames and hardware, which means most San Francisco jobs move to measurement within a week of estimate approval. See our brands for full specifications.
Pricing for Window Company in San Francisco, CA
| Service | Typical range in San Francisco |
|---|---|
| Single window replacement (wood sash, historic-compatible) | $1,200 – $2,800 |
| Single window replacement (standard vinyl or fiberglass) | $800 – $1,800 |
| Full-home window replacement (10 – 15 openings, Victorian/Edwardian) | $18,000 – $35,000 |
| Full-home window replacement (10 – 15 openings, postwar stucco) | $15,000 – $28,000 |
| New window installation (cut-in, with framing) | $1,500 – $3,200 |
| Steel casement replacement (coastal-grade aluminum) | $1,400 – $2,600 |
| Sill plate and rough framing repair (fog-belt rot) | $400 – $1,200 per opening |
| Entry door installation (pre-hung, standard opening) | $1,600 – $3,500 |
| Entry door installation (custom jamb, non-standard opening) | $2,400 – $4,800 |
| Sliding patio door replacement | $2,200 – $4,500 |
| French door installation (inswing or outswing pair) | $3,000 – $5,500 |
| Planning Department historic review coordination | $350 – $750 (included in full-service quotes) |
Prices in San Francisco push toward the higher end when historic-review compliance requires custom milling or when fog-belt rot has compromised the rough framing. Our no-hassle upfront pricing means you get a written, line-item price before any work starts, with no change orders unless you request additional scope.
Neighborhoods We Serve in San Francisco
We work across San Francisco’s full geographic spread, from the fog-belt neighborhoods west of Twin Peaks to the sunnier eastern districts. Dispatch and scheduling are coordinated from our San Francisco Bay Area office, with crews typically available for estimates within a few days of your call.
- Outer Sunset and Inner Sunset
- Outer Richmond and Inner Richmond
- Castro and Noe Valley
- Haight-Ashbury and Western Addition
- Mission and Bernal Heights
Service Area – Cities Near San Francisco
Our crews regularly cross the city limits for jobs in Daly City, CA, where the same marine fog conditions apply to the hillside homes off Skyline Boulevard; Brisbane, CA, with its mix of mid-century and newer construction; Sausalito, CA, where waterfront exposure demands coastal-grade hardware; and South San Francisco, CA, with its industrial-to-residential conversion projects. Each of these markets shares San Francisco’s moisture challenges but brings its own permitting and product requirements.
Serving San Francisco, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the San Francisco area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About Window Company in San Francisco
Yes, if your property is in a designated historic district or is a contributing structure to a conservation area, which covers much of the Victorian and Edwardian core. We handle the review application and specify historically-compatible profiles from PGT, CGI, or custom millwork as needed. Call (562) 478-8017 and we’ll check your address against the district map during the estimate.
Most single-window replacements finish in one day; full-home replacements run 3 – 5 days depending on access and historic-review staging. We schedule around your family’s quiet hours and use the lowest-impact tools possible when kids or pets are home. Call (562) 478-8017 for a timeline based on your specific scope.
Absolutely. Our technicians follow the C.A.R.E. values on every visit: Clean up like it’s our own home; Ask before we move or touch anything; Respect the family’s time and quiet hours; Explain the price before the work. That means shoe covers, drop cloths, and a photo of the clean space before we leave. Call (562) 478-8017 to schedule your free estimate.
What happens when you call
- 1A real person answersNo phone trees - talk to a local windows & doors pro.
- 2You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched. No surprises.
- 3We come out and measureLicensed & insured, at a time that suits you - the visit and the quote are both free.
- 4You get the price in writingLine-itemed, yours to keep, and nothing starts until you say go.
What San Francisco Customers Say
"Lovely windows and a tidy install. One window came in a couple weeks late from the factory, so that opening finished after the others. They kept me posted and the rest was spotless."
- Mia Donnelly"Quiet, considerate install of several windows. They cleaned the glass and the sills and vacuumed every room. You'd never know a crew had been through. House is quieter and brighter."
- Brent Sakamoto"New patio slider. Clean install, they protected the floor and hauled off the old door. Quiet, polite crew that worked around my work calls without complaint."
- Andre Bellamy