Window Replacement in San Francisco - Free Measure, Exact Written Quote

Trusted Window Replacement for San Francisco Homeowners

Window replacement in San Francisco usually costs between $600 and $1,400 per opening for standard double-hung or casement windows, and most full-home projects in neighborhoods like the Sunset, Richmond, and Noe Valley run from $9,000 to $28,000 depending on glass package, frame material, and how many windows you’re swapping. Our crews have replaced windows in hundreds of San Francisco homes since 2010, which means we’ve already worked through the quirks of Victorian sash weights in Pacific Heights, single-pane aluminum frames in the Excelsior, and fogged double-panes in Bernal Heights. If you’re seeing condensation between panes, feeling drafts through closed windows, or fighting sashes that stick and won’t stay up, call Keith and the team at Lightwell Windows San Francisco at (831) 480-4124 for a free in-home estimate with a written price before any work starts.

Call (831) 480-4124

A light well is what brings daylight deep into a building. That is what a well-installed window should do for your home, and that’s the whole point of what we do. We’re an independently operated part of the Cedarwell network, which means we carry contractor-grade product from eight manufacturers while still answering our own phone. When you call, you reach a live person, even at 2 a.m. on a Sunday. When we show up, you know who is at your door before they knock because every technician is background-checked and uniformed. And when we leave, there’s a photo of the clean-up so you can see exactly what the floors looked like when our crew walked out.

Energy Efficient Windows

Energy Efficient Windows are replacement units designed with low-E coatings, double or triple glazing, and insulated frames that cut the amount of conditioned air escaping through glass and seals – and in San Francisco, where fog-driven humidity meets cool coastal air, they make the difference between a living room that holds its temperature and one that runs your furnace all March. Most energy efficient replacements in San Francisco run $700 to $1,400 per window installed, with higher-end triple-glaze packages from brands like ViewLux pushing the top of that range; see our Window Replacement cost guide for a fuller breakdown. What you get for that price depends on the frame material, the glass package you pick, and whether the opening needs any structural repair before the new unit goes in.

Where the cold actually comes in

In older San Francisco homes, air leaks rarely come through the glass itself. They come through worn weatherstripping, cracked glazing putty, failed seals, and frames that have shifted over decades of Bay Area soil movement. A real energy audit of your windows means we check all of those points, not just the pane.

Glass packages that fit the neighborhood

Homes in the Sunset and Richmond districts fight wind-driven fog, and a standard low-E double-pane does real work there. Homes in the Mission or Potrero Hill get more sun, so a lower solar heat gain coefficient keeps rooms from turning into greenhouses in the afternoon. Keith Yamada walks through the differences window by window, because the right glass on one side of a house is often the wrong glass on the other.

Window Repair

Window Repair is the route we recommend whenever the frame, track, or sash is still structurally sound, and the fix is limited to hardware, weatherstripping, balance systems, or a single failed component. In San Francisco, where so many windows sit inside historic facades and HOA rules, repair is frequently the right call over replacement, running anywhere from $120 for a simple hardware swap to $800 for a full sash overhaul with new balances and seals. If the frame is rotted through or the glass itself has failed, repair money is better spent on replacement, and we’ll tell you that plainly instead of letting you pay twice.

What repair can and cannot save

A sticky double-hung with a broken spiral balance is a great repair candidate. So is a crank-out casement with a stripped operator. What repair cannot save is a frame with water damage running through the sill or a double-pane unit where the inert gas between panes has escaped and condensation lives inside the glass permanently.

Pet- and kid-safe materials, always

When repair involves new caulk, sealant, or weatherstripping, we use low-VOC and pet-safe products wherever there is a choice. That’s not a brochure line for us. It’s what we’d want in a home with a toddler crawling along the window seat and a dog who licks everything.

Window Replacement Company

A Window Replacement Company should do more than swap glass; it should measure, order, install, and stand behind the finished work, and that’s what Lightwell Windows San Francisco does for homes across San Francisco with a written price up front and a 365-Day Done Right Promise stamped on every job. Learn more about Window Replacement in San Francisco. Most full-frame replacements through our install crews run $750 to $1,300 per opening when we’re replacing rotted wood or resizing an opening, while pocket installations where the new window slides into the existing frame fall closer to $600 to $950 per window. The distinction matters because pocket installs only work when the existing frame is square, sound, and dry.

Independently owned, network-backed

We’re an independent Cedarwell location, which means Keith Yamada runs this show locally, not some regional office in another state. The network provides the buying power that lets us offer eight manufacturer brands, and the 365-Day Done Right Promise is backed by Cedarwell’s Care Promise. If the finished work isn’t right, we make it right. No debate, no countdown.

Why the written price matters

Every homeowner we’ve ever met who got burned was burned by the same move: a low verbal estimate and a higher invoice at the end. We put every price in writing before touching anything, and that price doesn’t change mid-job unless you ask for different work. C.A.R.E. values aren’t a poster in our office. They’re the operating rules: Clean up, Ask first, Respect the family’s time, Explain the price.

Window Glass Replacement

Window Glass Replacement is what you need when the insulated glass unit, or IGU, has failed but the frame and sash are still solid, and in San Francisco homes this shows up as permanent fog between panes, a milky film that won’t wipe away, or a pane that feels cold while its twin feels warm. Glass-only replacement in San Francisco typically runs $180 to $450 per pane depending on the IGU size, glass type, and whether the sash requires disassembly to get the new unit seated. It’s a cleaner fix than a full replacement, but it only works when the frame has years of life left in it.

Fog that starts and never stops

When a double-pane’s seal fails, the trapped air between the glass starts collecting moisture from the ambient air. Once condensation appears inside the unit, it will not dry out on its own. That fog reduces insulation, blocks the view, and eventually leads to mineral stains etched into the interior glass surface. At that point, glass replacement is the only repair path that restores the window’s look and its R-value.

Protecting what’s below the sash

Removing and reseating an IGU means working over whatever sits under the window: window seats, built-in bookshelves, kids’ play areas. Our crew lays drop cloths before any glass comes out, wears shoe covers from the front door to the window, and vacuums the area before taking the clean-up photo. You’ll see the floor in the photo before we leave, not through the photo.

Window Sash Replacement

Window Sash Replacement is the fix for windows where the moving part that holds the glass, the sash, has warped, rotted, or split while the outer frame is still being held straight and dry, a common situation in San Francisco Victorians and Edwardians where interior sashes take decades of condensation and moisture damage. Replacing a sash in San Francisco generally costs $250 to $700 per sash depending on material, glass package, and whether we’re matching an original divided-light pattern. If the outer frame is also soft or twisted, a sash replacement alone will not hold long, and we’ll show you exactly what we found before recommending the bigger job.

Matching historic lines without the historic problems

San Francisco planning departments and older HOAs often require the new sash to mirror the old profile. We can match true divided lights, simulated divided lights, and wood species, and we have worked with owners in areas like Presidio Heights and St. Francis Wood where the exterior look has to stay visually untouched. The new sash gets modern weatherstripping and glass while the house keeps its original face.

When a sash is past saving

If you can push a screwdriver tip into the bottom rail of a wood sash, the rot has likely reached the tenon joint and the sash has lost its structural integrity. In that condition, rebuilding is not a repair; it’s a gamble. Keith Yamada checks every sash with a moisture meter and a visual inspection of the joinery so you’re not paying for a bandage.

Window Glass Repair

Window Glass Repair covers cracked panes, chipped corners, and minor glaze failures in single-pane windows, the kind still found in thousands of San Francisco homes from the Outer Richmond to Glen Park, and it typically runs $100 to $280 per pane for standard annealed glass cut, glazed, and set. That price goes up if the pane is oversized, located above the first floor, or requires ladder work on a steep San Francisco grade. For double-pane units, glass repair usually means replacing the entire IGU rather than patching one surface, because a patch does not restore the gas fill or the insulating value.

The small crack that turns into a claim

A small corner crack in a single-pane window rarely stays small. San Francisco’s summer-to-winter temperature swings, plus the constant marine air, work on the crack’s tip and propagate it across the glass. Replacing the pane early costs a fraction of replacing the window later, and it prevents a broken shard from falling into a room where a child or pet plays.

How we keep glass work contained

Glass work produces fine chips and dust, so we tape off the work area, lay a canvas drop over the floor below, and bag broken pieces as we remove them, not after. The vac runs while we work, and we run it again at the end. If the damaged window is above a bed or a couch, that furniture gets moved or fully covered before the first piece of glazing is touched.

Window Pane Replacement

Window Pane Replacement is the simplest level of glass work: one pane, one opening, a straight swap for a cracked, fogged, or scratched pane in an otherwise healthy window, and in San Francisco it runs $110 to $350 per pane depending on size, thickness, and whether we’re dealing with single-pane or a double-pane IGU. This is not the same as replacing the whole window or even the sash; it’s the pane only, and it’s the right scope of work when the damage is isolated to the glass. We’ll tell you if your window only needs a pane swap, because we’d rather save you money than sell you a window you don’t need.

What changes the pane-only price

Three things move the number: access, glass type, and thickness. A ground-floor double-hung with stock glass is the bottom of the range. A third-floor pane on a steep Noe Valley block, or a custom-sized low-E pane in a historic casement, lands at the top. We price by the pane, never by the hour, so the estimate tells you the full cost before we start.

Same-day for simple panes

When a single pane breaks and leaves a hole in your house, we treat it like the emergency it is. We’re not promising same-day on a full replacement project, but for a basic pane swap on a standard-sized window, we usually have it done the same day we see it. Call (831) 480-4124 and a live person will answer, even after hours.

Window Seal Repair

Window Seal Repair addresses the weatherstripping, caulking, and gaskets that stop air and water from moving around the edges of the sash and frame, and in San Francisco this is the most common source of drafts in homes where the glass is still clear and the frames are still square. Seal repair in San Francisco generally runs $75 to $250 per window when we’re replacing worn weatherstripping, recaulking the exterior perimeter, or re-gasketing a sash, and the work often pays for itself within a heating season because the furnace stops running against leaky windows. When the failed seal is inside a double-pane IGU, the repair is not a caulk fix; the unit gets replaced, which lands these jobs in the glass-replacement range.

How we find the leaks you cannot see

We don’t guess at seals. We walk the window perimeter with an infrared thermometer and feel for air movement at the meeting rails, jamb liners, and sill. Then we inspect the weatherstripping under light and run a thin blade along the glazing to see if the putty or gasket has separated. You’ll see the findings before you approve the fix.

With fog, the fix changes

If the seal between two panes of glass has failed and fog lives inside the unit, that is an IGU failure, not a perimeter seal problem. Re-caulking the outside won’t remove the interior fog. We’ll tell you that on the spot and price the IGU replacement separately so you never pay for a fix that can’t work.

Brands We Service

We carry and service eight manufacturer brands, and the ones that show up most often in San Francisco homes are Therma-Tru, ECO Window Systems, and ViewLux. Therma-Tru is the one we reach for on front entries and coastal-facing openings where wind and salt air chew through lesser frames. We know their door slabs and frame systems cold, and we stock the common hinges, sweeps, and thresholds for their products. ECO Window Systems gives us an impact-rated, energy-focused lineup that fits a lot of San Francisco’s fog-belt homes without forcing a high price tag. Their laminated glass and argon-filled units perform well up the coast where the wind drives rain sideways. ViewLux rounds out our aluminum and fixed-pane options for mid-century homes in the Richmond and Sunset districts that want clean sightlines and big daylight without a bulky frame.

Whether you have one of those three, a Mr-Glass unit, a PGT or CGI impact window, an ES Windows casement, or CWS, we can service and replace it. We order directly from the manufacturer when we need to match an existing unit, and we’ve built enough history with each of these brands that we can read a glass marking and tell you exactly what you have, what a replacement costs, and how long it will take to arrive in San Francisco. If your window is an older brand you don’t see listed, call anyway. We’ll identify it and tell you honestly whether it makes more sense to repair, replace, or match it with a current product.

Signs You Need a Pro Right Now

• You can see daylight through the closed window. If light passes between the sash and frame, so does outside air, and every gap is a leak in your heating envelope. Seals and weatherstripping can fix this, but if the frame has shifted, the window needs to be re-set or replaced.
• Fog or condensation sits between the panes. This means the IGU seal has failed, and the window has lost its insulating gas. The view will never clear on its own. Replacement of the IGU or the entire unit is the only real fix.
• The sash falls shut or won’t stay open. A double-hung that slams down is a broken balance, and it’s dangerous for small fingers when it drops. Don’t prop it open with a book or a stick. Hardware failure escalates into track damage the longer it runs ignored.
• You feel cold air near the window even when it’s locked. That’s usually failed weatherstripping or a frame that’s pulled away from the rough opening. It’s costing you heating money every month in San Francisco’s damp, cool afternoons, and it’s the first place mold finds a foothold.
• Paint is peeling in soft layers around the sill or frame. Peeling paint on a window usually means water is getting behind the finish or through a failed joint. Once trapped moisture reaches the wood, rot starts, and the repair bill climbs. Check it while it’s still a paint problem, not a frame problem.

Our Process, Step by Step

1. 1
   Call and talk to a real person. When you dial (831) 480-4124, a live person picks up, 24/7. Tell us what you’re seeing: fog, drafts, a sash that won’t hold, water on the sill. We’ll ask about the window count, the general age of the house, and the neighborhood so we can start thinking about exposure and style before we arrive.
2. 2
   In-home inspection and measurement. One of our uniformed, background-checked technicians walks the house with you, window by window. We run a moisture meter on every wood frame, check seals with an infrared thermometer, and photograph the openings we’d be working in. You get the numbers and the findings in plain English.
3. 3
   Written price, itemized and fixed. You’ll get a written estimate before any work starts, with the price per window and the scope of work spelled out. Nothing is verbal-only, and the price doesn’t drift up at the end. We’ll go over which windows are repair candidates and which are replacement candidates, and we’ll explain the C.A.R.E. values that govern how the crew behaves in your home.
4. 4
   Installation day, with the house protected. Shoe covers at the door, drop cloths under every work area, tools set down on mats, not floors. We ask before moving anything, and we use quiet tools during nap hours if you’ve got a sleeping toddler. Work runs efficiently from start to finish, and we clean as we go, not just at the end.
5. 5
   Final walk-through, photo of the clean-up, and the promise. Before we leave, we walk you through the finished work, show you the before-and-after photos of the openings, and hand you the clean-up photo so you can see exactly how the house was left. Then the 365-Day Done Right Promise takes over: if it isn’t right, Lightwell makes it right. No debate, no countdown.

How Much Does Window Replacement Cost in San Francisco?

Our Service Area Near San Francisco

We serve San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area, including home service calls in Daly City, South San Francisco, Burlingame, Piedmont, Berkeley, San Leandro, Walnut Creek, Martinez, and Lafayette. Most calls within San Francisco proper see us within one to three business days for estimates, and urgent glass calls get priority scheduling. If you’re in Castro Valley or Danville, we cover those areas too, with the same written-price rule and the same clean-up standard. You can see more about our broader work on our Window Replacement in San Francisco page.

Frequently Asked Questions About Window Replacement in San Francisco

Schedule Your Window Replacement Service in San Francisco Today

If you’re ready to see what your windows are really doing for your house, call Lightwell Windows San Francisco at (831) 480-4124 for a free in-home estimate. Keith Yamada and his crew will walk the windows with you, show you what’s solid and what’s failing, and put a written price in your hand before anything is ordered or installed. No obligation, no pressure, and a clean house when we leave.

Written by Keith Yamada, Owner at Lightwell Windows San Francisco, serving San Francisco since 2010.