Windows · General B Licensed
What we install
01 · Windows
The new window sets into the existing frame, so stucco and interior finishes stay intact. Fastest and least disruptive path for a whole-house replacement, and the right call when the existing frames and surrounding wall are dry and sound.
02 · Windows
Everything comes out to the rough opening so we can inspect the framing and re-flash the sill properly. Necessary when there's water damage, and always the better assembly — it's how you actually stop a leak instead of covering it.
03 · Windows
Enlarging an opening, adding a window to a dark room, or swapping a small slider for a wide patio door. This is structural work — new headers, sometimes shear wall revisions — which is why it stays inside our General B license.
Cost & options
Installed, expect roughly $1,200–$2,400 per window for Pella retrofit replacement in standard sizes. Frame material, glass package and opening size move you within that band; full-frame work and oversized or custom shapes sit above it.
How it goes
01
We field-measure every opening and check the condition of frames, sills and surrounding stucco. That inspection determines retrofit versus full-frame — not a preference.
02
Line, frame color, grille pattern and glass package selected per elevation. Manufacturing lead time is typically several weeks and we schedule around it.
03
Old units out, new units set, shimmed, insulated and sealed. A whole-house retrofit is usually one to two days; full-frame runs longer with stucco patch and trim.
04
Caulking, interior trim, stucco texture match, and permit inspection with the NFRC documentation for Title 24.
Frequently asked
Roughly $1,200–$2,400 per window installed for Pella retrofit replacement in standard sizes. Where you land depends on the product line, the glass package, and the size of the opening. Full-frame replacement costs more because it includes stucco patching, flashing and interior trim. We quote per opening after measuring, since houses rarely have uniform window sizes.
Retrofit if the existing frame and the wall around it are dry and structurally sound; it's faster, cheaper, and leaves your stucco alone. Full-frame if there's any sign of water intrusion, dry rot, or failed flashing, or if you want to keep every inch of glass area. Retrofit sets inside the old frame, so you lose a small amount of visible glass. We tell you which one your openings need after we look at them.
Yes — LADBS requires a permit for window replacement, and Title 24 energy compliance is verified through it. Permits also matter when you're changing an opening size, which brings in structural review, or when a bedroom window has to meet egress dimensions. If your home is in a Historic Preservation Overlay Zone, the window material and profile face additional review, and that usually rules out vinyl.
On west- and south-facing glass in LA, meaningfully — that's where most unwanted heat enters a house. The mechanism is the low-E coating rejecting solar radiation, more than the insulation value of the frame. North-facing windows contribute much less. If budget is limited, replacing the sun-exposed elevations first gets you most of the comfort improvement for a fraction of the whole-house cost.
Installation is quick; the wait is manufacturing. Expect several weeks of lead time after the order is placed, then one to two days on site for a typical whole-house retrofit. Full-frame replacement adds time for stucco patch, texture match and interior trim, and those need cure and paint time afterward.
Yes. In the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones — much of the Santa Monica Mountains, the Verdugos, and the hillsides above the Valley — Chapter 7A of the California Building Code applies to exterior windows. Glazing in those zones is required to be multi-pane with tempered glass on the exterior pane, or otherwise meet the assembly requirements. If you're in a mapped zone, we spec to 7A as a matter of course.
Service areas
Send us a window count and photos of a few elevations, or have us field-measure. We'll tell you which openings genuinely need full-frame and which are fine as retrofit — the difference is usually thousands of dollars.
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