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AfterCGI Window Installation: The Boca Raton Owner’s Guide
CGI window installation in Boca Raton typically runs $850 to $2,400 per opening for a full-frame replacement with impact glass, depending on size, series, and whether the existing frame is salvageable. We stock CGI-compatible hardware and glass packs on our trucks, so most swaps happen same-day once we confirm your model. The way most Boca Raton homeowners discover they need us is simple: a crank that grinds, a sash that won’t seal at the corner, or a water stain on the drywall after one of our sideways summer storms.
You’re not looking for a lecture on window theory. You’ve got a CGI product that’s failing and you want it matched, priced, and fixed. That’s exactly what this page covers.
Which CGI Models This Applies To
We work on the full CGI Estate Collection and Sentinel lineups, including the Estate Single Hung, Estate Casement, Estate Awning, and the heavier commercial-grade Sentinel 800 series. Each series uses different balance hardware, sash profiles, and weatherstripping channels, so the first thing we verify on site is the aluminum ID tag on the frame corner. If that tag is missing, we measure the glass pack thickness, the interlock depth, and the balance shoe profile to pin the model down.
One compatibility gotcha we see often in Boca Raton: CGI changed balance shoe geometry across the Estate line around 2016, so a balance shoe ordered for a 2014 Estate Double Hung won’t seat correctly in a 2019 frame. We’ve got both generations on hand because this exact mismatch burns owners who buy parts online. For glass packs, we default to OEM whenever the homeowner wants the CGI stamp inside the corner spacer, but quality aftermarket laminated glass rated to the same Miami-Dade NOA specs can run 20-30% less and still carry our workmanship warranty. We’ll show you both numbers.
Winslow Windows & Doors is an independent service provider. We’re not affiliated with CGI, but we’ve installed and serviced their products across South Florida for years.
Signs Your CGI Window Installation Is Failing
- Grinding or popping when you crank the casement. The torque arm gears inside a CGI casement operator are brass-on-steel, and when the factory grease dries out, the teeth skip. You’ll feel it jerking before you hear it grind. Left alone, the teeth strip and the crank spins free.
- Water staining at the sill corners after a storm. CGI sills have weep channels that drain through the exterior flange. In Boca Raton, those weeps clog with pollen, salt film, and the fine sand that gets into everything. Water backs up, wicks into the interior, and the stain appears directly under the lock jamb.
- Sash drops an inch when you unlock it. That’s a balance shoe failure or a detached balance spring. On the Estate Double Hung, the coil springs live inside the shoe body, and when one side lets go, the sash leans and binds against the jamb track.
- Condensation between the glass panes. This is a failed IG (insulated glass) seal. It’s not something we patch. The glass pack gets ordered to your exact CGI frame dimensions, and the fog never comes back once it’s replaced.
- Lock doesn’t engage without lifting or shoving the sash. Over years of thermal cycling, the interlock rail on a CGI single hung can shift a few millimeters. The cam lock misses the keeper. If the frame is still square, the fix is a new keeper with a longer reach. If the frame has racked, we’re talking about shimming or full-frame replacement.
Replacement Cost & What’s Included
Here’s what CGI window installation actually costs in Boca Raton right now:
| Service | Typical Range | What’s Included |
|---|---|---|
| Balance shoe & spring replacement (per sash) | $120 - $240 | Parts, labor, track lubrication, re-alignment of the sash in the jamb |
| Casement operator replacement | $160 - $320 | New torque arm, handle, and gear assembly, plus all interior trim pieces |
| Weatherstripping replacement (full perimeter) | $90 - $210 | OEM-profile gaskets, sill seal, head expander foam, and weep channel clearing |
| Insulated glass pack replacement | $450 - $1,100 per sash | Tempered laminated glass to NOA spec, new spacer bar, new gaskets, argon fill |
| Full-frame CGI window install | $850 - $2,400 per opening | Tear-out, disposal, new window, sealed waterproof pan, interior trim, stucco return patch |
Your price depends on three things: the CGI series you own, whether the frame is square enough to reuse, and the glass pack dimensions. A picture window in a family room runs more than a small bedroom vent. You get a written line-item quote before we touch a screwdriver, and the number on that quote is the number on the invoice. Every CGI window installation we do carries our workmanship warranty, and Ed’s name is on the truck, so the work has to be right.
DIY or Call Us?
Here’s the honest split. You can clean and clear your CGI weep channels from the outside with a soft brush and a hose on low pressure. That prevents a lot of sill leaks before they start. You can also inspect your weatherstripping for flattening or tears and send us photos so we can pre-stage the right gasket profile before we arrive.
What you should not do is try to pop a balance shoe out of a jamb track without the release tool for your specific CGI series. Those coil springs hold real tension, and a shoe that releases unexpectedly can tear through drywall or a hand. We’ve repaired enough botched DIY balance replacements in Boca Raton to say it plainly: the tool costs less than an ER co-pay. Same logic applies to lifting a full replaceable glass pack on a second-story opening. Call us at (561) 816-5648 and let a background-checked tech do it with the right equipment.
FAQs
CGI frames are aluminum with a baked-on finish, and in our experience across Boca Raton they give you 20 to 30 years before significant corrosion or structural work is needed. The moving parts, like balances, gaskets, and operators, go sooner, usually the 8 to 15 year mark depending on sun exposure. Can you repair a CGI window instead of replacing the whole thing?
In most cases, yes. We repair balances, operators, weatherstripping, and replace glass packs without touching the surrounding frame or stucco. Full-frame replacement only makes sense when the frame is corroded, warped, or racked beyond adjustment. We’ll show you the repair option first and the replacement option second, with numbers for both.
How long does a CGI window installation take?
A hardware repair like a balance shoe or operator swap takes about 45 minutes per window once we’re on site. A full-frame replacement takes 2 to 4 hours per opening for the install, plus stucco patch and trim touch-up on the return visit. We give you a timeline on the written estimate before we order anything. Call (561) 816-5648 for an exact quote, estimates are free.
Yes. Our trucks carry the most common CGI balance shoes, springs, operators, gaskets, and lock hardware for the Estate and Sentinel lines, plus the specialized release tools for each generation. If your part is a glass pack or less common hardware, we order it directly from a Florida supplier and schedule the install as soon as it lands, usually within 3 to 5 business days.
If your CGI window is grinding, leaking, or dropping in the track, call (561) 816-5648. A live person answers every time, 24 hours a day. We’ll get your model identified, give you a written quote, and send a uniformed tech who shows up on time. $40 off any repair over $200, and a permanent 10% discount for seniors and veterans. We’re the ones down the road, and we answer the phone.
Written by Ed Winslow, Owner, Winslow Windows & Doors at Winslow Windows & Doors, serving Boca Raton and nearby areas.
Six Reasons Homeowners Choose Winslow Windows & Doors
Impact systems engineered to design pressures up to +/-100, matched to your wind zone - your openings hold when the storm arrives.
Low-E insulated impact glass from our manufacturer lines commonly cuts monthly cooling bills 20-30%.
Laminated impact glass shuts out up to 40% of outside noise - traffic, neighbors, weather.
Monitoring services run $30-90 a month. Laminated impact glass resists forced entry around the clock, with no subscription.
Florida homeowners average around 25% savings on the windstorm portion of their policy after protecting every opening - some homes qualify for more.
A full impact package upgrades curb appeal, buyer confidence and appraised value in one project.