CGI Window Replacement Nationwide

CGI Window Replacement: The San Antonio Owner’s Guide

CGI window replacement in San Antonio typically runs $850 to $2,400 per window installed, depending on the series, glass package, and whether the frame needs work. We stock CGI-compatible replacement sashes, glass units, balances, and hardware, and we can match most CGI models the same week we measure. Most owners don’t realize the window is failing until they feel a draft, see condensation between the panes, or find that the sash won’t stay up without a fight.

Call (903) 488-7019

Here’s what usually brings people to this page: a CGI window that was installed years ago, possibly by a builder during a neighborhood’s original construction, and now a specific component has quit. The rest of the house is fine. The issue is one window, maybe two, and the owner wants to know if they can replace just the broken part instead of tearing out the whole assembly. In most cases, yes. That’s exactly the kind of work we do across San Antonio, from Alamo Heights to Stone Oak to the neighborhoods west of I-10.

CGI is a hurricane-coast manufacturer that builds windows engineered for coastal hurricane zones, and their product line shows up in Texas more often than people expect, especially in newer construction where builders wanted impact-rated glass without the custom-order price tag of some other brands. The good news: CGI parts are identifiable and replaceable. The catch: not every window shop in San Antonio stocks them or knows the series well enough to order correctly the first time.

Which CGI Models This Applies To

CGI product lines commonly found in San Antonio homes include the Estate Collection, the Sentinel series, and the Tribute series, along with older builder-grade CGI aluminum single-hungs that predate the current naming conventions. Each series uses different frame depths, balance systems, and glass package specifications, so matching the part to the model matters. A Sentinel sash will not drop into an Estate frame, even if the visible glass dimensions look identical.

Here’s the identification process we walk through on every CGI call. First, look for the manufacturer label. CGI stamps or stickers the AAMA certification label on the frame or sash, and it lists the series, the glass spec, and a manufacturing date code. If that label is gone, we measure the visible glass, the frame depth, and the balance shoe profile. Those three numbers narrow the part down almost every time. For glass replacement, the key spec is the overall insulated glass unit thickness, usually 7/8 inch on older CGI units and 1 inch on newer impact-rated models. Getting that wrong means the new glass won’t seat in the sash.

One more consideration: OEM versus aftermarket. CGI still manufactures replacement parts for most of its active lines, but lead times from the factory can run three to six weeks depending on the series. For older or discontinued models, a quality aftermarket insulated glass unit with matching thickness and solar performance is often the faster, equally durable choice. We carry aftermarket glass from suppliers we’ve used for years, and we’re straightforward about when OEM is worth the wait and when it isn’t. We’re an independent San Antonio window company, not a CGI dealer, so our recommendation is based on what holds up, not what pads a manufacturer relationship.

Signs Your CGI Window Replacement Is Failing

• Fog or condensation between the glass panes. The insulated glass unit’s seal has failed, letting humid San Antonio air into the space between the panes. Once moisture shows up inside the unit, the glass’s thermal performance is permanently degraded and the unit needs replacement.
• The sash drops when you raise it, or won’t stay open at all. The block-and-tackle or spiral balance inside the frame has lost tension or snapped. This is a wear item, and on some CGI series, the original balances were undersized for the sash weight from the factory.
• You feel air moving around the closed window on a windy day. Weatherstripping has compressed, or the sash has sagged slightly out of square. In San Antonio, where spring winds gust regularly, a small air leak becomes an obvious comfort problem fast.
• The sash is stiff, grinds, or catches when you open or close it. Debris, a bent shoe, or a worn pivot bar has interfered with the balance system. Forcing the sash usually makes the damage worse, and on older CGI aluminum frames, it can score the track permanently.
• The frame shows water staining or softness at the bottom corners. The original installation flashing or sealant has failed and water has been getting behind the frame. This one goes beyond a parts swap: the frame itself likely needs inspection, and possibly replacement, before the water reaches the wall framing.

Replacement Cost & What’s Included

For a CGI window replacement in San Antonio, here’s the honest range. A single insulated glass unit replacement on a standard CGI double-hung runs $350 to $650 installed. A full sash replacement, which includes new balances and weatherstripping, runs $550 to $900. A complete window replacement, including frame, glass, sash, and new flashing, runs $850 to $2,400 depending on size, series, and whether we need to repair surrounding stucco or siding after pulling the old frame. Sean Mackey has always believed that if the numbers don’t make sense on paper, they won’t make sense on your wall either, so every quote we give is a fixed written price before any work starts.

What’s included in that price: the part, the labor to remove the old component, cleanup of the work area, and a 365-day Done Right Promise on parts and labor, in writing. If anything we touched fails within a year, we come back and fix it. No charge, no argument. For full-frame replacements, we also re-flash the opening, insulate the gap, and seal both interior and exterior per the manufacturer’s installation spec.

DIY or Call Us?

What you can safely do yourself: confirm the series by finding the label, measure the visible glass dimensions, note which side the sash lifts from, and take a photo or two. That information lets us bring the right part on the first trip instead of making you wait through a two-visit measure-and-return. What we don’t recommend: prying the sash out of an impact-rated CGI frame to replace the glass yourself. The torque on the balance system alone can send a steel spring flying if it’s still under tension, and impact-rated glass is heavy enough to cause real injury if it shifts mid-removal. If you have a fogged unit or a dropped sash, the best move is a phone call to (903) 488-7019 and a set of measurements from you. We’ll take it from there.

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