Free in-home measure and quote - PGT, CGI and CWS impact lines compared on your actual openings, style by style
Sliding glass doors
Impact garage doorsPGTCGI
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterFast, Reliable Custom Windows & Doors Across San Francisco
Custom windows and doors in San Francisco almost always come down to one question: will the material survive the fog belt? For homeowners in the Outer Sunset, Outer Richmond, and the older neighborhoods east of Twin Peaks, the answer depends on specific material choices that a standard inland quote rarely accounts for. TruePane Windows & Doors has spent years working on San Francisco’s Edwardian flats, Victorian row houses, and mid-century hillside homes, and we know which frames, seals, hinges, and flashing actually hold up when salt-laden air sits on them for nine months a year. If you’re pricing replacement windows or a new custom door in San Francisco, call (888) 635-0804 for a free estimate. We answer the phone, and we’ll tell you straight what the job needs.
Why TruePane Windows & Doors Is San Francisco’s Preferred Custom Windows & Doors Company
What separates a good window job in San Francisco from a bad one is rarely visible on the day of installation. It shows up in year six, when west-facing insulated glass units in the Richmond fog belt start losing their argon fill and fog permanently between the panes. We see that failure constantly. We quote against it. Our crews are trained to probe rough sills and inspect exterior fir for the cold fog-moisture rot pattern that is particular to San Francisco’s west side, where a sill can look flawless from inside and be structurally gone on the exterior face.
TruePane is led by Dale Kessler, a second-generation glazier who founded the company on a simple rule: if the pane is not true, the job is not done. Every job carries the Done Right Promise and The Keystone Standard, which means both manufacturer warranty layers get registered in writing before the truck leaves your driveway in Noe Valley, the Castro, or the Western Addition. No paperwork fights. No arguing. We also maintain a live person on the phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call (888) 635-0804 and you will not reach a voicemail tree.
San Francisco homeowners tend to keep their houses for decades. They want a company that will still answer the phone in fifteen years. We hire local, train apprentices into journeymen, and show up in uniform, background-checked, ready to measure every opening twice. That is the standard.
Our Custom Windows & Doors Services in San Francisco
Our Custom Windows & Doors team handles everything from full frame replacement to bespoke architectural glazing. Here is what we do most often in San Francisco.
Custom Shape Windows
San Francisco’s Victorian and Edwardian flats are full of non-rectangular openings: arched transoms, octagonal corner bays, round porthole windows under gable peaks. Off-the-shelf units do not fit these openings, and forcing one creates a leak and a voided warranty. We measure, template, and order custom radius, arch, trapezoid, and circle windows to the exact rough opening, then flash them for San Francisco’s wind-driven fog. A custom arched unit over a Castro flat’s entry door typically runs $1,400 to $3,200 installed, depending on frame material and glass package.
Commercial Storefront Glazing
For ground-floor commercial spaces in the Mission, SoMa, and Union Square corridors, storefront glazing means aluminum framing, tempered or laminated glass, and door hardware that stands up to heavy pedestrian use and salt air. We replace cracked storefront panes, rebuild entry systems, and upgrade old single-pane storefronts to code-compliant insulated glazing. Most single-storefront replacements in San Francisco run $8,000 to $22,000 depending on opening width, glass type, and whether the existing aluminum framing needs full replacement or can be retained.
Curtain Wall Systems
Larger commercial and mixed-use buildings in San Francisco use curtain wall systems, where the glazing carries no structural load but must manage significant wind pressure and thermal movement. We work with aluminum, steel, and wood curtain wall framing, and we specify thermally broken profiles and marine-grade gaskets for buildings within a mile of the Pacific or the Bay. Curtain wall retrofit work in San Francisco typically starts around $40,000 for a modest elevation and goes up from there based on square footage and access requirements.
Architectural Grilles & SDLs
Historic districts in San Francisco often require simulated divided lites, or SDLs, to match the original window pattern on a Victorian or Edwardian facade. The San Francisco Planning Department’s preservation rules frequently mandate true or simulated divided lites rather than a plain single pane. We spec SDL grids and architectural grilles to match period profiles, and we can supply them on wood, wood-clad, and aluminum frames. SDLs typically add $120 to $300 per sash, and the Planning Department’s requirements in designated historic districts can make that a non-negotiable line item.
Oversized Glass Panels
Hillside homes in neighborhoods like Forest Hill, St. Francis Wood, and Diamond Heights often feature oversized fixed glass panels that span floor to ceiling, and those panels are precisely where fog-driven condensation and bad seals show up first. Replacing an oversized panel means rental glazing lifts or crane work on a steep grade, heavier glass thicknesses for wind load, and sometimes structural header evaluation. A single oversized panel replacement in San Francisco typically runs $3,500 to $9,000, with the higher end covering difficult access and custom glass fabrication.
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.
Trusted Brands We Service in San Francisco
TruePane is an authorized installer for more than a dozen manufacturer lines, including, PGT, CGI, and ES Windows. For San Francisco’s coastal climate, we often recommend CGI and ES Windows for their marine-grade hardware and sealant packages, and we quote CWS and ECO Window Systems alongside them so you can see the difference on paper. We do not push a single brand. We quote manufacturer lines side by side, register both warranty layers in writing, and let you choose with full information. Most parts and hardware for these brands are available within days, not weeks, through our Bay Area supply chain.
Common Custom Windows & Doors Problems We See in San Francisco Homes
- Chronic seal failure in west-facing insulated glass units. In the Outer Richmond, salt-laden fog accelerates edge-seal degradation on west-facing windows. We see argon fill loss and permanent fog between panes within five to seven years on units that would last fifteen years inland. The fix is a replacement unit with marine-grade sealant, not another unit with the same inland spec.
- Rotted exterior fir sills that look fine from inside. The Sunset and Richmond districts have a fog-moisture rot pattern that attacks fir window frames from the outside. A sill can look solid indoors while the exterior face is punky enough to push an awl through. The only reliable pricing method is a probe test first.
- Aluminum hardware corrosion on load-bearing bay window assemblies. Original single-glazed double-hung sashes on Victorian bays often have aluminum hinges, locks, and weatherstripping that corrode after years of Pacific salt air. Replacing just the hardware rarely works because the surrounding wood is usually compromised too.
- Fog-driven condensation on single-pane original windows. Homes built between 1880 and 1915 usually still have their original single-glazed wood windows. In San Francisco’s gray months, those windows sweat, and the moisture runs into wood sashes and sills year-round. That is why the condensation never really stops on its own.
Pricing for Custom Windows & Doors in San Francisco, CA
Custom window and door work in San Francisco costs more than in Daly City or South San Francisco, and the reason is specific: coastal-spec hardware, marine-grade sealants, and often historic-district compliance. A typical custom wood window replacement in a Noe Valley Edwardian runs $1,800 to $4,200 per opening installed. A custom wood or wood-clad bay window assembly in the Castro, Mission, or Western Addition runs $12,000 to $30,000 installed, depending on the number of sashes and the condition of the rough framing. Custom entry doors with sidelights run $6,000 to $18,000. Commercial storefront glazing in SoMa or Union Square runs $8,000 to $22,000 for a single storefront. Oversized glass panel replacement on a hillside home runs $3,500 to $9,000. These are honest San Francisco market ranges, not teaser numbers.
What moves the price: whether the rough opening and sill are structurally sound after a probe test, whether the San Francisco Planning Department requires wood or wood-clad units, whether the job is in the fog belt and needs stainless hardware plus marine-grade flashing, and whether access requires a lift or crane. We do not lowball the coastal spec and then charge change orders later. Our quote lists every line item before work starts. Call (888) 635-0804 for a free, written estimate.
We Also Serve Cities Near San Francisco
TruePane’s crews work throughout the Bay Area. Along with San Francisco, we serve Daly City, Sausalito, South San Francisco, and Alameda. Each has different building stock and exposure to fog and salt air, and we quote each job to the actual conditions. Call (888) 635-0804 to schedule a free estimate anywhere in our service area.
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 - Custom Windows & Doors in San Francisco
Vinyl replacement windows are prohibited in many designated historic districts and landmark buildings under the San Francisco Planning Department’s preservation rules. The city’s dense stock of Victorian and Edwardian flats, built roughly 1880 to 1915, falls under preservation guidelines that require wood or wood-clad units on a large share of jobs. This restriction does not exist in neighboring Daly City or South San Francisco, which is one reason a San Francisco quote often comes in higher. Call (888) 635-0804 and we will tell you whether your building falls under the rule before you spend money on a plan that will not get approved.
In the Outer Sunset and Outer Richmond, salt-laden fog sitting on west-facing and north-facing windows accelerates edge-seal degradation, and we regularly see insulated glass units fail within five to seven years instead of the fifteen-plus years inland units deliver. The failure shows up as permanent fog between the panes from lost argon fill. The fix is a replacement unit with marine-grade sealant and high-quality spacer systems, not a repeat of the inland spec. Call (888) 635-0804 for a free assessment of your west-facing glass.
Yes, especially on the west side. In the Sunset and Richmond districts, original fir sills can look intact from inside while the exterior face is completely punky from decades of cold fog moisture. A probe or awl test tells you whether the rough sill is sound or whether the job includes structural carpentry. Any quote that skips the probe is guessing. We probe every sill before we price the job, and we will show you what we find.
Coastal-spec hardware for San Francisco typically runs 15% to 25% more than the inland-spec version on the same window or door. Stainless steel hinges, hot-dip galvanized flashing tape, marine-grade sealant, and corrosion-resistant locks all cost more up front. But the inland spec commonly fails within a decade in the fog belt, and the rework, stucco repair, and replacement hardware end up costing two to three times the original coastal premium. The cheap spec is the expensive one here.
Bay window assemblies on San Francisco’s Victorians and Edwardians are load-bearing, architecturally complex, and often original to homes built between 1880 and 1915. They project from the facade, require custom sizing for every sash, and demand specialized flashing and structural support that a flat-wall window replacement in a newer city simply does not require. A standard flat-wall double-hung might run $1,800 to $4,200 installed, while a full bay assembly replacement often runs $12,000 to $30,000 depending on condition and the number of sashes. Call (888) 635-0804 for a site visit and a line-item quote.
Material Choices That Actually Hold Up in San Francisco
The salt air near San Francisco decides the materials, not the schedule. We specify stainless steel hinges and locks instead of standard aluminum on every fog-belt opening. We use hot-dip galvanized flashing tape rather than the thin peel-and-stick tape that fails after a few wet winters. We spec marine-grade sealant on every exterior joint, not general-purpose caulk. And we insist on wood or wood-clad frames where the Planning Department requires them, because fighting the preservation rules costs far more than complying with them from the first quote.
The coastal spec costs 15% to 25% more than the inland spec on paper. The inland spec failure costs far more. In the Outer Sunset, we replaced a rotten wood bay window assembly on a 1908 Edwardian flat where the original fir sills looked solid from inside but were completely punky on the exterior face from decades of fog-driven moisture. Our crew specified Andersen wood-clad double-hung windows with stainless steel hinges, hot-dip galvanized flashing tape, and marine-grade sealant on every joint. We probed the rough sill first and found structural damage that would have killed a flat-wall vinyl swap bid. The coastal-spec version of that job cost about $4,800 more than the inland-spec version would have. The inland-spec version would have needed a full structural repair and re-replacement inside ten years. That is the math, and it is the same math we show every San Francisco homeowner before they sign anything.
If you are pricing custom windows or doors in San Francisco, do not accept a quote that does not mention the fog belt, the salt air, the rough sill probe, or the Planning Department’s historic rules. Those are not optional details. They are the job. Call (888) 635-0804 to schedule your free estimate, and we will walk you through every material choice, every line item, and every warranty registration before the work starts.
Written by Dale Kessler, Owner at TruePane Windows & Doors, serving San Francisco and the Bay Area.