New windows and doors improve comfort, cut energy bills and add long-term value to your home. Westlight Windows Houston pairs proven product lines with our own installing crews for lasting performance - and a price we put in writing.
Choose your installer
The unit is half the job - the install is the other half. Our own background-checked crews measure, set, seal and insulate every opening, and they know the lines we quote inside and out because they install them every week.
Select the right products
Compare styles, materials and glass packages side by side until the fit is right for your rooms, your budget and your goals. The product-line comparison below is the place to start.
Prepare your home for install
Before install day we walk you through a short checklist - furniture pulled back, treatments down, a clear path to each opening - so install day is watch-it-happen, not scramble.
Compare the Lines We Quote
Every project is priced on the same lines, side by side - the price indicators below are relative, and your consultant shows exact numbers on your actual openings.
PGTThe line homeowners arrive naming - the most impact certifications in the industry$$$
- More impact certifications than any other line we quote
- WinGuard, EnergyVue and ClassicVue Max systems built for every wind zone
- 99% on-time delivery keeps your install date on the calendar
CGIThe heavyweight impact line$$$$$
- Large-missile impact ratings for the strictest wind zones
- Architectural-grade aluminum with commercial-depth frames
- The line we quote when protection is the whole point
CWSThe value pick$$
- Vinyl systems built to strict wind codes
- Strong energy packages at the friendliest price point
- The smart start for whole-home replacements on a budget
ESWSlim lines, big glass$$$$
- Narrow-sightline aluminum for modern elevations
- Oversized openings and floor-to-ceiling glass
- Impact-rated without the bunker look
ECOThe aluminum impact workhorse$$$
- Factory-built aluminum impact systems
- A strong price-to-protection ratio for coastal homes
- Proven inventory lines with short lead times
CGI Window Installation: The Houston Owner’s Guide
CGI window installation in Houston typically runs $380 to $720 per window for labor and standard hardware when you already have the sash or frame component on hand, and $950 to $2,400 per opening if the entire CGI window needs to be pulled and reset. We stock the common CGI installation hardware on our trucks: balances, tilt latches, sash locks, weatherstripping, and corner keys. Most owners discover something is wrong when the sash won’t stay up, a lock won’t catch, or water starts pooling on the sill after a hard Houston rain. If you’re reading this, you’ve probably already found the failure. Here’s exactly what happens next, what it costs, and what you should know before anyone touches the window.
Key takeaways:
- CGI windows use specific balance and latch hardware that is not interchangeable with generic parts from big-box stores.
- You’ll get a written price before any work starts. No door-step revisions, ever.
- We are an independent installer. We are not owned by, affiliated with, or authorized by CGI.
- If the repair fails within the guarantee period, we come back and fix it at no charge.
Which CGI Models This Applies To
CGI’s product line in the Houston market skews heavily toward impact-rated and coastal-rated windows: the Estate Collection, the Sentinel series, and the Classic line all show up in Texas homes, particularly in newer construction out toward Katy, Cypress, and the Clear Lake area. The installation hardware, meaning the balances, pivot bars, and tilt mechanisms, differs by series and by sash weight. That’s the compatibility gotcha. A balance designed for a single-hung Sentinel is not going to work on a heavier double-hung Estate window, even if they look nearly identical from six feet away. The window label matters. Look for the etched glass bug in the corner of the sash or the white sticker on the frame. It gives you the series, the glass makeup, and often a date code. If you can’t find it, take three photos of the window with the sash tilted in and send them our way. We’ll identify it before we schedule anyone to come out. We stock OEM CGI parts where they’re still obtainable, and we use quality aftermarket equivalents when the factory part has been discontinued or is backordered past a sensible point. You’ll know which one you’re getting, why, and what it costs before we order it.
Signs Your CGI Window Installation Is Failing
- The sash drops when you let go. Your balance system is shot. On CGI windows, the constant-force coil balances in the jamb track lose tension over time, especially in Houston’s humidity, which can cause the metal to fatigue faster than the manufacturer’s dry-climate estimates.
- The window won’t tilt in for cleaning. The tilt latches or pivot bars have worn or snapped. This is one of the most common calls we get on CGI hardware, and it is usually a fifteen-minute fix if the parts match the series.
- The lock doesn’t catch or the window slides open by itself. The cam-style sash lock has stripped or the keeper is misaligned. On an impact-rated window, a weak lock defeats the whole point of the product. That’s the part that keeps the window sealed against wind pressure during a storm.
- Condensation between the panes or a white haze that won’t wipe off. The insulated glass unit has lost its seal. On CGI impact glass, this is a pane replacement, not a hardware fix, and it costs more than balance work.
- Water staining on the sill or drywall below the window. The sill seal or frame flashing has failed. Houston’s rain comes hard and horizontal sometimes. A failed seal at the sill dam will show itself within a season or two.
Replacement Cost & What’s Included
Here’s what you can expect to pay in the Houston metro for CGI window installation and hardware replacement, parts and labor included, with your price in writing before anyone unscrews a thing:
| Service | Typical Installed Price |
|---|---|
| CGI balance replacement, per sash | $145 – $230 |
| CGI tilt latch set, per window | $95 – $150 |
| CGI sash lock replacement | $75 – $120 |
| CGI weatherstripping kit, per window | $85 – $140 |
| CGI full frame reset, per opening | $950 – $2,400 |
Older Estate Collection windows tend to have discontinued hardware, which pushes parts cost up. Newer Sentinel windows usually have parts available quickly. Labor is the stable part of the price. We do not pad the labor to make the parts look cheaper. You get a line-item quote: the part, the labor, the warranty, the total. The workmanship warranty is written, not verbal, and it covers the installation. If the part itself has a manufacturer defect, we help you file it and we do not charge for the warranty-related labor on the second visit. Owen has been working with window hardware long enough to know that the labor warranty is the only one a homeowner can actually collect on. That’s the one Westlight puts in writing.
DIY or Call Us?
Some things are worth checking before you call. Check the window label so we can identify the series over the phone. Check whether the sash drops on both sides or just one. That tells us if it’s a balance failure or a blocker issue. What we would not recommend is pulling the sash out and trying to swap a balance yourself. The constant-force coils in a CGI window are under tension, and when they let go, they whip. We’ve had homeowners call us after spending three hours on a Saturday stripping a jamb screw and then having the whole coil pack spit out into the yard. That’s not a knock on anyone’s handiness. It is just a bad return on effort. We show up with the right part matched to the series, we carry the common CGI hardware on the truck, and we finish most repairs the same day. You can reach us at (325) 326-4211 with the window label in hand, and we’ll tell you what we think it is before anyone rolls a truck.
FAQs
Plan for 10 to 15 years out of the balances and latches on a CGI window in the Houston climate. The humidity and coastal salt air near Galveston Bay put real wear on tension components. Some windows go 20 years without trouble. Some start sagging at year eight. Your written warranty covers the work; the hardware lifespan depends on the series and how much abuse the sash has taken.
No, not in a way that makes sense economically. A worn balance coil cannot be re-tensioned reliably. A stripped tilt latch cannot be machined back to tolerance. We replace the part with an OEM or quality equivalent, and you’re done. Trying to rework a $40 component usually costs more in labor than the replacement part.
Most hardware replacements, balances, latches, locks, weatherstripping, take 30 to 90 minutes per window. A full frame reset, meaning pulling the entire window and reinstalling it, takes four to six hours per opening, plus drywall or trim repair if the old frame comes out rough. We give you a committed arrival window and a written price before the work starts. Call (325) 326-4211 to schedule the free estimate.
We stock common CGI balance coils, pivot bars, tilt latches, and sash locks on our trucks. Less common series-specific parts, like complete hinge assemblies for casement windows or replacement mullions, are ordered with your approval after your written quote. You’ll know before you commit whether it’s same-day or a few days out. Call (325) 326-4211 and have your window label handy.
Why Houston Homeowners Call Westlight Windows
We are an independently owned and operated Kingswell location. That means we answer to one name in Houston, and the owner, Owen Satterfield, the guy who cut his teeth on trade-technical college training and spent years moving between the bungalows in the Heights and new construction near The Woodlands, keeps a spec sheet in his front pocket. Measure twice, quote straight, show up when I said I would. That’s how we work. The west light is the late-afternoon sun that pours through a good window; bright, warm, and worth doing right. We carry eight manufacturer lines: PGT, CGI, CWS, ES Windows, ECO Window Systems, Mr-Glass, Therma-Tru, and ViewLux. When a homeowner needs CGI hardware matched and installed correctly the first time, we have the parts familiarity and the written guarantee to back it up.
Call (325) 326-4211 for a free estimate. A real person answers, any hour, every day. You’ll get a written price before any work starts. No door-step surprises, no revised invoices. If the work is not right, you get a free second visit, no negotiating required. That is the Kingswell Guarantee, and it is on every single job we do.
Written by Owen Satterfield, Owner, Westlight Windows Houston at Westlight Windows Houston, serving Houston and nearby areas.
Six Reasons Homeowners Choose Westlight Windows Houston
Laminated glass and reinforced frames hold up to wind-driven rain, hail and flying debris, so your openings stay sealed when the weather turns.
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.
Tighter seals and insulated glass even out hot and cold rooms and stop the drafts at the frame.
A full impact package upgrades curb appeal, buyer confidence and appraised value in one project.