CWS Window Replacement Nationwide

CWS Window Replacement: The Fort Lauderdale Owner’s Guide

CWS window replacement in Fort Lauderdale typically runs $850 to $2,400 installed, depending on whether we’re swapping a single sash, a full impact-rated unit, or matching an existing series that needs custom sizing. We stock the common CWS-compatible parts on our trucks and can usually handle a standard replacement within three to five business days of your free estimate. Most Fort Lauderdale owners discover a CWS failure the hard way: a window that won’t slide, a latch that no longer catches, or condensation fog trapped between panes that won’t clear even on a dry South Florida afternoon.

Call (754) 354-1396

Which CWS Models This Applies To

CWS (Custom Window Systems) builds several series you’ll see throughout Fort Lauderdale, and the compatibility question is the first thing we pin down. The CWS 690 and 695 single-hung series, the 550 and 590 horizontal sliders, and the 3700 impact-rated casement line each use different sashes, balances, and weatherstripping. The fastest way to identify what you have is to check the label etched into the corner of the glass or the sticker on the frame’s interior edge. It will list the series number and often the exact glass packet code. If that label has faded after years of Fort Lauderdale UV exposure, we measure the visible glass and the frame thickness on site, which narrows it down quickly.

One gotcha we see repeatedly: CWS changed its balance shoe design on the 690 series around 2016. The older shoes are slightly narrower, and ordering a current-production replacement balance without checking the shoe width leads to a sash that binds or won’t stay up. We check the actual part on the frame before ordering anything. On the OEM versus aftermarket question, we’re straightforward: OEM CWS parts preserve the factory fit and usually the original warranty language, but quality aftermarket balances and weatherstripping from the suppliers we use have held up just as well in coastal air. We’ll show you both prices and let you decide. Juniper Windows Fort Lauderdale is an independent service provider, not affiliated with CWS, and we also stock compatible parts for PGT, CGI, and ES Windows when a home has mixed brands.

Signs Your CWS Window Replacement Is Failing

• The sash drops when you raise it or won’t stay open. This is almost always a failed balance shoe or worn coil spring. In Fort Lauderdale’s humidity, the internal coil can corrode faster than in drier climates, and once it snaps, the sash turns into a dead weight.
• Condensation trapped between the panes. The insulated glass unit’s seal has failed. You’re seeing moisture between two panes that should be sealed and filled with argon or krypton. In coastal Fort Lauderdale, salt air accelerates seal degradation, especially on west-facing elevations with full afternoon sun.
• The window locks loosely or won’t lock at all. The CWS lock assembly uses a zinc die-cast keeper and latch. Years of salt-laden air will start to soften those castings, and one day the latch no longer seats firmly. That’s a security issue as well as an energy issue, and it’s a part we replace frequently.
• You feel air moving around the frame when the window is closed. The weatherstripping foam or bulb seal has compressed and lost its rebound. On older CWS units, the original weatherstripping was a polypropylene foam that breaks down under UV and repeated wet-dry cycles. A breeze you can feel is a breeze you’re paying to cool.
• The window is hard to slide or sounds like it’s grinding. The rollers on CWS horizontal sliders wear at different rates, and the track can accumulate grit that acts like sandpaper. If you hear a grinding sound, the roller wheel is likely done and the frame track may need cleaning or minor smoothing.

Replacement Cost & What’s Included

For a CWS window replacement in Fort Lauderdale, here’s the price picture as of March 2026:

• Balance shoe or coil spring replacement per window: $140 to $280 installed
• Lock and keeper assembly replacement: $95 to $185 installed
• Weatherstripping replacement (full window perimeter): $110 to $240 installed
• Insulated glass unit (IGU) replacement, standard clear: $320 to $650 installed, depending on size
• Insulated glass unit (IGU) replacement, impact-rated: $550 to $1,100 installed
• Full sash replacement (single-hung bottom sash, non-impact): $450 to $800 installed
• Full window replacement, CWS-compatible, impact-rated: $1,100 to $2,400 installed, sized and permitted

Every one of those numbers is the installed price: part, labor, cleanup, and our workmanship warranty, all locked in writing before we touch the window. What drives the range is size, whether the glass packet needs impact rating, and whether the opening has settled or bowed to the point where shimming and leveling become part of the job. We don’t change the price at the door. Sean Mackey and our Fort Lauderdale crew quote a fixed number, and that’s the number on the invoice.

DIY or Call Us?

There’s honest work an owner can do and there’s work that goes sideways fast. You can safely clean the tracks, note the series number on the glass etching, take measurements of the visible glass, and confirm whether the sash stays up, binds, or drops. That information cuts the diagnostic time down before we even arrive. What we don’t recommend is pulling a CWS sash out of its frame without the right technique. The balance shoes are under spring tension, and on single-hung units, the shoe sits inside a jamb liner that will pinch fingers if the sash is forced. Impact-rated CWS sashes are heavier than they look, and a dropped sash on a tile floor is a broken glass and a bigger bill. If you’re unsure, skip the experiment. Call us at (754) 354-1396 and we’ll have a tech look at it, diagnose the exact part, and give you the written number before anything gets ordered.

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