Free in-home measure and quote - PGT, CGI and CWS impact lines compared on your actual openings, style by style
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AfterFast, Reliable Window Installation Across Kensington
Window replacement in Kensington, CA usually runs $850 – $1,400 per opening for a standard double-hung, $2,200 – $4,800 for a bay or bow unit, and $1,100 – $2,000 for a horizontal roller. Most full-home jobs here take 2 – 5 days once the units arrive. The catch in Kensington is rarely the window itself. It is the house. Older hillside homes have uneven jamb depths, stucco that hides surprises behind the trim, and wind exposure along the Arlington ridge that changes what glazing you actually need. Call (817) 686-2228 and we will scope it correctly the first time.
Why Meridian Windows & Doors Is Kensington’s Preferred Window Installation Company
Kensington homeowners call us because we show up when we say we will, put the price in writing before work starts, and back every install with a written 365-Day Done Right Promise. If something fails within that year, we return at no charge. No labor exclusions. No fine print.
Our crews know the local building stock. We have measured window openings on Colusa Avenue, patched stucco around Buckingham Drive, and rebuilt jambs on hillside lots where the rough opening was a full inch off from one side to the other. That local knowledge changes how an install goes. It means fewer surprises when the old unit comes out.
Elliot Vance leads the Meridian team. Every installer who walks through your door is background-checked and uniformed, so you know exactly who is in your home. Phones are answered by a live person around the clock. Not a voicemail loop. A person.
Bay Window Installation in Kensington
Bay window installation in Kensington usually runs $2,200 – $4,800 depending on seat size, glazing spec, and whether we are rebuilding the supporting structure underneath. Homes along the Arlington ridge and around the Colusa Circle often need the entire bay platform rebuilt because years of hillside wind and rain have worked on the original framing.
When we install a bay or bow window here, the process starts differently than it would in a newer tract home. We pull the interior trim first, measure the rough opening from the actual framing, and only then order the unit. Kensington’s older homes rarely have uniform jamb depths, and ordering off the old window instead of the opening is how sashes end up binding within a year.
What the installation actually involves
We remove the old window, inspect the framing and sill pan for rot, and rebuild anything that has been compromised. Then the new bay unit goes in, gets shimmed square, secured to the framing, and sealed with a proper sill pan and flashing detail specific to stucco exteriors.
Why hillside exposure matters
Wind coming off the bay and up the Arlington ridge hits Kensington homes harder than inland lots. Bay windows have more glass surface area, which means more wind load. We spec the design pressure rating accordingly, and we recommend laminated or impact-rated glass where the exposure calls for it.
Window Contractor in Kensington
A window contractor in Kensington needs to understand old stucco, uneven framing, and hillside wind exposure, because that is what separates a tight install from a call six months later about drafts and sticking sashes. We have worked on enough Kensington homes to know the difference, and we price the job to account for what is actually behind the trim.
Most homeowners first call us after a failed seal fogs the glass, or after a bay window has started leaking at the corners, or because they are tired of feeling the wind move through closed windows during a winter storm. We start with a free on-site assessment, take our own measurements, and deliver a written line-item price before any work begins.
What to expect from our crew
You get a fixed price on paper. No change orders because we under-scoped the job. No surprise line items at the door. If we find rot or uneven framing during the install, we tell you what it means and what fixing it costs before we touch it.
Permits and inspections
Residential window replacement in Contra Costa County generally requires a permit when the opening size changes or structural work is involved. Like-for-like replacements often do not, but we check the specific scope and pull permits when the job calls for it. Our installs pass inspection on the first visit because we flash and seal to current code, not to what was standard in 1965.
Trusted Brands We Service in Kensington
Meridian Windows & Doors is authorized to install and replace products from eight manufacturer lines, including CGI, CWS, and ES Windows. That matters in Kensington because different homes here need different things. A mid-century rancher off Arlington Boulevard might be best served by an ES Windows aluminum unit with a slim sightline. A hillside home with heavy wind exposure might need a CGI impact-rated window with laminated glass. We are not pushing one brand. We spec the product that fits the exposure, the opening, and the budget you have on paper. Our Window Installation team keeps parts in local supply, so lead times stay short for Kensington customers.
Common Window Installation Problems We See in Kensington Homes
- Uneven jamb depths in old stucco walls. We measured a home near the Arlington ridge where the rough opening varied by almost an inch between two adjacent windows. The previous install had been ordered off the old frames, and the new sashes bound within months. We field-measure every opening on every job.
- Wind exposure spec’d too low. Kensington sits in a high-wind exposure zone along the ridge. Units sized for a calm inland lot underperform up here. Design pressure ratings and glazing selection have to match the actual site conditions, not the county default.
- Skipped sill pans on stucco exteriors. If the sill pan and flashing detail are not done right on a stucco home, water tracks behind the wall and rots the framing around the opening. Kenmore and Colusa area homes from the 1950s and 60s are especially vulnerable because the original flashing is often gone.
- Fogged glass from old aluminum frames. Many original single-pane aluminum windows in Kensington lost their seal years ago. Homeowners live with condensation and haze until a remodel forces the issue. Replacing them with low-E glass (a thin coating that reflects heat while letting light through) makes an immediate difference in both comfort and utility cost.
Pricing for Window Installation in Kensington, CA
Here are real numbers for Kensington’s market. Single and double-hung replacements run $850 – $1,400 per opening. Horizontal rollers run $1,100 – $2,000. Casement units run $1,200 – $2,400. Bay and bow installations run $2,200 – $4,800 because of the structural work involved. Picture and fixed windows run $700 – $1,800 depending on glass size and glazing spec.
What moves the price in Kensington specifically is what we find behind the old window. Rot at the sill, uneven jamb depths requiring rebuilds, and wind exposure that requires a higher design pressure rating all add labor and material. We put the price in writing before work begins and it does not move at the door. Call (817) 686-2228 for a free estimate and a line-item quote on your specific openings.
Key Takeaways
- Budget $850 – $1,400 per standard window and $2,200 – $4,800 per bay unit in Kensington.
- All pricing goes on paper before work begins. No change orders at the door.
- Every job is covered in writing for 365 days by the Done Right Promise.
- Kensington homes need field measurement, not template ordering, because jamb depths vary house to house.
- Call (817) 686-2228 for a free, no-pressure estimate.
We Also Serve Cities Near Kensington
Meridian’s crews handle window installation across the broader Bay Area. If you have a project in San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, or the surrounding East Bay, we serve those areas with the same written pricing and Done Right Promise. Learn more at our Kensington service page or call us directly to confirm scheduling for your area.
Serving Kensington, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Kensington 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 About Window Installation in Kensington
You typically do not need a permit for like-for-like window replacement where the opening size does not change. If we are enlarging an opening, adding a bay unit that requires structural support, or doing any framing work, a permit is required through Contra Costa County. We pull permits on every job that needs one and the work passes inspection on the first visit. Call (817) 686-2228 if you want a straight answer on your specific scope before you commit.
A standard single-window replacement takes about half a day from start to finish. A full-home job with ten to fifteen openings typically runs 2 – 5 days once the units arrive. Bay window installations can run 2 – 3 days on their own because of the structural work involved. We give you a written timeline when we deliver your quote, and we stick to it because the schedule is part of the contract.
Three things. Rot behind the old window that requires sill or jamb rebuilds. Uneven framing that changes how the new unit must be set. And wind exposure that demands a higher design pressure spec or impact-rated glazing. We quote based on what we can see before we start and what we know about Kensington building stock, but if we open a wall and find rot, we stop, show you, and get a written approval before any extra work happens. No surprises on the final invoice. Call (817) 686-2228 for a free assessment and written quote.
Impact-rated glazing is not just coastal. Kensington’s hillside ridges get sustained wind loads that put real stress on large glass surfaces. Bay windows and picture windows on the ridge line benefit from laminated or impact-rated glass because it holds together under wind pressure and debris. We spec it where the exposure calls for it, and we will tell you honestly when it is overkill for your specific opening.
Yes, and most of the bay installations we do in Kensington are on older homes built between 1930 and 1970. The key is what lurks under the old window. We rebuild the platform framing when it needs it, seal the sill pan for proper drainage on stucco, and field-measure every opening before ordering. Bay windows on older Kensington homes are a routine job for our crew.
Written by Elliot Vance, Owner at Meridian Windows & Doors, serving Kensington and the surrounding Bay Area.
Ready to get a real price on paper? Call (817) 686-2228 to schedule your free window installation estimate in Kensington, CA. A live person answers, every time.