CWS Window Replacement Nationwide

CWS Window Replacement: The Fort Lauderdale Owner’s Guide

We stock and install CWS-compatible replacement windows throughout Fort Lauderdale, with most single-window swaps running between $850 and $2,400 installed depending on size, glass package, and frame condition. We typically complete a standard CWS replacement in one visit, and we carry the most common CWS sashes, balances, and glass units on our trucks so we can often finish the job the same day. Most Fort Lauderdale homeowners discover they need a replacement when a window won’t stay open, condensation has formed permanently between the panes, or the frame shows visible corrosion from years of salt air.

Call (754) 354-3671

Which CWS Models This Applies To

CWS manufactured windows under several series names over the years, and the replacement approach depends on which one you have. The most common lines we service in Fort Lauderdale are the CWS 5000 and 6000 series single-hung and horizontal roller windows, along with their fixed-picture units. If you can find the AAMA sticker (the small silver or gold label usually on the top edge of the sash), it will list the model number, glass type, and manufacturing date, which tells us exactly what we’re working with. No sticker? Measure the visible glass width and height to the nearest eighth of an inch, and we can match it from our reference catalog.

One compatibility gotcha specific to CWS: their older 5000-series balances use a different shoe profile than the 6000 series, so a balance from one will not seat correctly in the other even if the length matches. We see this mismatch fairly often when someone has tried a generic aftermarket part first. For glass replacement, we’ll always recommend OEM CWS insulated glass units when the window is under ten years old. For older windows where the original glass is no longer in production, a quality aftermarket unit with the same low-E coating and argon fill performs equally well and costs about 20% less. Spencer Odell’s crew has matched hundreds of these units across Broward County, and we know which aftermarket suppliers hold tolerances tight enough for CWS frames.

Signs Your CWS Window Replacement Is Failing

• Condensation between the panes that never clears. This means the glass unit’s seal has failed, letting humid Florida air inside. The low-E coating (a thin metallic layer that blocks heat while letting light through) starts to oxidize, and the window fogs permanently. You can’t fix this by cleaning it.
• The sash won’t stay up, or it drops when you release it. CWS windows use a block-and-tackle or spiral balance system, and when the spring inside the balance lets go, the sash has nothing holding it. It happens suddenly and the window slams shut, which is a finger hazard around kids.
• The window is hard to open or feels like it’s grinding. In Fort Lauderdale, salt air works its way into the roller tracks and pivot points faster than it does inland. The rollers corrode, then they seize, then they chew up the track. Lubricating a corroded roller usually buys a month, not a fix.
• Visible frame warping or cracking at the corners. Aluminum frames from older CWS lines eventually fatigue at the welded corners, especially on western-facing windows that take the full afternoon sun. Once the corner weld separates even slightly, the window loses its square and the sash binds.
• Water staining on the interior drywall below the window. That stain means the window’s weep system is blocked or the outer seal has failed. In a Fort Lauderdale summer, a bad window seal doesn’t just leak; it feeds mold inside the wall cavity within weeks.

Replacement Cost & What’s Included

Here’s what we quote in Fort Lauderdale for CWS window replacement, parts and labor together:

• Glass-only replacement (seal failure): $350 to $700 per window, depending on glass package and whether it’s impact-rated. Includes new low-E glass unit, new glazing bead, and cleanup.
• Balance replacement (window won’t stay up): $185 to $325 per sash. Includes both balances, new pivot shoes if needed, and testing through ten full cycles.
• Full sash replacement (frame is good, sash is shot): $500 to $950 per sash. Includes the sash, glass, hardware, and weatherstripping.
• Complete window replacement (frame and sash): $850 to $2,400 per window. Price depends on size, impact rating, and whether the rough opening needs any correction.

Every quote is written, itemized, and in your hands before any work starts. No change orders down the line. If we open the wall and find rot behind the frame, we stop, show you photos, and quote the repair separately before touching it. Every replacement carries our written guarantee, and if anything fails within the covered period, the second visit is free.

DIY or Call Us?

You can safely identify which part failed by looking for the symptoms above, and you can find your AAMA sticker to tell us your model. That saves time. What we don’t recommend is pulling a CWS sash apart yourself, especially on windows with block-and-tackle balances. The balance springs are under constant tension even when the window is down, and releasing them incorrectly can launch a steel coil into your hands or face. We’ve had to repair a few DIY attempts where homeowners removed the sash not realizing the balance shoe was still loaded. If your window is older than fifteen years and the frame shows any corrosion, the safest move is to leave the whole unit alone until you call us. For anyone in Fort Lauderdale with a CWS window that’s fogged, dropped, or jammed, call (754) 354-3671 and we’ll walk through what we think is wrong and what the fix will cost.

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