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PGT Window Installation: The Hollywood Owner’s Guide
PGT window installation in Hollywood typically runs $85 to $175 per window for a straightforward sash or hardware component swap, and $220 to $480 when the work involves removing and resetting the full frame unit. Most PGT-compatible parts are on our truck or in our Hollywood-adjacent stock, so the job usually happens in one visit. You’ll know something’s failed when the window no longer locks square, a crank binds mid-turn, or you feel air moving around a closed sash the way it does when a cold front pushes through in January. That draft is not your imagination; it’s a part telling you it’s done.
Which PGT Models This Applies To
PGT builds for the Florida market first, which means most Hollywood homes carry either the WinGuard impact line, the SpectraGuard line, or the older Eze-Breeze and Premier series from the 1990s and 2000s. The part you need depends on the series, and the series is stamped on the corner of the glass or printed on a sticker along the top rail of the sash. If that sticker is gone, measurements do the talking: WinGuard sashes sit thicker (1 3/4″ to 2 1/4″ profiles) than the older Premier units, and the balance shoe channel width differs by an eighth of an inch between series. We’re a licensed Florida glazing contractor and an authorized dealer and installer for PGT products, which means we can source OEM replacement hardware with a documented chain of custody and get the warranty paperwork registered the same day the part goes in.
What matters here: many PGT-compatible aftermarket parts cross-list between series, but the balance weight ratings do not. A WinGuard sash with laminated glass can weigh 30 percent more than the same-size SpectraGuard unit with annealed glass. Put an aftermarket balance rated for the wrong sash weight in the frame and you’ll have a window that either won’t stay up or won’t close without a fight. “OEM” and “PGT-compatible” are not the same sentence. If the original part lasted 15 years in a salt-air climate, we tell homeowners to let us run the OEM number first.
Signs Your PGT Window Installation Is Failing
- The sash drops when you release it. This almost always points to a worn balance shoe or a broken spiral balance rod. Florida humidity corrodes the internal spring over time; once it’s gone, the sash weight is dead load.
- The crank turns but the window doesn’t move. On casement and awning units, this is a stripped gear in the operator mechanism or a bent torque bar. It’s common on east-facing Hollywood windows where salt air has been chewing at the zinc parts.
- You can see daylight around the closed sash. Failed weatherstripping or a warped sash. If the sash itself is out of true, no new seal will fix it; the frame corner weld is what’s gone.
- The lock no longer aligns or you have to force it. The keeper and cam are misaligned, usually from a sagging sash or a hinge that has shifted a few millimeters. Forcing the lock strips the screw holes faster.
- The window fogs between the glass panes. This is a seal failure in the insulated glass unit, not the frame. In Hollywood’s wet-dry climate swing, the argon or krypton escapes and moisture creeps in.
Replacement Cost & What’s Included
Every job gets a written line item before the first screw comes out. The labor fee for a single window installation runs $85 to $175 on the average Hollywood home; the parts are quoted separately at cost, so you see exactly what you’re paying for. Where the price moves is in the part type: a replacement balance shoe runs $20 to $45, a full operator assembly $45 to $90, a replacement impact sash $180 to $350 installed.
- PGT balance shoe or spiral balance: $20 to $45
- Crank operator assembly: $45 to $90
- Weatherstripping kit per window: $15 to $35
- Replacement impact-rated sash unit: $180 to $350 installed
- Full frame reset (when the original opening was out of square): $220 to $480
You will know the total before work begins. Our Done Right Promise covers the labor, and we register both manufacturer warranty layers in writing before the truck leaves your driveway. No change orders, no call-back paperwork. If it’s not right, we come back and make it right.
DIY or Call Us?
A homeowner can safely tighten a loose screw on a keeper or clear debris from a track. That’s maintenance, not repair. Where we see Hollywood DIY jobs go wrong is on balance systems and impact sashes. A PGT WinGuard sash can weigh 40 pounds or more with laminated glass; when the old balance releases under tension and your hand is in the channel, that’s not a pinch, it’s a broken finger. We also see stripped frame screw holes from drill drivers set to max torque on an aluminum jamb. If the part is load-bearing or under spring tension, let a glazier do it. Call (863) 334-2933 and we’ll tell you over the phone whether it’s a tune-up or a real repair.
How long should a PGT window installation last in Hollywood?
A correctly installed PGT window with OEM hardware should give you 15 to 25 years of service in Hollywood’s salt-air and UV environment before the moving parts need attention. Coastal-rated units like WinGuard hold up better than builder-grade Premier units, which tend to show balance wear around year 10 in older Hollywood and Lakes neighborhoods.
Can you repair just the part, or do I need a whole new window?
In most cases we can replace the failed component: a balance shoe, a crank, a lock, a seal. The only time you’re looking at a full unit is when the frame itself has stress cracks, the corner welds are separating, or the glass seal has failed inside an impact sash. Call (863) 334-2933 and we’ll tell you which one you’re dealing with before we schedule anything.
How long does a typical PGT window installation take?
A single sash swap or hardware replacement takes 45 minutes to 2 hours. A full frame reset takes a half day, mostly because the opening has to be measured, shimmed, and sealed properly. We don’t rush that part; a square opening is the whole job.
Do you stock PGT parts on the truck?
We carry the most common PGT balance shoes, pivot bars, crank operators, and weatherseal kits on the truck. For less common series or impact glass replacements, we pull from our supplier network and usually have the part in hand within 3 to 5 business days. Call (863) 334-2933 with your model number and we’ll tell you exactly when we can be there.
FAQs
How long should a PGT window installation last in Hollywood? A correctly installed unit with OEM hardware should give you 15 to 25 years in South Florida, with balance shoes and weatherseal being the first parts to show their age around the decade mark.
Can you repair just the part, or do I need a whole new window? Most of what fails on a PGT window is replaceable: the balance, the operator, the lock, the seal. We only recommend a new unit when the frame is cracked or the glass seal has failed. Call (863) 334-2933 for an honest assessment.
How long does the swap take? A typical hardware replacement is 45 minutes to 2 hours, and we usually complete it in a single visit. A full frame reset takes a half day because the rough opening has to be trued up before the new unit goes in.
Do you stock PGT parts on the truck? We carry the most common PGT components on the truck. For less common parts we order from our PGT supply channel and typically have them in 3 to 5 business days.
If you have a PGT window in Hollywood that’s not working the way it should, call us at (863) 334-2933 for a free estimate. Dale Kessler and our team will measure it right, set it square, and leave you with a window that closes like it should. Measure it right, set it square, and the paperwork takes care of itself.
Written by Dale Kessler, Owner, TruePane Windows & Doors at TruePane Windows & Doors, serving Hollywood and nearby areas.
Six Reasons Homeowners Choose TruePane Windows & Doors
Impact systems engineered to design pressures up to +/-100, matched to your wind zone - your openings hold when the storm arrives.
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.
Florida homeowners average around 25% savings on the windstorm portion of their policy after protecting every opening - some homes qualify for more.
A full impact package upgrades curb appeal, buyer confidence and appraised value in one project.



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