Free in-home measure and quote - PGT, CGI and CWS impact lines compared on your actual openings, style by style
Sliding glass doors
Impact garage doorsPGTCGI
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterFast, Reliable Window Replacement Across Key West
If you’re weighing window replacement in Key West, the core facts are simple: a compliant residential job typically runs between $1,100 and $2,400 per opening, full-frame work costs more than inserts, and the permitting path nearly always passes through both Monroe County Building and HARC review in Old Town. We know that because we’ve been replacing windows and doors in salt-air, hurricane-country housing since 2008 across our company’s history. If you want a straight answer on your particular house, call (954) 280-4413. A live person picks up, day or night, and we’ll give you an honest read before anyone schedules a visit.
Why TruePane Windows & Doors Is Key West’s Preferred Window Replacement Company
TruePane Windows & Doors was founded by Dale Kessler, a second-generation glazier, on a simple rule he still keeps on the whiteboard: if the pane is not true, the job is not done. We’re not a franchise operation working Key West from a call center two states away. Our crews are background-checked, uniformed, and trained to measure every opening twice before a single unit is ordered. We’re an authorized installer for more than a dozen manufacturer lines, including, PGT, and CGI, and we quote those lines side by side on paper so you see exactly what you’re buying.
Key West customers work with us for one reason that matters more than any discount: we know the island’s building requirements well enough to spec a window that clears both Monroe County’s Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance (NOA) standard and HARC aesthetic review on a Conch-style home. A mainland contractor shows up with a catalog of standard units. We show up knowing which profiles have already been accepted on Truman Avenue, Bahama Village, and the Meadows.
Our Window Replacement Services in Key West
Every home on this island sits at the intersection of two requirements that exist together nowhere else in the United States: Monroe County’s mandatory NOA impact glazing standards, the strictest hurricane-product approval process in the country, and the Historic Architectural Review Commission’s oversight of Old Town’s National Historic Landmark District. A contractor who only understands impact code will fail HARC review. One who only knows preservation will produce non-compliant openings that cannot pass inspection. We handle both sides on every job.
Full Frame Replacement
In Key West, full frame replacement means removing the entire existing window down to the rough opening and setting a new, properly flashed unit. This is not a cosmetic upgrade; it’s the correct approach for rotted wood jambs, out-of-square openings on elevated pier homes, and cases where wind-driven rain has already wicked into the frame. Full frame work in Key West typically runs $1,400 to $2,400 per window depending on size and product line. The flashing detail on this island matters more than almost anywhere else: a raised-pier Conch house has no slab to shed water, and a skipped flashing tape at the jamb is how a window blows out its rough opening in a storm.
Insert Window Replacement
When the existing frame is square, sound, and dry, we set an insert unit inside it. This is the more economical path, usually $1,000 to $1,700 per opening in Key West, and it preserves interior trim and exterior stucco or wood casings. But we will not propose an insert on a frame that’s already compromised. We’ve seen too many cases on the island where a homeowner paid for inserts on frames with hidden rot behind the sill, only to have the whole assembly fail within three years. We tell you when an insert is not honest for your house, and we stand behind that call.
Storm Window Replacement
Storm window work in Key West is about meeting the NOA standard first and HARC second. Most of our storm window replacements are impact-rated units with laminated glass, not secondary storm panels. The big decision on a Conch-style house is whether the new window’s muntin pattern, frame profile, and sightlines can clear HARC aesthetic review. Some Miami-Dade-approved profiles have already cleared HARC for Old Town; others have been rejected more than once. We know which are which, and that knowledge alone is worth the phone call. Expect $1,200 to $2,200 per opening for NOA-approved storm window replacement in Key West.
Energy-Efficient Upgrade
Replacing single-pane wood sash or old jalousie glass with low-E, argon-filled, insulated impact units changes the thermal performance of an island house immediately. In Key West the bigger daily enemy is salt and moisture, not cold, so we recommend marine-grade hardware and heavy anodizing on aluminum frames as standard spec, not optional extras. The upfront cost is modest, usually $50 to $150 per window in material, and it prevents the pitting and corrosion that standard hardware shows within two or three seasons this close to open water. Energy-efficient upgrades start around $1,100 and rise with glass packages and frame material.
What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
- 2
You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
- 3
A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
- 4
You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Trusted Brands We Service in Key West
We are an authorized installer for CGI, ES Windows, and ECO Window Systems, and we service and replace far more than that in Key West. Our warehouse stocks the gaskets, sash hardware, and replacement insulated glass units we need for common island failures, which means a repair on a CGI impact window off Caroline Street does not wait two weeks for a part from the mainland. We quote manufacturer lines side by side on paper so you can compare the structural rating, the glass package, and the warranty terms in writing. No catalog games, no “trust us” handwave. The Keystone Standard is our policy: both manufacturer warranty layers registered in writing, durations stated, before our truck leaves your driveway. See our Window Replacement service page for how that standard applies to every job we do.
Common Window Replacement Problems We See in Key West Homes
- Jalousie windows with no hurricane protection. The louvered glass design ubiquitous in Old Town Conch houses offers zero impact resistance and HARC routinely rejects replacements unless the new unit closely mimics the original louvered or multi-lite appearance. Homeowners often do not know this until their first HARC review comes back denied.
- Standard aluminum frames corroded by salt spray. Key West is a 2-mile-wide island barely 18 inches above sea level and surrounded by saltwater. Aluminum extrusions without heavy anodizing corrode visibly within a few years, and standard door hardware fails within two to three seasons. Marine-grade or stainless spec is not a luxury here; it is baseline.
- Cheap flashing tape and raised-pier jamb failures. Most Old Town homes sit on elevated piers, not slabs. A replacement window installed with budget flashing tape at the jamb lets wind-driven rain wick into the wood frame and accelerate rot. We strip the old flashing, inspect the rough opening, and rebuild the jamb detail before setting any new unit.
- Non-compliant openings that fail inspection. A window can pass the structural impact test and still fail Monroe County inspection because the NOA paperwork does not list the correct application or the anchor schedule does not match the product. We pull the permit, we pull the NOA documentation, and we make sure the paperwork is right before the inspector arrives. The Done Right Promise covers this: if it is not done right, we make it right, with no paperwork fights and no arguing.
Pricing for Window Replacement in Key West, FL
A typical insert replacement in Key West runs $1,000 to $1,700 per window. Full frame replacement runs $1,400 to $2,400 per window. NOA-approved storm window units run $1,200 to $2,200 per opening, and energy-efficient upgrades start around $1,100. Historic window restoration on HARC-regulated homes is priced per opening after we inspect the existing sash and frame, and it generally lands between $1,800 and $3,200 depending on the level of custom millwork involved. What moves the number: rough opening size, product line, glass package, whether the frame is sound, and the flashing detail your particular house requires. We quote on paper, line by line, and the number you approve is the number you pay. No change orders, no surprise line items on the bill. To speak with someone about your specific Key West home, call (954) 280-4413 for a free estimate.
We Also Serve Cities Near Key West
Beyond Key West, our installers regularly serve Window Replacement in Key West customers across the Lower Keys and the Upper Keys, including Big Pine Key, Marathon, Key Colony Beach, and Tavernier. Dispatch and scheduling are coordinated from our South Florida office, and our crews travel south for every job. The same NOA standard, the same HARC knowledge, and the same Done Right Promise apply wherever we work.
Serving Key West, FL - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Key West 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 - Window Replacement in Key West
Yes. If your home is in Old Town or another HARC-regulated district, any new window or door must be a Miami-Dade NOA-approved impact product and it must pass HARC aesthetic review. Both are separate approvals with separate paperwork. NOA covers the product’s structural and impact performance. HARC covers its appearance, material, muntin pattern, and profile. We handle both filings and we spec units that clear both the first time. Call (954) 280-4413 if you want a written quote that accounts for both reviews.
HARC’s mandate is to preserve the character of the Old Town National Historic Landmark District, and jalousie windows are one of the defining visual features of Conch-style architecture. A standard casement or single-hung unit with a plain horizontal muntin pattern does not read as a jalousie, so reviewers reject it. The solution is an NOA-approved impact window whose louvered or multi-lite profile has already been accepted by HARC. We maintain a working list of those accepted profiles and we spec from it. A cheap quote that ignores this reality will cost you a denied application and a second permit cycle.
Sometimes, but only if the existing frame is structurally sound, properly flashed, and compatible with a NOA-listed sash product. On a Conch house with original wood sash, the frame is often too weathered to accept a modern impact sash, and the anchor schedule required by the NOA document may not work with the old jamb. We inspect the frame for rot, moisture, and squareness before recommending a sash-only job. If the frame is compromised, we’ll tell you plainly and quote the correct full frame or insert scope. A dishonest contractor will quote the cheaper job and leave you with a window that cannot pass inspection.
A compliant quote from us includes the specific NOA-approved product with its NOA number, a written flashing and jamb detail, marine-grade or stainless hardware where required, the permit filing, the HARC submittal if it applies, and documentation of both manufacturer warranty layers registered in writing before the job closes. A cheap quote on this island often omits the flashing detail, quotes standard aluminum without heavy anodizing, skips the HARC risk entirely, and offers a verbal warranty with nothing in writing. If the cheap number does not itemize those things, it is not a comparable bid. Call (954) 280-4413 and we’ll line up the differences in black and white.
Insurance carriers in Monroe County increasingly want proof that a home’s openings meet current NOA impact standards, and they may apply premium credits when replacement work is documented with the correct product approvals and permit records. After a storm, a documented NOA-compliant replacement gives you a clear paper trail showing the window met code at the time of installation. Without that documentation, you may find yourself proving the negative during a claim. We provide the paperwork before the truck leaves your driveway. That is The Keystone Standard, in writing, on every job.
If you have more questions about window replacement in Key West, or you want a straight quote on your house, call (954) 280-4413. A live person answers, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We’ll tell you what your home needs, what it costs, and what the island’s code and preservation boards require. No pressure, just a square deal.
Written by Dale Kessler, Owner at TruePane Windows & Doors, serving Key West and the surrounding Keys communities.
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.