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Impact Windows

Impact Window Replacement

Replacing failed seals, fogged glass, and aging first-generation impact windows in Kendall and Miami-Dade, with an honest read on which units have actually failed and which are fine to keep.

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Honest Assessment

We tell you what's actually failed

Glass-Only When It Fits

No upsell to a full unit if glass will do

Permitted & Inspected

Current NOA paperwork at closeout

First-Gen Specialists

Built for 20-year-old impact units

When Replacement Is the Right Call

Impact Windows Age — Here's How

The first wave of residential impact windows went in across South Florida in the early 2000s. Many are now 20-plus years old, and the parts that do the work (the laminated interlayer, the insulated-glass seals, the hardware) degrade even when the frame looks fine.

Diagram of a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance showing its five key fields and what to check on each.
Check the NOA on the replacement product before it goes in. Open full size

The signs that a unit has genuinely failed: fogging or moisture between the panes (a blown seal), a cloudy haze or delamination in the laminated layer, frames that no longer lock or close square, and water intrusion at the corners. Those are real failures. Age by itself is not: plenty of older units are still doing their job.

We inspect each opening and tell you which units have failed, which can be addressed with a glass-only replacement, and which are fine to leave alone. That honest sort is the whole point of calling us instead of a company that quotes a whole-house replacement before they've looked.

Signs to Replace

Fogged glass
Moisture between panes = failed seal
Cloudy / delaminated
Interlayer breaking down
Won't lock or close square
Frame & hardware worn
Corner leaks
Seal or flashing failure
20+ years old
First-gen units at end of service life
Our call
Glass-only, full unit, or leave it — honestly

Glass-only vs. full replacement — the honest version

If your frame and anchoring are sound and only an insulated-glass unit has fogged, a glass-only replacement can be the right, lower-cost answer, and we'll say so. But on a 20-year-old unit where the frame, hardware, and seals are all aging together, replacing just the glass often delays a full replacement you'll end up paying for anyway.

We won't upsell a whole window when glass will do. We also won't band-aid a unit that's genuinely done just to land a smaller invoice today. You get the call we'd make on our own house.

Step by Step

How Replacement Runs

Inspect each opening

We assess every unit (seals, interlayer, frame, hardware, anchoring) and sort genuine failures from units that are fine.

Honest recommendation

A per-opening call: glass-only, full replacement, or leave it. You see the reasoning, not just a number.

Estimate & product

Line-item estimate naming the new product and NOA for each opening being replaced.

Permit & order

Permit filed with approval numbers; new units ordered (standard sizes can move faster).

Replace & seal

Old units out, new ones anchored to NOA spec, sealed and flashed; stucco and trim restored.

Inspect & document

County inspection, then a closeout package with current NOA paperwork for insurance and resale.

Common Questions

Replacement FAQ

How do I know if my impact windows need replacing?+
The clearest signs are fogging or moisture between the glass panes (a failed seal), visible delamination or a cloudy haze in the laminated interlayer, frames that no longer lock or close squarely, and persistent water intrusion at the corners. First-generation impact units from the early 2000s are now 20-plus years old; many are at or past the point where seals and interlayers degrade. We inspect and tell you which units have genuinely failed and which are fine.
Do impact windows wear out?+
The frame and glass can last decades, but the parts that do the work age. The laminated interlayer can cloud or delaminate, insulated-glass seals fail and let moisture in, and hardware wears. A failed seal doesn't usually mean the window is unsafe in a storm, but it does mean lost clarity, lost efficiency, and a unit heading toward the end of its service life. Age plus visible failure is the trigger, not age alone.
Can you just replace the glass instead of the whole window?+
Sometimes — and we'll tell you when that's the honest answer. If the frame and anchoring are sound and only an insulated-glass unit has fogged, a glass-only replacement can make sense. But on a 20-year-old unit where the frame, hardware, and seals are all aging together, replacing only the glass often just delays a full replacement you'll pay for anyway. We won't upsell a whole window when glass will do, and we won't band-aid a unit that's done.
Will new units still need a permit?+
Yes. Replacing impact windows is permitted and inspected work in Miami-Dade, same as new installation. We pull the permit, put the new product's approval numbers on the application, and the county inspects it. The upside: you end the project with current, documented NOA paperwork — useful for your wind mitigation inspection and at resale.
How long does replacement take?+
Similar to new installation: a few days to about a week on site, and roughly 6 to 10 weeks total once manufacturing lead time on the new units is factored in. If your openings are standard sizes that match in-stock approved units, it can move faster — we'll tell you when that's the case.
My windows were installed without a permit. Can you fix that?+
We can install new permitted units and leave you with clean documentation going forward. We can't retroactively permit someone else's past work, but replacing the units properly — pulled permit, approval numbers on the application, county inspection — resolves the going-forward problem and gives you the paperwork you were missing.

Find Out What Actually Needs Replacing

Free per-opening assessment that separates failed units from fine ones: glass-only when it fits, full replacement when it's warranted, and the documentation to prove it.

Request a Free Estimate → Call (954) 546-4161
Call (954) 546-4161