Free written scope consultation - allowances, timeline, and change-order rules on paper before a single trade is scheduled
Why Fort Lauderdale Homeowners Choose CGI Construction
We provide independent CGI in Fort Lauderdale construction service, specializing in the hurricane-rated window, door, and roofing lines that dominate coastal Broward County homes. We’re not a CGI dealer or authorized partner. We’re impartial construction pros who know which CGI products survive salt air, which need early replacement, and how to fix the ones in between. If you own a CGI Sentinel Series window that’s fogged over, an Estate Collection door that sticks every August, or a Classic Line unit with corroded rails, call (754) 354-7423 for a straight answer.
Fort Lauderdale’s coastal conditions punish building products harder than almost anywhere in Florida. Salt air, intense humidity, and hurricane wind loads do not care what name is stamped on your window frame. After nearly two decades of remodeling work under The Relay Standard, our crews have seen exactly how CGI products hold up here, and we’ll tell you the truth about whether to repair or replace.
Why Trust Sawyer Remodel Fort Lauderdale for Your CGI Construction?
CGI makes impact-rated windows and doors designed for Miami-Dade County’s wind codes, but the installation and long-term maintenance are what determine whether those products actually perform when a hurricane hits. Our technicians work with CGI frames regularly, so they know the failure points before they open up the wall. That matters when you’re dealing with aluminum frame pitting, failed insulating glass seals, or warped meeting rails on a west-facing door.
Luca Romano, our owner and lead contractor, trained at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College reading structural plans, and he’s spent the past several years tackling Fort Lauderdale builds that required real problem-solving, not a template. He’s known for keeping timelines honest and jobsites clean. When a homeowner near Las Olas Boulevard asks whether a corroded CGI frame can be saved or needs full replacement, the answer comes from someone who’s pulled those frames apart, not from a sales script.
Every CGI job runs under The Relay Visibility Guarantee: a written price before work starts, a live arrival time, and photo updates before and after. We tell you who’s coming, when they arrive, and what it costs before a single tool is picked up.
Styles & brands we work with
Common CGI Construction Problems We Fix in Fort Lauderdale
CGI products are built for hurricane zones, but Fort Lauderdale’s specific conditions create predictable failure patterns. Here’s what we see most often:
- Aluminum frame pitting and white corrosion at weep holes – Within 8 to 12 years of coastal exposure, CGI aluminum frames start showing white corrosion at the weep holes, especially on homes within a mile of the Intracoastal. Salt air settles into the frame channels, and the weep holes that drain rainwater become the entry point for corrosive buildup. Once the lower rail pits deep enough, the frame loses structural integrity and needs replacement rather than repair.
- Failed insulating glass seals causing interior fogging – Sentinel Series impact windows installed before 2015 show a recurring problem: the insulating glass seal breaks down, and moisture gets trapped between the panes. You’ll see fog that never wipes away. That’s a seal failure, not a cleaning issue, and it means the insulating value of the window is gone.
- Warped interlocking meeting rails on Estate Collection doors – Estate Collection impact doors on west-facing elevations take direct afternoon sun for years. The constant heat load warps the interlocking meeting rails where the two door panels join. The door sticks in summer, swings fine in winter, and eventually the interlock no longer seals against wind-driven rain.
- Deteriorated TPE glazing gaskets causing air and water infiltration – The TPE glazing gaskets around fixed lites break down under subtropical humidity and UV exposure. When those gaskets crack or shrink, air and water start getting around the glass. Homeowners notice drafts, water stains on interior trim, or a whistling sound during storms.
- Discontinued Classic Line hardware failures – The original CGI Classic Line single-hung windows used balance springs and hardware that are no longer manufactured. When a balance spring snaps or a sash lock breaks, the window either won’t stay open or won’t lock securely. That’s not just annoying, it’s a security risk, and it’s a common problem in Fort Lauderdale’s older concrete-block ranches from the 1950s and 60s.
At a 1970s ranch near CGI Construction in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, FL, our crew removed nine corroded CGI Classic Line single-hung windows where salt air had pitted the lower rails to the point of frame failure. We installed new CGI Sentinel Series impact windows with stainless steel hardware, replaced water-damaged interior trim, and set the units with peel-and-stick flashing. The homeowner got their first quiet hurricane season in decades.
CGI Parts & Our Repair-vs-Replace Approach
For active CGI product lines like the Sentinel Series and Estate Collection, we source genuine CGI replacement sashes, balance springs, and gaskets through our supplier network. Using OEM parts matters when the product is still under warranty and when the frame tolerances are tight enough that aftermarket parts won’t seat properly. For discontinued Classic Line units, genuine parts are largely unavailable, so we use premium aftermarket glazing and hardware that matches the original specs. We’ll tell you which is which before any work begins.
Our repair-vs-replace rule is simple: if the frame is intact, we repair. If corrosion has compromised the structural integrity of the frame, we recommend replacement. That’s the honest call, and it’s the call we’d make on our own homes. In Fort Lauderdale, a window or door that can’t seal against wind-driven rain is a liability, not a cosmetic issue. Call (754) 354-7423 and we’ll walk you through what your CGI product actually needs.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterOur CGI Service Process – Step by Step
- 1
Diagnosis – We start by identifying the exact failure. Is the fog between the panes a seal failure or condensation from interior humidity? Is the door sticking from warped meeting rails or from settled framing? We measure, inspect the weep holes and gaskets, and give you a written diagnosis.
- 2
Repair or installation – For repairs, we source the right parts, whether that’s a genuine CGI replacement sash or a matched aftermarket gasket for a discontinued unit. For full replacements, we set new units with peel-and-stick flashing at the rough opening, stainless steel hardware, and marine-grade sealants rated for Fort Lauderdale’s salt air.
- 3
Testing – After installation, we test every function: sash operation, locking, interlocking rails on doors, and drainage through the weep holes. We also check the seal at the stucco returns and flashing, because that’s where water finds its way in if the job was rushed.
- 4
Warranty and follow-up – Every repair carries our 365-Day Done Right Promise in writing: if it’s not done right, we make it right. You get the written warranty before you pay, and the number on the invoice is the number you approved before we started.
CGI Products We Service & Install in Fort Lauderdale
Our Fort Lauderdale crews work across the CGI product range, including the Sentinel Series impact windows, Estate Collection impact doors, Commercial Series storefront systems, and the original Classic Line single-hung impact windows still found in older homes throughout Lauderdale Manors and Sailboat Bend. We stock common glazing gaskets, balance springs, and stainless steel hardware locally for faster turnaround on repairs, and we can source full replacement sashes for active lines through our supplier network when a frame is too far gone for a gasket swap.
Beyond windows and doors, Sawyer Remodel Fort Lauderdale works as your General Contractor on CGI-related construction as part of broader remodeling work: impact window installation, window replacement, and tub-to-shower conversion where new framing and waterproofing meet existing CGI window openings. We also coordinate stucco returns and trim work so a new CGI window doesn’t look like an afterthought in a mid-century concrete block home.
We Also Service These Brands
While this page focuses on CGI, our crews work across the full remodeling trade: cabinets from KraftMaid, countertops from Cambria and Silestone, and fixtures from Kohler. That breadth means we’re not dependent on any single manufacturer, and we’ll recommend what works for your home rather than what’s easiest to sell.
FAQs – CGI Construction Service in Fort Lauderdale
No, we’re an independent CGI service provider. We’re not a dealer or authorized partner, which means we have no sales quota and no incentive to push replacement when a repair makes more sense. We work on CGI products because Fort Lauderdale homes are full of them, and we know the failure modes from years of hands-on work.
For active CGI lines like the Sentinel Series and Estate Collection, we source genuine CGI replacement sashes, balance springs, and gaskets. For discontinued Classic Line units, we use premium aftermarket glazing and hardware that matches original specs because genuine parts are no longer manufactured. We’ll tell you exactly what you’re getting and why before we order anything.
If the insulating glass seal has failed and moisture is trapped between the panes, replacing just the glass is possible on many Sentinel Series units. The frame stays in place, and we install a new insulated glass unit into the existing sash. But if the frame itself shows corrosion or the sash is compromised, a full sash replacement is the better call. Call (754) 354-7423 and we’ll give you an exact answer for your specific window.
That’s almost always thermal expansion. The interlocking meeting rails on Estate Collection doors absorb heat from direct sun, and the aluminum expands enough to bind at the interlock. West-facing elevations in Fort Lauderdale get the worst of it. Sometimes adjusting the strike plate resolves it; other times the rails have warped permanently and need replacement. We’ll diagnose the difference on site.
Yes, when the frame is still structurally sound. We replace broken balance springs, worn gaskets, and failed hardware with matched aftermarket parts. But once salt air has pitted the lower rails to the point where the frame can’t hold a seal, replacement is the cheaper long-term call. We’ll show you the corrosion and let you make the call with your own eyes.
Yes. Many Fort Lauderdale condos on the beach and along Las Olas Isles require HOA approval before window work starts. We’ve handled that process before: we provide the product specs, wind-load documentation, and installation details your HOA or management company requests, and we coordinate the work around their requirements. Call (754) 354-7423 and we’ll walk you through what your building needs.
Stucco returns are the finished stucco surfaces that wrap into the window opening. When we remove an old CGI window, we cut the stucco back cleanly, install the new unit with peel-and-stick flashing, and then patch and retexture the returns to match the surrounding wall. The goal is a replacement that looks like the window was always there, and the flashing detail is what keeps water out of the wall cavity during a hurricane.
CGI impact window installation in Fort Lauderdale typically runs $8,000 to $25,000 depending on the number of openings and the product line. Here’s the breakdown:
| Service | Price Range |
|---|---|
| Impact window installation | $8,000 – $25,000 |
| Window replacement (CGI frames) | $4,500 – $15,000 |
| CGI impact window sash replacement (per unit) | $900 – $2,500 |
Every project gets a written price before work starts, so the number you approve is the number you pay. Call (754) 354-7423 for an exact quote on your CGI project. Estimates are free.
No. You get a written line-item price before any work begins, and that’s the number on the invoice. The only way a price changes is if we uncover something hidden during the job, like rotted framing behind an old window, and we’ll show it to you and get your written approval before touching it.
Yes. Window and door replacement in Fort Lauderdale often requires permits, especially for impact-rated products that affect your home’s wind mitigation rating. We handle the permit application and the inspection coordination, so the job closes out clean with the city. When you call (754) 354-7423, we’ll tell you whether your specific project needs a permit and what that adds to the timeline.
A sash replacement on a single CGI window typically takes a few hours on site. A full impact window replacement across an entire home runs several days depending on the number of openings and the condition of the surrounding stucco and trim. We’ll give you a real timeline in writing before you commit, and we don’t pad it. Call (754) 354-7423 for a schedule that fits your project.
The work either holds up or it doesn’t. We make sure it does.
Written by Luca Romano, Owner and Lead Contractor at Sawyer Remodel Fort Lauderdale, serving Fort Lauderdale since 2005.
