Rental Property Investor · San Diego, CA · Member since 2013 · 22 posts · 16 votes
Hi All,
I have a tenant moving out and with that, it is time to replace some very old, single-pane windows and a sliding door. I am pretty sure the windows are not a standard size, and I don't particularly want to go with retro-fit, so I am in search of recommended brands and installers in the Oceanside, north San Diego area.
@Russell M.i would stick with retrofit windows especially if its a rental. Your other option would be new construction windows which would require lots of stucco repair, flashing, paper, lathe, etc. Home Depot carries Jeld-Wens which are actually a pretty fair price for a entry/mid level window.
@Russell M., I had a friend use Pelican Glass in Carlsbad and they are very happy with their retro-fit windows. I haven't flipped a house in a while but I was using James Knapp at Vinyl View for all my homes. He did nice work and had a few levels of windows to choose from.
i concur with @Matt C. but would go even further. I would use retrofit unless there was stucco and drywall work already necessary.
I have used Window Factory in 6 units. They are not the cheapest but their customer service is great. So far they have not charged for anything after installation (screens, latches, re-caulk).
On some of my units I had to lower window sills in bedrooms to be compliant with current codes. This of course is added expense.
I totally agree with the retro fit option. We use them for all of our contracting work and for flips. They are fantastic, cheap, ridiculously easy to install, and look great! I know Anahiem is out of the way of San Diego but we use a company called Discount Window Co in Anahiem by angels stadium, and the windows are great quality for very cheap.
@Dan H. that's right Dan. The city of San Diego is very strict on their egress code. We end up lowering the window sills on almost every house we put windows in because of this. I believe the code is now 44" from floor to window opening.