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ES Windows Bathroom Remodeling: The Fort Lauderdale Owner’s Guide
ES Windows bathroom remodeling in Fort Lauderdale typically runs $9,000 to $28,000 installed, depending on window size, series, and how much surrounding tile and waterproofing we need to rebuild. Most ES Windows bathroom jobs take 2 to 5 working days once materials arrive. Homeowners usually discover a problem when the window frame starts pulling away from the shower wall, the weep holes clog with mineral scale, or condensation fogs between the glass panes in a window that’s less than a decade old.
We’re Penhallow Remodeling Fort Lauderdale, an independent contractor. We’re not affiliated with ES Windows, which matters because we’ll tell you straight when a part is worth repairing versus replacing, and we won’t upsell you on a whole new window just because a seal failed. Trevor Nash leads our crew, and after nearly two decades working South Florida bathrooms from Las Olas Boulevard out to Plantation, he’s seen every way a coastal bathroom window can fail.
Key Takeaways:
- ES Windows bathroom replacement costs $9,000 – $28,000, with most jobs landing between $11,000 and $18,000.
- Fogged glass, a spongy frame, or visible daylight around the window means water is already behind your tile.
- We write the price before we open the wall, and the number on day one is the number on the invoice.
- Every ES Windows bathroom job carries our 365-Day Done Right Promise in writing.
Which ES Windows Models This Applies To
ES Windows has built several lines over the years, and the two we see most often in Fort Lauderdale bathrooms are the Estate Series and the Builder Series. The Estate Series uses heavier aluminum extrusions and thicker glass, which holds up better against the salt air in neighborhoods like Victoria Park and Rio Vista. The Builder Series is lighter and more common in condos and older homes east of US-1. Identifying which one you have is straightforward: look for a white AAMA certification sticker on the top of the frame or the inside edge of the sash. If the sticker is gone, measure the visible glass thickness. Estate Series is usually 1/4-inch insulated, Builder Series is 3/16-inch.
One compatibility gotcha worth knowing: ES Windows changed their weep-hole design around 2016. Older units, typically the ones installed between 2004 and 2015, use a narrow slot weep that clogs badly with Fort Lauderdale’s hard water and humid air. Newer units use a wider slotted weep with a mesh insert. You can’t retrofit the new weep cover onto the old frame, which is why some repairs that look small turn into a full frame replacement once we open the wall.
When it comes to parts, we always recommend OEM ES Windows components when they’re available. The aluminum alloy ES Windows uses in the Estate Series is a 6063-T5 extrusion, and aftermarket frames often use a softer alloy that doesn’t hold fasteners as well in a humid shower enclosure. For hardware like handles, hinges, and roller assemblies, quality aftermarket parts are usually fine and cost 30 to 40 percent less. We’ll tell you which is which before you spend a dime.
Styles & brands we work with
Signs Your ES Windows Bathroom Remodeling Is Failing
- Condensation between the glass panes. This means the hermetic seal has failed and argon gas has leaked out. The glass still works structurally, but you’ve lost the insulating barrier, and in a Fort Lauderdale bathroom that means constant fog and eventually mildew inside the unit.
- The frame pulls away from the shower wall when you press on it. That movement means the waterproofing membrane behind the window has torn. Water has been getting in, and by the time you feel the flex, the wood framing around the window is already wet.
- Black staining at the bottom corners of the frame. That’s mold growing on the back side of the drywall or cement board. It’s not a surface cleaning issue. The window flashing has failed and the wall cavity is holding moisture.
- White crusty buildup around the weep holes. Fort Lauderdale’s water is moderately hard, and over time mineral scale plugs the weeps. Water that should drain out of the frame instead pools inside and eats at the aluminum from the inside.
- You hear wind whistling through the window during a storm. That’s a sign the weather stripping has compressed and the window is no longer sealed against driving rain. In a bathroom with a shower running, that air gap is also a moisture gap.
Each of these symptoms points to the same core problem: the window’s moisture barrier has been compromised, and in a humid South Florida bathroom, that’s a countdown to rot. The window itself may still look fine from the inside, but the framing around it often isn’t.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterReplacement Cost & What’s Included
Here’s what we quote in Fort Lauderdale for ES Windows bathroom work:
| Scope | Installed Price Range |
|---|---|
| Fogged glass unit replacement (glass only, frame intact) | $1,500 – $3,200 |
| Full ES Windows bathroom window replacement (standard size, no tile rebuild) | $2,400 – $4,800 |
| Window replacement plus surrounding waterproofing and tile repair | $5,000 – $9,500 |
| Full bathroom remodel with ES Windows window, tile, waterproofing, and fixtures | $9,000 – $28,000 |
What drives the number up: window size and whether it’s tempered (code requires tempered glass in any window within 60 inches of a tub or shower floor), the series you have, how much tile we need to remove to get to the flange, and whether the framing underneath is rotted. What drives it down: a standard-sized Builder Series unit, no tile work needed, and framing that’s still sound.
Every quote includes the window, all parts, waterproofing, labor, haul-away, and our written warranty. The price is fixed before we start. If we open the wall and find rotted framing, that’s a change order in most companies. Ours is too, but we’ll walk you through the photo, show you the rot, and give you a written price for the repair before we touch anything else. You approve the number, not a surprise.
DIY or Call Us?
An ES Windows bathroom window sits inside a waterproofed shower enclosure, which means the stakes are different than swapping a bedroom window. If you have fogged glass but the frame is solid and the tile is dry, a glazing company can replace the glass unit without touching the waterproofing. That’s a reasonable job for a specialist.
But if the frame is pulling away from the wall, or there’s staining at the corners, do not caulk it and hope. The water is already behind the tile. Silicone on the surface just traps the moisture in the wall cavity and makes the rot worse. Cutting into a shower wall to replace a window means cutting the waterproofing membrane, installing a new one, lapping it correctly under the tile, and making sure the window flange ties back into it. Get any lap direction wrong and the wall leaks again in six months. That’s not a weekend project. That’s a call to (754) 551-2922.
FAQs
In a properly sealed, properly flashed bathroom, an ES Windows Estate Series unit should last 15 to 20 years in Fort Lauderdale’s humid, salt-heavy air. Builder Series units tend to run 10 to 15 years. Windows on bathrooms without a properly working exhaust fan fail faster, because the constant moisture cycling degrades the seal and the frame gaskets. Call (754) 551-2922 and we’ll give you an honest read on whether yours has life left.
Sometimes. Fogged glass is repairable with a new glass unit if the frame is sound. A corroded frame, failed waterproofing, or rotted framing is not, and trying to patch those problems while leaving the surrounding wall wet is how homeowners end up paying twice. We’ll tell you which category you’re in before you spend anything.
Most Fort Lauderdale bathroom window replacements take one to two days for the window itself. If we’re rebuilding the waterproofing and replacing tile around it, plan for three to five working days, including dry time for the waterproofing membrane. We schedule the arrival window in writing before we start.
We keep common ES Windows hardware on hand: replacement weep covers, handle sets, roller assemblies, and gaskets. Glass units and full window frames are ordered from the manufacturer or our glass supplier, which usually takes 7 to 14 days depending on the series and size. We’ll give you the timeline before you commit, not after.
Tell me what you need, I’ll tell you what it costs – then we’ll get it done. If your ES Windows bathroom window is showing any of the signs above, call (754) 551-2922 and we’ll schedule a free estimate. We’ll put the number in writing, and we’ll stand behind it with our 365-Day Done Right Promise.
Written by Trevor Nash, Owner, Penhallow Remodeling Fort Lauderdale at Penhallow Remodeling Fort Lauderdale, serving Fort Lauderdale and nearby areas.
