Free written scope consultation - allowances, timeline, and change-order rules on paper before a single trade is scheduled
PGT Home Additions & ADU: The West Palm Beach Owner’s Guide
If you own a PGT window or door product in West Palm Beach and need a home addition or ADU built around it, the realistic installed range is $45,000 – $130,000 for a room addition and $90,000 – $220,000 for a detached ADU. We handle the full scope – framing, roofing, drywall, electrical, plumbing, and finishing – while making sure your existing PGT units stay sealed, square, and under warranty. Most West Palm Beach homeowners discover they need this work not from a single dramatic failure, but from a slow accumulation: a PGT sliding glass door that suddenly drags in its track after the wall shifted, a PGT window that no longer closes flush because the header sagged, or a PGT impact door that binds every humid August afternoon. That’s the moment to call (728) 203-3270.
We’re an independent remodeling contractor in West Palm Beach – we are not affiliated with PGT, but we work around their products every week, and we know how they behave when the structure around them changes. Before a single drop cloth goes down, Graham Stein walks the job site himself, checks every PGT unit in the affected wall, and puts a written price in your hands that names the materials by brand, the labor line by line, and the start and end window. If it’s not done right, the 365-Day Done Right Promise means we make it right – no fine print, no runaround.
Key Takeaways
- Home additions in West Palm Beach run $45,000 – $130,000; ADU construction runs $90,000 – $220,000.
- PGT windows and doors must stay square and sealed when a wall is opened up, or the warranty on the PGT unit can be voided.
- We stock and install PGT-compatible flashing, sealant, and trim packs, and we coordinate with PGT-authorized dealers when a replacement sash or panel is needed.
- Written price before any work starts – itemized, named-brand, and firm.
- Shoe covers, drop cloths, quiet tools during sleep hours, and pet-safe product choices where available.
Which PGT Models This Applies To
This page covers every PGT window and door line commonly found in West Palm Beach homes built or renovated in the last 25 years: the PGT WinGuard series (aluminum and vinyl impact windows), PGT SpectraGuard, PGT PremierVue, PGT 770 and 450 series sliding glass doors, PGT French doors, and PGT casement and single-hung units. The compatibility question that matters during a home addition or ADU project is not the PGT model number alone – it’s the frame depth, the nailing flange profile, and the glass package. PGT units ordered for new construction often have a 3-1/4″ frame depth, while PGT replacement windows can run 2-5/8″ or 3-1/4″ depending on the series. That difference changes how the rough opening gets framed, how the flashing gets lapped, and how much wall cavity space is left for insulation.
Here’s the gotcha most homeowners never hear about: a PGT warranty stays valid only if the unit is installed to the manufacturer’s published instructions, which include specific flashing tape placement, sill angle requirements, and reveal tolerances. When a new addition ties into an existing wall with PGT windows, the old flashing has to be released, the unit re-squared within 1/16″ or less, and the new flashing lapped correctly – otherwise the next wind-driven rain in West Palm Beach finds a path into the wall cavity. We check the PGT label on every unit before framing begins and match the rough opening to the frame, not the other way around.
When a PGT unit itself is damaged or fogged, we source OEM PGT sashes and panels through authorized distribution. For trim, flashing, sealant, and setting blocks, we stock quality equivalents that meet or exceed the original spec. If you also have KraftMaid, Cambria, or Silestone products in the space we’re building around, the same rule applies: named materials, manufacturer specs, written price first.
Styles & brands we work with
Signs Your PGT Home Additions & ADU Is Failing
- Doors that suddenly drag or stick in the track. This usually means the wall above the PGT slider has settled or the header is undersized for the new load. A PGT sliding door has a tolerance of about 1/8″ before the rollers start binding – when the wall moves, the door tells you first.
- Windows that no longer close flush, or the lock misses the keeper by a fraction of an inch. This is a frame squareness problem, not a window problem. In West Palm Beach, daily thermal expansion and contraction on an undersized header will rack the frame slowly over two or three humid summers.
- Visible cracks at the drywall corners above a PGT window or door. Diagonal cracks radiating from the upper corners of an opening mean the structure is moving while the PGT unit stays rigid. The window or door is holding the opening square; the framing around it is giving up.
- Fogged glass or water stains on the interior sill after rain. If the PGT unit is still under warranty, fogged insulated glass may be a sealed-unit failure. But water on the sill is more often a flashing problem where the addition roof or exterior wall meets the PGT frame – and that’s a tear-out and re-flash, not a new sash.
- Audible wind noise around a PGT window during storms, even when the sash is locked. Impact-rated PGT glass does not normally whistle. A gap means the weatherstripping is compressed from frame racking, or the new wall assembly changed the reveal on one side.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterReplacement Cost & What’s Included
A full home addition in West Palm Beach – one room, properly tied into the existing roof and foundation, with PGT-matched openings – runs $45,000 to $130,000. An ADU, which requires its own foundation, utility connections, kitchen and bath where applicable, and impact-rated openings per Florida code, runs $90,000 to $220,000. A garage conversion that turns an existing slab into living space falls between $30,000 and $80,000.
| Project Type | Installed Range in West Palm Beach |
|---|---|
| Home Addition | $45,000 – $130,000 |
| ADU Construction | $90,000 – $220,000 |
| Garage Conversion | $30,000 – $80,000 |
| Impact Window Installation | $8,000 – $25,000 |
| Roof Replacement (tie-in work) | $8,000 – $20,000 |
The range on a home addition depends on the roof tie-in detail, whether we’re matching stucco or siding, whether the PGT openings are new or existing, and how much electrical and plumbing the room requires. Every estimate from us is a written, itemized scope of work: labor broken down by phase, materials by brand and quantity, and a firm start and end window. No estimate that grows after the crew arrives. No change order surprises. The 365-Day Done Right Promise covers the work in writing, and we document the clean-up with photos before the crew leaves your driveway.
DIY or Call Us?
Here’s the honest split. You can safely check a PGT door or window for racking yourself: close the unit, run your finger along the reveal gap on both sides, and look for cracked caulk or drywall at the corners. That tells you whether the structure has moved. What you should not do is attempt to re-square a PGT unit by shimming the frame or loosening the fasteners – once the flashing is disturbed, the seal depends on a sequence of lapped layers that has to be installed in the right order with the right tape. Get that wrong and the first hurricane-season rain in West Palm Beach will find the gap.
Framing a full addition or ADU around PGT products is not a DIY job, and it’s not a job for a contractor who quotes it over the phone without seeing the wall. Graham grew up in Los Angeles, learned the trade at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, and spent decades working construction up and down the West Coast before setting his crew into the West Palm Beach market. He still walks every job site himself before any tool comes off the truck. Put it in writing, then do exactly that. If the addition or ADU scope is bigger than a repair, call (728) 203-3270 and we’ll schedule a walkthrough.
FAQs
A properly installed PGT impact window or door typically lasts 25 to 30 years in West Palm Beach, with the glass package often outlasting the frame components like rollers, weatherstripping, and balance systems. Salt air near the coast shortens the life of aluminum frame finishes; homes west of I-95 typically see less corrosion than homes within two miles of the Intracoastal.
Yes, in most cases a sagging header can be reinforced or replaced without removing the PGT unit, as long as the unit is not permanently racked. We shore the wall, install the proper header per current Florida code, re-square the PGT unit to within spec, and re-flash the opening. Call (728) 203-3270 to schedule a structural assessment – estimates are free.
A detached ADU with PGT-compatible impact openings typically takes 5 to 8 months from permit approval to final inspection in West Palm Beach, depending on site conditions, foundation type, and utility connection distance. A room addition with one or two PGT tie-ins runs 3 to 5 months. We give a firm start and end window in writing before any work starts.
We stock PGT-compatible flashing tape, sealant, setting blocks, trim packs, and rollers for the most common PGT 770 and 450 series sliding doors on our trucks, so most tie-in and re-flash work gets done same-day. For OEM PGT sashes, panels, and glass packages, we order through authorized PGT distribution and coordinate the replacement with your project schedule. Call (728) 203-3270 and we’ll check what your specific unit needs.
Only if the PGT units in the affected wall are reinstalled incorrectly, re-flashed improperly, or racked beyond the manufacturer’s tolerance. We follow PGT’s published installation instructions for every unit we touch, document the work with photos, and stand behind the installation with the 365-Day Done Right Promise.
If you own a PGT product and you’re planning a home addition or ADU in West Palm Beach, the smartest first step is a walkthrough with someone who knows both the PGT product line and how Florida structures behave. Call (728) 203-3270 to schedule your free estimate. A live person answers the phone, and the price will be in writing before any work begins.
Written by Graham Stein, Owner, Elmstead Remodeling West Palm Beach at Elmstead Remodeling West Palm Beach, serving West Palm Beach and nearby areas.
