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CGI Home Additions & ADU: The West Palm Beach Owner’s Guide
CGI home additions and ADU construction in West Palm Beach typically runs $45,000 to $130,000 for a full addition, and $90,000 to $220,000 for a detached ADU, with most projects taking 3 to 7 months depending on scope and permitting. We stock and install CGI-compatible framing, impact-rated windows, and exterior cladding systems, and we can usually match an existing CGI product line within the first site visit. Most homeowners call us after a contractor has already walked away from a job halfway done, or after a storm exposed a flaw in the original build. Here’s what we’ve learned fixing and finishing CGI work across Palm Beach County.
Which CGI Models This Applies To
CGI manufactures impact-rated windows and doors, and when those products are integrated into a home addition or ADU, the surrounding framing, flashing, and rough openings have to meet Miami-Dade County product approval specs. That’s the compatibility gotcha we see most often in West Palm Beach: a general contractor frames an opening for a standard window, then the homeowner orders CGI impact windows, and the rough opening is off by a half inch. We verify the actual CGI product documents before we frame anything, not after.
For ADUs, the CGI product line that matters most is the Estate Collection and the Sentinel series, both common in West Palm Beach coastal and inland builds. If you have an existing CGI window or door that’s failing, check the corner of the glass or the frame edge for a CGI etched logo and a product approval number that starts with “FL” followed by five digits. That number tells us exactly which series you have and whether it’s still under CGI’s 10-year warranty. For aftermarket equivalents, we recommend staying with CGI’s own replacement parts when the product is under warranty, and considering approved alternates only on out-of-warranty units where the Florida Building Code still applies.
Styles & brands we work with
Signs Your CGI Home Additions & ADU Is Failing
- Water staining at the window sill or door threshold. In West Palm Beach, the summer rain pattern exposes flashing errors within the first 12 months. If the sill pan wasn’t installed correctly behind a CGI window, water travels into the wall cavity and shows up as paint bubbling at the interior trim.
- Condensation between the glass panes. This means the impact-rated laminated glass seal has failed. On CGI products, that seal failure usually starts after 8 to 12 years in the Palm Beach County humidity, and the glass will need reglazing or replacement.
- Gaps around the rough opening that widen in summer. CGI frames are beefier than standard residential frames. If the original framer didn’t account for that, you’ll see caulk pulling away at the corners by August.
- Sticking doors or windows that won’t close flush. ADUs built on elevated foundations settle differently than the main house. A CGI door that dragged on the threshold last fall but closes fine now is telling you the subfloor moved.
- Noise you didn’t have before during a storm. CGI products are designed to stay quiet under wind load. If you’re hearing a whistling or rattling at the frame, the installation anchors were likely spaced too far apart.
See the difference
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AfterReplacement Cost & What’s Included
Here’s what we quote for CGI-related home addition and ADU work in West Palm Beach, written as a range so you can plan before the free estimate:
- Full home addition with CGI impact windows and doors: $45,000 – $130,000
- Detached ADU with CGI windows, door, and exterior cladding: $90,000 – $220,000
- Garage conversion to living space with CGI products: $30,000 – $80,000
- CGI window or door frame repair and re-flashing (per opening): part of a larger scope, typically $800 – $2,500 when quoted as part of an addition or ADU project
What drives the range: whether we’re matching an existing CGI series or ordering new, whether the wall framing needs to be reframed to meet Miami-Dade specs, and whether the ADU requires separate utility connections or a new electrical subpanel. We give you a written price before any work starts, with labor, materials by brand and quantity, and a firm start and end window. If it’s not done right, the 365-Day Done Right Promise means we make it right.
DIY or Call Us?
You can safely check the CGI product approval number on your windows and doors, and you can look for visible gaps at the interior trim. You should not caulk around a CGI frame as a permanent fix. The frames are designed to manage water pressure during a hurricane, and casual caulking traps moisture behind the frame and rots the sheathing. We’ve opened walls in Flamingo Park and found entire sill plates gone behind a bead of silicone someone squeezed on a Sunday afternoon. If your CGI product is failing at the frame or glass, call (728) 203-3270. The estimate is free, and we’ll tell you honestly whether it needs a repair or a replacement.
FAQs
In the West Palm Beach climate, CGI impact windows and doors typically last 15 to 25 years, with glass seal failure commonly appearing between years 8 and 12 due to constant humidity and salt air. Regular inspection of the frame anchors and flashing can extend that lifespan. Call (728) 203-3270 for an exact assessment of your existing units.
Yes, in many cases we can reglaze the laminated glass unit, re-anchor the frame, and re-flash the opening without replacing the entire CGI product, which typically saves 40 – 60% versus full replacement. The repair is practical when the frame itself is still square and the product approval number is still legible. Call (728) 203-3270 and we’ll tell you which path makes sense.
A single CGI window or door replacement on an existing West Palm Beach home usually takes one full day including removal, frame inspection, new flashing, and interior trim reset. Full multi-opening work on an ADU addition is typically 2 to 4 days depending on the number of units and whether we’re reframing rough openings. We’ll put the timeline in writing before we start.
We stock common CGI-compatible flashing, anchors, and sealants on the truck, and we order CGI-specific replacement glass and frame components directly when we confirm your product approval number. For additions and ADUs we also work with KraftMaid, Cambria, and Silestone when the project includes those brands. Call (728) 203-3270 for a free estimate and we’ll tell you exactly what’s in stock for your project.
If you have a CGI home addition or ADU component that’s not performing the way it should, call (728) 203-3270. We’ll give you a written price for the work, and we’ll put it in writing, then do exactly that.
Written by Graham Stein, Owner, Elmstead Remodeling West Palm Beach at Elmstead Remodeling West Palm Beach, serving West Palm Beach and nearby areas.
