Free in-home measure and quote - PGT, CGI and CWS impact lines compared on your actual openings, style by style
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AfterFast, Reliable Window Repair Across San Rafael
Window repair in San Rafael typically costs between $95 and $450 for most common fixes, with crank repairs running $140-$220 and full sash restoration on 1920s wood windows landing between $350 and $900 depending on rot and lead-paint scope. We know San Rafael homes because we work in Gerstle Park, the West End, Sun Valley, and Terra Linda every week. The windows here aren’t like what you’d find in a new Corte Madera development. They’re original, they’re wood, and they carry a century of paint, moisture, and Marin County weather. When you call (252) 675-6980, a live person answers and schedules a time that works for you.
Why Hale Windows & Doors Is San Rafael’s Preferred Window Repair Company
We’re led by Spencer Odell, who has spent years working on the exact housing stock that defines San Rafael: early 20th-century bungalows, Craftsman homes, and Spanish Colonial Revivals with original single-pane wood windows. Our Window Repair team shows up knowing the difference between a 1923 double-hung and a 1960s aluminum slider. That matters when you’re deciding whether to repair or replace.
Every technician who comes to your San Rafael home is background-checked, identity-verified, uniformed, photo-badged, and pre-announced by name and photo before the visit. We call it the Threshold Standard. You’ll know exactly who is at the door before you open it. For homeowners who are often home alone, parents with young kids, or older residents, that’s not a luxury. It’s the baseline.
Hale Windows & Doors is independently owned and operated, part of the Threshold Group family of home-service brands. Founded in 2009, we’ve built our reputation in San Rafael on one thing: telling you the truth before we touch your window. Every repair includes a written guarantee. If the repair fails, a second visit is free. And every job carries the 365-Day Done Right Promise: if it’s not done right, we make it right. No argument needed.
Window Crank Repair in San Rafael
Window crank repair in San Rafael runs $140 to $220 for most casement windows, and it’s one of the most common calls we get from homes in the Dominican and Lucas Valley neighborhoods. A crank mechanism fails when the internal gears strip, the operator arms bend, or years of Bay Area salt air and winter moisture corrode the housing. You’ll feel it first: the handle spins without engaging, or the window won’t stay open in the afternoon breeze off San Pablo Bay.
What a Crank Repair Actually Involves
We remove the operator assembly, inspect the track and hinge hardware, and determine whether the crank can be rebuilt with a replacement operator or whether the sash needs to come out for a deeper fix. On older San Rafael casement windows, especially those original to 1930s Spanish Colonial Revivals, the operator is often discontinued. We source compatible hardware rather than forcing a universal part that binds within a year.
When Replacement Beats Repair
If the crank housing is cracked and the window has rusted hinge arms, replacing the operator alone won’t hold. We’ll show you the damage and give you a written price for the full repair before doing anything. That price is in your hands before any tool comes out. No surprises on the invoice, ever.
Window Screen Repair in San Rafael
Window screen repair in San Rafael costs $45 to $95 per screen for standard rescreening, with full frame replacement running $85 to $160 when the aluminum is bent or the corners have pulled apart. Screens take a beating in San Rafael. The same marine air that makes the hills green in January also corrodes aluminum frames, and the dry summers mean screens are doing active duty against moths, flies, and the occasional bat from the open space corridors.
Frame vs. Mesh
The frame is often the real problem. We see bent frames from leaning out of upper-story windows in Victorian homes, and corner joints that have failed from decades of thermal expansion. If the frame is square and solid, we replace the mesh with standard fiberglass or upgrade to a tighter pet-resistant weave. If the frame is twisted, a new frame is the honest fix.
Custom Sizing for Older Homes
San Rafael’s pre-1940s homes rarely have stock window openings. A 1920s double-hung in the West End might measure 31 3/8 inches wide, not 32. We measure to the actual opening and order or build screens that fit, rather than squeezing a big-box stock screen into a hole it was never meant for.
Trusted Brands We Service in San Rafael
Hale Windows & Doors installs and services windows and doors from CGI, CWS, ES Windows, ECO Window Systems, and four other professional-grade lines. That depth matters when a repair on an older San Rafael home involves a brand-specific part. We don’t push one manufacturer. We match the product to the job. If your casement crank is from CWS or your sliding door is an ES Windows unit, we can pull the exact replacement operator, roller, or weatherstripping rather than retrofitting something close enough. We stock common repair parts locally for San Rafael customers, which means faster turnaround on warranty work and no waiting on a distributor in Sacramento.
Common Window Repair Problems We See in San Rafael Homes
- Painted-shut double-hungs with hidden sill rot. In Gerstle Park and the West End, we routinely find original 1920s double-hung windows painted shut under multiple layers of lead paint. The paint hides dry rot in the sills from decades of winter rain against wood that was never properly flashed.
- Failed weatherstripping and air leaks. San Rafael’s temperature swings between cold, damp winters and hot, dry summers cause old glazing putty and weatherstripping to crack and shrink. You’ll feel drafts at the sill and see condensation between panes on single-glazed wood windows.
- Crank and hinge failures on casement windows. The marine air from San Pablo Bay corrodes operator gears and hinge arms, especially on homes in the Canal and Marinwood where windows face the open water.
- Warped or swollen sashes that won’t close. Moisture-driven swelling in the winter makes original wood sashes stick. By June, the dry heat shrinks them back. The cycle loosens joinery and eventually splits sashes at the stile and rail connections.
Pricing for Window Repair in San Rafael, CA
Expect to pay $95 to $160 for a basic service call and minor hardware repair on a modern window and $180 to $350 for a typical crank replacement or weatherstripping rebuild on an older unit. Full restoration of an original 1920s wood double-hung in San Rafael, including lead-safe paint removal, rot repair to the sill, and new glazing, runs $350 to $900 per window. That’s the honest range for this housing stock. What moves the number: how much rot is hidden in the sill and jamb, whether lead paint is present, and whether the window’s non-standard dimensions require custom-fabricated parts. We give you a written price before any work begins. Call (252) 675-6980 to schedule a free estimate, and you’ll get a line-item quote you can hold onto.
Your neighbors in San Rafael already know what we deliver, because every page of our work here carries the same language. Written guarantees on every repair. Free second visit if the repair fails. The 365-Day Done Right Promise. A live person on the phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, no voicemail, no callback queue. We serve Window Repair in San Rafael with the product depth and plain honesty that older homes demand.
We Also Serve Cities Near San Rafael
Hale Windows & Doors handles window repair across central Marin County. You’ll find our crews in Larkspur, Kentfield, Corte Madera, and San Anselmo on a regular basis. If you’re in one of those towns and your windows are acting up, call (252) 675-6980 and we’ll route a technician to you with the same written-price policy and the same Threshold Standard.
Serving San Rafael, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the San Rafael area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About Window Repair in San Rafael
Yes, in most cases we can repair original wood double-hungs rather than replacing them, as long as the sashes are structurally sound. We restore the wood, replace rotted sills, reglaze, and rehang the sash. If the rot has compromised more than 30% of the sash wood, replacement may be more honest and cost-effective. The repair path typically runs $350 to $900 per window in San Rafael, including lead-safe paint handling where needed. Call (252) 675-6980 for a free assessment.
We stop and show you what we found before touching anything else. In older San Rafael homes, opening a window cavity sometimes exposes outdated wiring, undersized framing, or failed waterproofing that wasn’t visible from the outside. We photograph it, explain what it means, and give you a written price for the additional work. Nothing gets approved without your signature. That’s our written-price policy on every job, including surprises.
It depends on the scope. Simple repair work like crank replacement, screen repair, or reglazing generally doesn’t trigger code upgrades. But if the repair involves structural work to the opening, or if you’re in a Wildland-Urban Interface zone and we’re replacing sashes or adding glass, San Rafael may require low-E glazing or fire-rated components to pass inspection. We pull permits when required and we’ll tell you upfront what the city will require. Call (252) 675-6980 and we’ll walk you through it.
We follow certified lead-safe work practices whenever we disturb paint on pre-1978 windows. That means containment, HEPA vacuuming, and proper disposal. In San Rafael’s Gerstle Park and West End, where painted-shut 1920s double-hungs are common, this is standard procedure, not an add-on. You get the repair done without lead dust spreading through your home. If you’re in a house with original windows, assume lead is present and let us confirm.
Yes, we repair and replace casement window cranks and screens on homes throughout San Rafael, including original units in Spanish Colonial Revivals and mid-century ranchers. Crank repair runs $140 to $220, and screen replacement runs $45 to $95 for standard mesh, $85 to $160 for a full frame. Give us a call at (252) 675-6980 and we’ll get you a written price for the exact work.
Written by Spencer Odell, Owner at Hale Windows & Doors, serving San Rafael and central Marin County with honest window repair, written quotes, and the 365-Day Done Right Promise.