Full Frame Replacement in Fort Myers, FL

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Full Frame Replacement in Fort Myers, FL

Full frame replacement removes everything – the sash, the glass, and the entire frame down to the rough opening – and installs a complete new window unit from the inside out. It costs more than an insert replacement and takes a full day rather than a few hours, but when the frame itself is rotted, racked, or no longer square, it is the only method that actually fixes the problem. If you have been living with windows that stick, leak around the casing, or show soft wood at the corners, call us at (239) 323-5522 and we will tell you honestly whether a full frame replacement is what you need or whether something less involved will hold.

TruePane Windows & Doors has been doing this work in Fort Myers for years under a standard Dale Kessler put on the whiteboard the day the company opened: if the pane is not true, the job is not done. That rule shapes every measurement, every flashing decision, and every warranty registration we file before the truck leaves your driveway. You can read more about how full frame replacement fits into the broader picture of Window Replacement in Fort Myers on our parent service page.

When You Need Full Frame Replacement

An Insert Window Replacement – where the new sash drops into the existing frame – works well when the frame is structurally sound and square. But Fort Myers homes face conditions that eat through frames faster than almost anywhere else in Florida: salt air off the Gulf, seasonal flooding in low-lying neighborhoods like Harborside and Buckingham, and summer humidity that sits above 85 percent for months at a stretch. When those forces have been working on a frame for twenty or thirty years, the frame itself becomes the problem.

These are the situations where a full frame replacement is the right call:

• Visible rot or soft wood in the frame or sill. Press a screwdriver into the corner of the sill. If it sinks without effort, the wood is compromised. An insert unit set into a rotted frame will fail inside five years, usually sooner in coastal Fort Myers conditions.
• Windows that are noticeably out of square. A frame that has racked – common in older CBS construction when the bond beam has shifted – cannot be corrected with a new sash. The opening needs to be re-plumbed and a new unit set true before it will seal, operate, and pass an inspection.
• Persistent water intrusion at the casing or interior sill. In neighborhoods near the Caloosahatchee floodplain, we regularly find water tracking behind the exterior casing and sitting in the rough opening for years before the homeowner sees it inside. By that point, the frame is gone and so is a portion of the framing behind it.
• Hurricane damage that bent or torqued the frame. A frame that took wind load and deflected is no longer dimensionally reliable. Impact-rated glazing installed in a damaged frame will not perform to its rated standard – and in Lee County, that matters for both your insurance and your family’s safety.
• Switching window types entirely. If you are converting a double-hung opening to a casement, or adding an egress window to a bedroom that lacks one, the rough opening has to be modified. That work requires a full frame replacement and, in Fort Myers, a permit pulled with Lee County Building Services.
• Exterior renovation that exposes the opening anyway. When siding or stucco work is already scheduled, a full frame replacement costs proportionally less because the wall is already open. We see this often in McGregor corridor homes undergoing whole-exterior updates, and it is almost always the smarter sequencing.

Our Full Frame Replacement Process

A full frame replacement touches more of your home than most window jobs, so we are deliberate about how we sequence it. Every step below is how we actually work – not a marketing checklist.

1. Measure the rough opening, not just the existing frame. Our technician removes the interior stop and measures the rough opening directly – width, height, and diagonal to confirm square. We do this twice before we write a single line on the quote. The existing frame’s nominal size is a starting point; the rough opening is the truth. This is where out-of-town companies cut corners and where problems start.
2. Present a side-by-side quote on paper. We are authorized installers for PGT, CGI, and more than a dozen other manufacturer lines. We put two or three options on paper – unit cost, performance ratings, warranty duration, lead time – so you are making a real comparison, not taking our word for it. Upfront pricing, no line items that appear later on the bill.
3. Pull the Lee County permit. Full frame replacement in Fort Myers requires a building permit in most cases, particularly for impact-rated windows and any structural modification. We handle the application, the product approval documentation, and the scheduling with the county inspector. You should not have to chase paperwork for a window job.
4. Remove the existing unit and assess the rough opening. The old frame, exterior casing, and all flashing come out. Before anything new goes in, we look at the rough opening framing for moisture damage, rot, or structural compromise. If we find something that affects the install, we tell you before we proceed – not after.
5. Set the new unit, flash, and seal to current Florida Building Code standards. The new frame goes in plumb, level, and square. We apply pan flashing at the sill, integrate head flashing with the exterior cladding, and use flexible flashing tape at the jambs before any exterior casing or stucco is touched. In a coastal climate like Fort Myers, the flashing sequence is where the long-term performance lives.
6. Register both warranty layers and walk you through the paperwork. Before the truck leaves your driveway, both manufacturer warranty layers – product and glass – are registered in writing with durations stated. That is The Keystone Standard, and it applies to every job we do. You also get our 90-Day Done Right Promise: if anything about the installation is not right, we come back and make it right, no arguing, no paperwork fight.

Full Frame Replacement Pricing in Fort Myers

For homes with Vinyl Replacement Windows, full frame replacement in Fort Myers typically runs between $650 and $1,800 per window, depending on the factors below. That range covers the unit, labor, flashing, and permit – not just the glass. Most single-story residential jobs with standard openings come in toward the lower half of that range. Multi-story work, custom sizing, or structural repairs to the rough opening push the number higher.

A few factors specific to Fort Myers that move the number:

• Impact vs. non-impact glazing. Lee County is in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone for most coastal areas, and many insurance carriers now require impact-rated windows for coverage renewals on older homes. The units cost more, but the permit and insurance math often shifts the decision.
• Stucco or wood exterior. Stucco homes common in Fort Myers’s older neighborhoods require more careful exterior casing work and patching after the old frame comes out. That labor is real and it is priced honestly on the front end.
• Hidden rot or structural damage. We price what we can see. If the rough opening framing shows damage once the old unit is out, we stop and call you before adding scope. We do not absorb that cost and we do not pretend it was in the original quote – we show you what we found and give you a revised number before any new work begins.
• Number of windows in one visit. Multi-window jobs reduce mobilization cost per unit. If you have four or more windows to replace, ask us about project pricing when you call.

Seniors and veterans receive a permanent 5% discount on all work. We also offer $50 off any repair over $250. Estimates are free and there is no obligation. Call (239) 323-5522 to schedule yours.

Why Fort Myers Homes Need This Done Right the First Time

Fort Myers does not give windows a long grace period for installation errors. Salt air from the Gulf works its way into any gap in the exterior flashing within the first season. The wet-season humidity – June through September, reliably above 80 percent relative humidity inside wall cavities – feeds mold in rough openings that were not properly sealed, which is why Window Maintenance & Care matters so much in this climate. And when the next named storm comes through Lee County, a window that was not set plumb, not properly flashed, and not anchored to a sound rough opening will fail under load, sometimes catastrophically.

We have been doing this work long enough to have replaced windows that were originally installed by crews who have long since left the area. The pattern we see in those jobs is consistent: the rough opening was not checked for square, the flashing was incomplete, and the warranty was registered in the installer’s name rather than the homeowner’s. When the seal failed or the frame leaked, there was nobody to call. That is what The Keystone Standard is designed to prevent.

We are a company rooted in this community – we sponsor county fairs, contribute to local church roof funds, and hire Fort Myers apprentices and train them into journeymen who will still be working here in twenty years. We are not a franchise that shows up after a hurricane and disappears when the work dries up. When you call us after a job is done, a live person picks up the phone. That has been true for every one of the over 42 years this company has been serving homeowners in Southwest Florida, and it will still be true when you need us.

Fort Myers homeowners considering a full window project can also explore our broader home page for a complete picture of what TruePane installs and services across the region.

FAQs – Full Frame Replacement

What is the difference between full frame replacement and an insert replacement?

Full frame replacement removes the entire window unit including the frame down to the rough opening, while an insert replacement drops a new sash and glass unit into an existing frame that is left in place. If you need our Window Replacement services, we can help determine the right approach. Insert jobs are faster and less expensive, but they only work when the existing frame is structurally sound, plumb, and free of rot. In Fort Myers, where salt air and seasonal moisture put heavy stress on window frames over time, we find that older homes – especially those built before 1990 – frequently need full frame replacement because the frame itself has deteriorated past the point where an insert will hold. If you are unsure which applies to your situation, call (239) 323-5522 and we will come out and tell you straight.

Does full frame replacement require a permit in Fort Myers?

Yes, in most cases it does. Lee County Building Services requires a building permit for full frame replacement, particularly when impact-rated windows are being installed or when any modification is made to the rough opening. TruePane handles the permit application, product approval documentation, and county inspection scheduling on your behalf. Pulling a permit is not a nuisance – it is how the work gets documented correctly and how you protect your home’s resale value and insurance standing. We have never treated permit compliance as optional, and we will not recommend skipping it.

How long does a full frame replacement take?

A single window typically takes two to four hours from removal of the old unit to finished casing and cleanup. A whole-house project with six to ten windows usually runs one to two full days. Lead time on the window units themselves – typically two to four weeks depending on the manufacturer and product line – is the longer part of the timeline. We schedule the permit and the units in parallel where possible so you are not waiting unnecessarily. Most jobs are completed in a single visit once the units arrive and the permit is in hand.

Will my homeowner’s insurance cover full frame replacement after storm damage?

It depends on your policy terms and the documented cause of damage. Impact from a named storm or wind event is typically a covered peril, but insurance carriers increasingly require documentation: photos taken before and after removal, an itemized written estimate, and product approval numbers for the replacement units. We provide all of that as standard practice. What we cannot do is predict how your specific carrier will respond to a claim – that is a conversation to have with your agent before you file. What we can tell you is that impact-rated windows installed under permit with registered warranties are far easier to document for an insurance claim than units installed without permits or paperwork. Call (239) 323-5522 if you need an estimate for insurance purposes; we are straightforward about what the work involves and what it costs.

Key Takeaways

• Full frame replacement is the correct solution when the window frame itself is rotted, racked, or out of square – not just when the glass or sash has failed.
• Fort Myers conditions – Gulf salt air, seasonal flooding, high summer humidity – accelerate frame deterioration faster than most inland markets.
• Installed cost in Fort Myers typically runs $650 to $1,800 per window depending on unit type, size, and rough opening condition.
• Lee County requires a permit for most full frame replacements; TruePane manages that process from application through inspection.
• Every job is covered by the 90-Day Done Right Promise and The Keystone Standard: both manufacturer warranty layers registered in writing before we leave.
• Seniors and veterans receive a permanent 5% discount. $50 off any repair over $250.
• A live person answers the phone at (239) 323-5522 around the clock, every day of the week.

Schedule Your Free Estimate

If your windows are showing signs of frame failure – soft corners, persistent leaks at the casing, operation that has gotten harder every year – the right next step is a straightforward conversation with someone who will look at the actual opening and tell you what it needs. Call TruePane Windows & Doors at (239) 323-5522 to schedule a free, no-obligation estimate. We measure twice, quote on paper, and do not start work until you understand exactly what you are approving and what it will cost. That is the square deal this company was built on, and it is still the only way we work.

Written by Dale Kessler, Owner at TruePane Windows & Doors, serving Fort Myers.