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ES Windows Home Additions & ADU: The Long Beach Owner’s Guide
If you’re planning a home addition or ADU in Long Beach with ES Windows specified in the plans, the installed cost typically runs between $45,000 and $130,000 for the full project, with the window package usually representing 8 – 15% of the total budget. We supply and install ES Windows-compatible openings, framing, flashing, and trim as part of a complete addition or ADU build, and we’ll help you match the right ES Windows series to your city’s coastal energy code requirements. Most Long Beach homeowners discover they need this guidance when their architect calls out “ES Windows or equal” on the drawings and they can’t find a contractor who actually knows the product line well enough to verify measurements before framing begins.
The reason this matters more in Long Beach than inland: our marine layer, salt air, and afternoon sun exposure off the water mean the wrong window spec will show its weakness within three to five years. We’ve seen aluminum-clad frames with the wrong finish corrode along the lower track in Naples and Belmont Shore within two seasons. Get the frame material, glazing package, and flashing detail right on day one, and the windows will outlast the stucco around them.
Which ES Windows Models This Applies To
ES Windows manufactures three primary lines we encounter in Long Beach additions and ADUs: the ES700 Series (single-hung and slider, budget-conscious but code-compliant), the ES800 Series (double-hung, picture, and casement, the most common spec for ADUs because it hits the sweet spot between cost and energy performance), and the ES900 Series (multi-slide and lift-and-slide doors, often paired with the ES800 windows on larger additions that open to a patio or yard).
Here’s the compatibility gotcha most people miss: ES Windows frame depths differ between series. The ES700 uses a 3-1/4″ frame depth, while the ES800 and ES900 use 4-1/2″ frames. If your framer builds rough openings for one series and you later switch to the other, every opening is wrong. We verify the series number on the architect’s schedule against the actual window sticker before a single stud goes up.
One more checkable specific: ES Windows color options for coastal applications in Long Beach are limited to their Class I anodized finishes (clear, champagne, bronze) and their AAMA 2604-rated powder coats. If you spec a non-coastal finish, the manufacturer’s warranty drops from 10 years to 5. Ask your supplier for the finish certification sheet in writing. We do, and we keep it in the project file.
For the OEM versus aftermarket decision: ES Windows does not sell parts through retail channels. Frames, sashes, balances, and weatherstripping come through authorized fabricators only. Aftermarket glazing beads and weatherstripping exist, but the dimensions are metric and slightly off from domestic equivalents. We’ve had to re-order OEM weatherstripping twice in the last year because the aftermarket version was 1mm too thick to seat properly in the extrusion channel. On a $300 weatherstripping order, that’s an annoyance. On a $40,000 window package, it’s a lesson.
Styles & brands we work with
Signs Your ES Windows Home Additions & ADU Is Failing
- Condensation between the glass panes. This means the seal on the insulated glass unit has failed and the argon or krypton fill has leaked out. It doesn’t matter if the window is two years old or twelve – the fix is a new IGU, not a repair. In Long Beach’s humidity, we see this on the south-facing elevations first, where the thermal cycling is most aggressive.
- The sash drops when you let go of it. ES Windows balance mechanisms (the block-and-tackle or spiral-type, depending on series) have a service life of about 8 – 12 years of daily use. When the balance fails, the sash slams down and the window effectively becomes single-pane from an air-sealing standpoint. It’s a safety concern for kids’ fingers and a comfort problem, both at once.
- You feel a draft along the meeting rail on calm days. That’s the weatherstripping compression set – the foam or pile material has lost its memory and won’t push back against the sash anymore. On the ES800 series specifically, the pile weatherstrip on the horizontal meeting rail compresses faster because it carries the full weight of the upper sash.
- The window won’t stay open on the ES700 slider track. This series uses a friction shoe and track system that wears smooth over time. Once the shoe is polished and the track is burnished, the window glides so easily that a light breeze will shift it.
- White chalky powder accumulating at the bottom corners of the frame. That’s aluminum oxidation, and in Long Beach it’s accelerated by salt in the air. It starts as a cosmetic issue, but once the anodized or powder-coated finish is breached, the underlying aluminum begins pitting. If you catch it early, a fabricator can sometimes re-anodize or touch up. If it’s pitted, the frame is done.
See the difference
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AfterReplacement Cost & What’s Included
The installed price for a complete ES Windows home addition or ADU package in Long Beach runs between $45,000 and $130,000, depending on scope. That range covers everything from a 300-square-foot bump-out with three windows and one slider to a full 800-square-foot ADU with ten windows and two multi-slide doors. The window package itself is itemized separately on our written scope, so you see exactly what the windows cost versus the framing, drywall, roofing, and finishes.
Here’s the line-item breakdown we show every Long Beach homeowner before work starts:
- ES Windows material package (windows + doors): $18,000 – $52,000, depending on series, quantity, glazing upgrades, and finish class
- Rough framing and structural work (headers, king studs, shear walls): $8,000 – $25,000
- Flashing, waterproofing, and sealants (per coastal code): $2,500 – $7,000
- Interior trim, casing, and sills: $3,000 – $9,000
- Stucco or siding repair around new openings: $4,000 – $14,000
- City of Long Beach permits, plans, and inspections: $3,500 – $11,000
What’s included on every job: shoe covers and drop cloths inside the house, a photo of the clean-up before the crew leaves, quiet tools during nap and school hours where possible, and pet-safe products where there’s a product choice. The price we write down on day one is the price on the invoice when we’re done. That’s a Graham Stein original, and it’s non-negotiable on our crews.
DIY or Call Us?
You can safely check a few things yourself. Look at the window sticker on the frame – it’ll tell you the series, the size code, and the glass package. Measure the visible glass, not the frame. Feel for drafts along the weatherstripping on a windy afternoon. Note where the condensation appears and whether it’s between the panes or on the room-side surface.
What you should not do is pull the sash out of the frame. ES Windows sash removal on the 800 and 900 series requires releasing spring-loaded balances under tension, and the clips are recessed into the jamb where a flathead screwdriver can easily scar the finish or slip and launch the clip across the room. We’ve repaired more DIY-estimate mistakes on ES Windows than on any other brand, and most of them started with “I watched a video.” If the window needs a new balance, new weatherstripping, a new IGU, or a full frame replacement, call (562) 512-7086. We’ll schedule a walkthrough, measure everything, and put the written price in front of you before you commit to anything.
FAQs
How long do ES Windows last on a Long Beach addition or ADU?
A properly flashed and installed ES Windows package in Long Beach will last 25 – 35 years on the frame and 10 – 20 years on the insulated glass units, depending on elevation and salt exposure. South and west-facing elevations run at the lower end of those ranges because they take the full afternoon thermal stress.
Can a failed ES Windows part be repaired instead of replaced?
Weatherstripping and balance mechanisms can be replaced as individual parts. A failed IGU can be re-glazed without pulling the entire frame. But a corroded or pitted frame is a replacement, not a repair – the aluminum extrusion can’t be un-pitted. We’ll tell you which category your window falls into before quoting a dollar amount.
How long does an ES Windows addition or ADU take in Long Beach?
A window retrofit on an existing structure takes one to three days, depending on how many units and whether we’re cutting new openings or replacing in place. A full ADU or addition build runs four to nine months, with windows and doors installed at the rough-in stage and then trimmed, sealed, and weatherstripped at finish. Permitting with the City of Long Beach typically takes 8 – 14 weeks before we put a single shovel in the ground.
Do you stock ES Windows parts on the truck?
We stock the most common ES800 and ES700 weatherstripping profiles, balance clips, friction shoes, and glazing beads on the truck for Long Beach service calls. IGUs and full sash assemblies are fabricated to order and take two to four weeks to arrive. If it’s a standard profile, we can often fix it the same day we look at it.
Will the price change once work starts?
No. The price we write down on the first scope is the price on the final invoice. The only exception is if you change the scope – different window series, a different finish class, or a structural condition we couldn’t see until we opened the wall. Even then, we write the change order in plain English and put a dollar figure on it before anyone touches a tool.
Do you pull the permits for Long Beach additions and ADUs?
Yes. Every addition and ADU we build in Long Beach goes through the full City of Long Beach permit process, including plan check, inspections, and final sign-off. Graham Stein has been through this process more times than we can count, and the same two-person crew stays on your job from the first day to the last, so the person you meet at the permit counter is the person installing your windows.
To schedule a free estimate for ES Windows home additions or ADU work in Long Beach, call (562) 512-7086. We’ll walk the job, take measurements, and give you a written price before any work starts. We also install parts for KraftMaid, Cambria, and Silestone product lines, so if your addition or ADU includes those materials, one call covers the whole scope.
Written by Graham Stein, Owner, Elmstead Remodeling Long Beach at Elmstead Remodeling Long Beach, serving Long Beach and nearby areas.
