Window installation in Union City usually means one job: pulling the original aluminum single-pane windows out of a 1960s to 1990s tract home and fitting dual-pane replacements without wrecking the stucco. Construction Remodeling in Bay Area, a CSLB-licensed Hayward contractor (#1095283), handles it from measure to finish trim, permit and Title 24 paperwork included.
By Ray Evgeny Khaikin, Owner & General Contractor · Last updated October 12, 2026
Union City was formed in 1959 when Alvarado and Decoto joined, and most of its homes went up in the 1960s through the 1990s. Plenty of them still wear the builder’s original aluminum windows. That’s a metal frame wrapped around one layer of glass. Metal conducts heat, so the frame gets cold in winter and sweats on damp mornings, and one thin pane does very little about street noise.
How do you know when windows need replacing? The federal ENERGY STAR program points to three signs: single-pane glass, drafts with worn sills and sashes, and windows that are painted shut or won’t open. If your house checks even one, you’re in the zone.
Who replaces original windows in Union City? Window dealers do, and so do general contractors. The difference shows up behind the trim, where the flashing and framing live. A dealer swaps the unit. A contractor also deals with whatever the old window was hiding.
A dual-pane window is two sheets of glass with a sealed gap between them, usually with a low-E coating that bounces heat. The coating matters more than people expect, because it’s what keeps summer sun out and winter warmth in without tinting the glass. Two ratings tell you how well it works. U-factor measures how well it insulates, and lower is better. SHGC measures how much sun heat gets through. Both are printed on the NFRC label stuck to the glass.
Who installs dual pane windows in Union City? Any licensed contractor can, but the windows have to hit the state’s numbers. The 2025 California Energy Code took effect on January 1, 2026. The Energy Commission’s summary lists a prescriptive U-factor of 0.27 for Climate Zones 1 through 5, with no SHGC requirement in Zone 3. Union City generally sits in Zone 3 with the rest of the inner East Bay, but confirm your address with the Commission’s lookup tool. California permit guides also give small jobs, 75 square feet or less of replacement glass, a looser allowance of 0.40 and 0.35.
Here’s the catch. A window sold as “Title 24 compliant” last year may not clear the new bar. Read the NFRC label, not the sales sheet.
Which contractor near me replaces windows in tract homes? The one that decides opening by opening. Most Union City tract homes have stucco walls, so the big question is whether the stucco has to be touched.
Retrofit (insert) | Full-frame | |
What happens | New window goes inside the existing frame | Old window and frame come out to the rough opening |
Stucco and trim | Left alone | Flashing and wall finish get repaired |
Best when | The old frame is sound and square | The frame is rotted, out of square, or leaking |
CRBA price per window | About $900 to $1,600 installed | About $1,400 to $2,800 installed |
The trade-off | Slightly less glass area | More work, more mess, more time |
Trim is the other thing to compare. Interior casing, sills and exterior trim are what make a new window look original to the house, and many window dealers leave that part to you. We finish it as part of the job.
Often it’s a mix. One bathroom window has a soft sill while the rest are fine, so you pay full-frame prices only where the house needs it.
One more thing for homes built before 1978: old paint on frames and trim can contain lead. Ray is an EPA Lead-Safe Certified Renovator, which matters on a 1960s or 1970s house.
Union City’s Building Division publishes a list of work that doesn’t need a permit. Window replacement isn’t on it, so plan on a permit. A California-licensed contractor can pull it, which is how we handle it.
Bedrooms bring two more rules. Every sleeping room needs an emergency escape opening, and the state code sets a minimum net opening of 5.7 square feet, or 5.0 on the ground floor. That’s why swapping a big slider for a smaller window can fail inspection. Glass near doors and tubs also has to be tempered. Many Union City layouts put every bedroom upstairs, so this comes up often.
Before you sign with anyone, ask for three things in writing:
Then there’s the paperwork on the glass. The NFRC sticker is your proof of U-factor and SHGC, and the inspector may want to see it. Leave the labels on until the job passes. Windows are made to order, so nothing gets cut until your measurements and the permit paperwork are settled.
We’re based in Hayward, about 15 minutes north, and work across Decoto, Old Alvarado, the Station District, the Kennedy Park area and the hillside streets off Mission Boulevard. Our window installation page covers retrofit, full-frame and trim work, and our Union City page lists everything else we build here. Ready for a number? Request a free estimate or call (510) 990-9243.
Usually yes, if comfort, noise or condensation bother you. Expect less from the utility bill. Replacing single-pane aluminum with dual-pane low-E windows gives a real but modest saving in the Bay Area’s mild climate, and ENERGY STAR says new windows may not pay for themselves on energy alone. The federal window tax credit ended on December 31, 2025. Be skeptical of anyone promising a quick payback.
The biggest changes are felt, not billed. The glass stays closer to room temperature, so you lose the cold-window chill and most of the winter condensation. Noise drops too, and near I-880, Route 238 or a busy street, ask for laminated glass instead of standard dual-pane. The upgrade cost is modest and the difference is large. ENERGY STAR puts the average bill reduction for certified windows at about 12 percent.
Often, yes, with a retrofit window set into the existing frame. We check the frames on site, since you can’t judge a frame over the phone. If we open one up and find rot, we stop, show you, and re-quote in writing before we continue. Any stucco repair around a full-frame window goes into the quote, so it’s never a surprise on the final bill.
For original single-pane aluminum, the whole window, because new glass in an old metal frame leaves the weak part in place. If one pane is cracked or a newer dual-pane unit has fogged between the panes inside a sound frame, replacing only the glass unit can be the honest answer. We’ll tell you which one each window is during the visit.
The install itself moves fast. A crew typically finishes 4 to 8 windows a day, so most whole-house jobs take 2 to 4 days. What takes longer is the wait for made-to-order windows after the order goes in. We give lead time in writing, and high-performance specs can run longer than basic ones.
Try a few simple checks. On a windy day, hold your hand near the closed window to feel for drafts. Look for fog or moisture between the panes, which means the seal has failed. Check whether a bedroom window opens at all, because a stuck one is an escape problem. And look for soft wood, stains or peeling paint around the frame, which means water is getting in.
Retrofit vinyl windows typically run $900 to $1,600 each installed, and full-frame installs run $1,400 to $2,800 each. A whole house of 12 to 15 windows commonly lands between $15,000 and $35,000. Because we price every opening for what it needs, you can see exactly where the money goes. There’s no estimate fee.
Yes. A phone call with your window count, current window type and the home’s age gets you a working range. Then we do a free in-home measure, check the frames and send a written, itemized, fixed-price quote. We reply within one business hour during office hours.
Construction Remodeling in Bay Area 111 Jackson St Hayward, CA 94544 Phone: (510) 990-9243 Hours: Monday to Thursday, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM · Friday to Sunday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM CSLB License #1095283. Fully insured. Serving Union City, Hayward, Fremont, Castro Valley and San Leandro.
