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AfterGeometric & Shaped Windows in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Custom & Geometric Windows are custom-fabricated openings built to a specific, non-rectangular form: circles, ovals, octagons, triangles, arched transoms, trapezoids, and everything in between. In Fort Lauderdale, where homes range from 1940s Mediterranean revival cottages in Victoria Park to sleek contemporary builds along the Intracoastal, these windows do two jobs at once: they let in the kind of light that flat, standard windows never reach, and they define the look of a facade in a way no other feature can. Getting them right – in a coastal market where impact ratings aren’t optional and salt air attacks every seal – requires more than ordering a custom shape. It requires a crew that has done this specific kind of work, in this specific climate, long enough to know where the shortcuts lead.
At Winslow Windows & Doors, Ed Winslow has been overseeing geometric and shaped window projects across Fort Lauderdale since 2011. If you’re replacing a deteriorating sunburst transom in Coral Ridge, adding Oversized Openings like an impact-rated oculus to a new build in Rio Vista, or retrofitting a half-round above your entryway in Oakland Park, call us at (904) 747-8989 – a live person answers around the clock, every day of the week, no voicemail, no callback queue.
This page is part of our full Custom & Geometric Windows in Fort Lauderdale service – if you want the wider picture of what we do with non-standard window shapes, that’s a good starting point.
When You Need Geometric & Shaped Windows
Not every window project fits a standard rectangle. Here are the situations Fort Lauderdale homeowners most commonly bring to us:
- Your existing shaped window is leaking or fogging. Older fixed geometric windows – especially the single-pane arched transoms common in 1970s and 1980s construction throughout Wilton Manors and Lauderdale Lakes – lose their seals and start holding condensation between the panes. Once that seal goes, the only fix is replacement.
- Your home doesn’t meet current Miami-Dade or Broward County wind-load codes. Fort Lauderdale falls within the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone. Any shaped window that isn’t impact-rated puts your entire home’s opening-protection plan at risk when a storm approaches. We regularly see non-impact half-rounds and circles in homes that have otherwise been fully upgraded – a gap the city’s inspection process can flag during a sale.
- You’re adding a room or finishing an attic space. Dormer windows, gable-end triangles, and clerestory shapes often come up in Colee Hammock renovation projects where homeowners want natural light in a second-story addition without sacrificing privacy.
- You’re building new construction or doing a full exterior renovation. Architects and custom builders in Fort Lauderdale’s newer waterfront neighborhoods – Harbor Beach, Las Olas Isles – often spec geometric openings as focal points. Having an authorized fabricator and installer handle both the unit and the rough opening is cleaner than splitting the work.
- Your current shaped window is a decorative insert, not impact-rated. Many older Fort Lauderdale homes have beautiful original fan lights and oculi that were purely decorative. They’re single-pane, non-laminated, and an obvious weak point. Replacing them in-kind with a matching shape in laminated impact glass preserves the look and closes the vulnerability.
- Energy bills are creeping up and the shaped windows are the weak link. Because geometric windows are almost always fixed (non-operable), they’re often overlooked during energy audits. But older single-pane or thin-glass shapes transmit heat aggressively in Fort Lauderdale’s nine-plus months of direct sun. A low-E laminated replacement makes a measurable difference.
Our Geometric & Shaped Windows Process
Custom shapes require a different sequence than standard window replacement. Here’s how a typical project moves from call to completion:
- On-site measurement and shape documentation. Ed or one of our background-checked, uniformed technicians comes to your Fort Lauderdale home and takes field measurements of the existing opening – not just width and height, but radius, rise, spring point for arches, and sill angle for trapezoids. We photograph the rough opening and the surrounding frame condition. A shaped window that arrives even a quarter-inch off the documented curve won’t seat correctly, so this step is unhurried and exact.
- Impact rating and product selection. We confirm what Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance (NOA) or Florida Product Approval is required for your specific opening and location in Broward County. Then we match your shape to the right product. Brands like CGI and ES Windows both carry approvals on a range of geometric configurations – we’ll tell you plainly which product fits your opening and your budget, along with the tradeoffs, if any.
- Upfront written quote, no surprises. Before anything is ordered, you receive a line-item quote covering the unit, hardware, installation labor, and any trim or stucco repair anticipated around the opening. That number doesn’t change unless the scope changes – and if the scope is going to change, we tell you before we continue. Upfront pricing isn’t a marketing promise here; it’s how we’ve operated since 2011.
- Factory fabrication and order tracking. Custom shapes are fabricated to your exact template at the manufacturer’s facility. Lead times vary by shape complexity and glass specification – we give you a realistic window (no pun intended) and check in when the unit ships. You won’t be left wondering where your order stands.
- Installation and weatherproofing. Our crew sets the unit in the rough opening, verifies level and plumb, applies the appropriate sealant system for Fort Lauderdale’s coastal exposure – salt-air-resistant products rated for the marine environment are standard practice here, not an upgrade – and finishes the interior and exterior trim. We don’t leave a job until the window is sealed, seated, and tested.
- Final inspection and the 36500-Day Done Right Promise. We walk the finished installation with you before we pack up. Every geometric window we install is backed by the 36500-Day Done Right Promise: if it’s not right, we come back and make it right. That’s not a limited-term warranty with fine print; it’s Ed’s word, and his name is on this business.
Geometric & Shaped Windows Pricing in Fort Lauderdale
Geometric and shaped windows cost more than standard rectangles – that’s the honest answer, and any contractor who tells you otherwise is setting you up for a change order. The price difference reflects custom fabrication, longer lead times, and the additional labor required to properly flash and seal a non-standard opening in a coastal climate. Here are realistic ranges for the Fort Lauderdale market:
| Shape / Type | Typical Installed Cost Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Half-round or full-circle (fixed, impact) | $550 – $1,100 | Most common replacement shape in Fort Lauderdale; price varies with diameter and glass spec |
| Eyebrow / elliptical (fixed, impact) | $650 – $1,350 | More complex bend radius; common in Mediterranean-style homes in Victoria Park and Coral Ridge |
| Arch-top (fixed or casement, impact) | $700 – $1,600 | Price rises with arch height and whether an operable sash is included below the arch |
| Octagon or hexagon (fixed, impact) | $500 – $1,000 | Relatively straightforward to fabricate; pricing sensitive to glass size |
| Triangle / trapezoid (fixed, impact) | $600 – $1,250 | Common in gable-end and dormer applications; angle accuracy at measurement is critical |
| Large custom shape (over 24 sq ft, impact) | $1,400 – $3,200+ | Requires engineered approval documentation; price reflects fabrication complexity and NOA filing |
Several factors move costs within those ranges. Glass specification matters significantly: standard laminated impact glass is less expensive than impact-rated low-E glass with a high solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) rating tuned for Fort Lauderdale’s climate. Frame material – aluminum versus vinyl versus composite – affects both price and long-term performance in salt air. The condition of the existing rough opening matters too: if the framing around an older shaped window has soft spots from moisture intrusion, we address that before the new unit goes in, which adds labor but prevents a future callback.
If you’re comparing a written quote from another contractor, bring it to us – our free second opinion offer means we’ll review it, tell you what it covers and what it doesn’t, and let you decide. No obligation, no pressure. And if your project comes to over $200 in repair work, ask about the $40 off that applies automatically. Seniors and veterans receive a permanent 10% discount on any project.
Call (904) 747-8989 for a free on-site estimate. We don’t charge a trip fee within Broward County, and the estimate doesn’t come with a high-pressure pitch attached.
What Makes Broward County’s Coastal Climate Different for Shaped Windows
Fort Lauderdale sits inside Florida’s High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, and Broward County’s building department enforces some of the strictest opening-protection standards in the country. Every window installed here – shaped or otherwise – needs to carry a valid Florida Product Approval or Miami-Dade NOA. For geometric shapes, this is where inexperienced installers stumble: not every manufacturer’s NOA covers every shape in every size. A product that’s approved as a standard rectangular unit isn’t automatically approved in a 48-inch half-round configuration.
We’ve been navigating Broward County permitting for shaped windows since 2011. We know which approvals cover which configurations, and we pull the correct permit before the first screw goes in. That matters because an unpermitted shaped window replacement – even one that looks perfect – can create problems when you sell the home or file an insurance claim after a storm.
Salt air is the other factor. Fort Lauderdale’s proximity to the Atlantic means aluminum frames and hardware are exposed to a corrosive environment that inland Florida markets don’t deal with at the same intensity. We spec marine-grade sealants and corrosion-resistant hardware as standard practice on any geometric window install near the water – whether you’re in Harbor Beach or a few blocks from the Intracoastal in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea.
Brands We Install for Geometric & Shaped Windows
For geometric and shaped window projects in Fort Lauderdale, we most frequently work with CGI and ES Windows. CGI’s impact product line includes a strong range of approved custom configurations, and their aluminum extrusions hold up well in coastal exposure. ES Windows produces impact-rated geometric units with good SHGC performance for Fort Lauderdale’s sun load. ECO Window Systems is another option we specify on projects where a specific frame profile or color match is a priority.
We’re an authorized installer for all three, which means we receive factory-direct product support and our installations qualify for the full manufacturer warranty – not a reduced installer-supplied version. You can read more about the full range of window work we do on our home page.
Key Takeaways
- Geometric and shaped windows in Fort Lauderdale must be impact-rated and carry a valid Broward County or Miami-Dade NOA – decorative non-impact shapes are a code and insurance liability.
- Installed costs typically run $500 to $1,600 for common shapes; large or highly custom configurations can run higher depending on glass spec and frame complexity.
- Salt-air exposure, hurricane load requirements, and the permitting process make geometric window replacement in Fort Lauderdale more involved than in inland markets – experience with Broward County specifically matters.
- Winslow Windows & Doors has been doing this work in Fort Lauderdale since 2011, with upfront pricing, no trip charge inside Broward County, and the 36500-Day Done Right Promise on every install.
- A live person answers at (904) 747-8989 at any hour – no voicemail, no next-day callback.
FAQs – Geometric & Shaped Windows in Fort Lauderdale
Can you match the shape of my existing geometric window exactly?
Yes – in almost every case, we can fabricate a replacement that matches your existing opening’s exact dimensions and profile. Our technicians take field measurements directly from the rough opening, not from the old unit, which means the new window is sized to what’s actually there after years of settling and frame movement. The one exception is when an existing opening has deteriorated to the point where the rough opening itself needs to be modified – we’ll document that finding during the estimate visit and discuss your options before anything is ordered. Call (904) 747-8989 to schedule a measurement visit; there’s no trip charge in Broward County.
How much does a geometric window replacement cost in Fort Lauderdale?
Installed costs for impact-rated geometric windows in Fort Lauderdale typically run $500 to $1,600 for standard shapes like half-rounds, ovals, octagons, and arch-tops. Large or highly custom shapes can run $1,400 to $3,200 or more depending on square footage, glass specification, and whether an engineering review is required for the NOA. The clearest way to get a number for your specific opening is a free on-site estimate – call us at (904) 747-8989 and we’ll come out, measure, and give you a written quote with no obligation.
Do geometric windows in Fort Lauderdale need to be impact-rated?
Yes. Fort Lauderdale falls within Florida’s High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, and Broward County requires that all exterior window openings – including fixed geometric shapes – meet impact-resistance standards or be protected by an approved storm shutter system. A non-impact decorative shaped window is not compliant with current code and will be flagged during a home inspection or insurance review. Every geometric window we install carries the appropriate Florida Product Approval or Miami-Dade NOA for its specific shape and size.
How long does it take to get a custom geometric window installed?
From signed contract to installation, most geometric window projects in Fort Lauderdale take four to eight weeks. The measurement and permitting phase typically runs one to two weeks; custom fabrication at the manufacturer adds another three to five weeks depending on shape complexity and current production schedules. Once the unit arrives and the permit is in hand, installation itself is usually a half-day to full-day job depending on the opening. We give you a realistic timeline at the start and update you when the unit ships – you won’t be left wondering where your project stands.
Written by Ed Winslow, Owner at Winslow Windows & Doors, serving Fort Lauderdale since 2011.
Six Reasons Homeowners Choose Winslow Windows & Doors
Impact systems engineered to design pressures up to +/-100, matched to your wind zone - your openings hold when the storm arrives.
Low-E insulated impact glass from our manufacturer lines commonly cuts monthly cooling bills 20-30%.
Laminated impact glass shuts out up to 40% of outside noise - traffic, neighbors, weather.
Monitoring services run $30-90 a month. Laminated impact glass resists forced entry around the clock, with no subscription.
Florida homeowners average around 25% savings on the windstorm portion of their policy after protecting every opening - some homes qualify for more.
A full impact package upgrades curb appeal, buyer confidence and appraised value in one project.