If you have spent more than ten minutes researching impact windows for your Brevard County home, you have already encountered three names more than any others: PGT, CGI, and ES Windows. All three are Florida-based manufacturers. All three produce windows that pass the Florida Product Approval requirements that govern hurricane-resistant construction statewide. All three are installed by licensed contractors up and down the Space Coast every week.
So what actually separates them? The answer involves more than just a price chart. Each brand has developed distinct product lines for different budget tiers and aesthetic priorities, earned different reputations among installers, and built different dealer networks that affect how quickly materials can reach your job site. This guide breaks it all down honestly - product by product, price tier by price tier, and performance specification by specification - so you can walk into a quote conversation as an informed buyer.
If you already understand the basics of how impact windows work and want to skip straight to the brand comparison, the quick-reference table is two sections below. If you want the full picture, read through. And if you want a quote based on your specific home's openings, our free estimate tool takes about three minutes and gives you a real number.
Why Brand Selection Matters More Than You Think
Many homeowners assume that once a product has Florida Product Approval, one brand is roughly interchangeable with another. That is partly true for the baseline performance floor - any approved product must survive the ASTM E1886/E1996 large missile impact and cyclic pressure test. But the similarities stop there.
Brand selection affects:
- Lead time. PGT and CGI both manufacture in Florida and maintain large dealer inventory networks. ES Windows manufactures in Colombia with a U.S. distribution operation; lead times can be longer, especially for custom or non-standard sizes.
- Warranty support. Manufacturer warranties range from 10 years to lifetime, and the process for warranty claims varies considerably. A brand with the best product specs on paper provides less value if its warranty service is hard to access.
- Aesthetic customization. Frame colors, hardware finishes, grille patterns, and glass tint options vary widely. Homeowners doing a whole-house replacement on a premium home will find PGT's WinGuard Aluminum and CGI's highest series offer more finishing choices than mid-tier products.
- Installer familiarity. Licensed contractors in Brevard County work with some brands far more often than others. Installer experience with a specific product's installation sequences, flashing requirements, and common problem areas matters for the final quality of the installation.
- Resale and inspection recognition. Home inspectors and buyers in Florida's real estate market recognize certain brand names. A product that is widely installed and widely serviced may carry slightly more weight at resale than an equally performing but less common brand.
Brand-by-Brand Overview
PGT Innovations
PGT Innovations is the largest Florida-based impact window and door manufacturer by market share. Founded in 1980 in Venice, Florida, PGT has grown through both organic product development and acquisitions - it now owns WinDoor, CGI, and several other regional brands under the PGT Innovations umbrella. That corporate structure matters for buyers to understand: when you are comparing "PGT vs CGI," you are technically comparing two product lines within the same parent company. They are manufactured separately, carry distinct product warranties, and are positioned at different market tiers.
PGT's primary residential impact line is WinGuard, which comes in two frame material variants:
- WinGuard Aluminum: The higher-end line. Narrow sightlines, more color options, suitable for larger openings, and the first choice for mid-to-high-end new construction and full-house replacements where aesthetics matter. Available in single-hung, double-hung, casement, awning, sliding, and specialty shapes.
- WinGuard Vinyl: The volume-builder line. Thicker frames, fewer color choices (white and bronze standard), but lower per-unit cost and good thermal performance. Common in tract home replacements and budget-conscious projects.
PGT WinGuard products carry Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance (NOA) on most configurations - the most rigorous product approval level in Florida, developed after Hurricane Andrew and now recognized as the national standard benchmark for impact resistance.
Price range (installed, single-hung or double-hung, standard residential sizes): WinGuard Vinyl typically runs $600 to $900 per window installed. WinGuard Aluminum typically runs $900 to $1,500 per window installed, with larger or custom openings higher.
Warranty: PGT offers a limited lifetime warranty on WinGuard frames and a 10-year warranty on glass. Warranty transferability to a subsequent homeowner is available with registration.
CGI Windows and Doors
CGI - now technically a PGT Innovations brand - was originally an independent Florida manufacturer known for premium aluminum impact products. The CGI Guardian series is the brand's flagship residential line and occupies the high end of the aluminum impact window market in Florida.
CGI's reputation among architects, builders, and high-end remodelers centers on two strengths: narrow aluminum profiles (for maximum glass area and a more modern look) and a wide range of finishing options - including bronze, champagne, white, dark bronze, and custom RAL color matching on some products. If a homeowner is doing a luxury whole-house replacement and wants the result to look architecturally refined rather than contractor-grade, CGI Guardian is frequently specified.
The CGI Sentinel line sits below Guardian and offers a slightly more value-oriented aluminum option. Both Guardian and Sentinel carry Miami-Dade NOA and Florida Product Approval across their configuration range.
Price range (installed): CGI Guardian typically runs $1,100 to $2,000 per window installed for standard residential double-hung configurations. Specialty shapes, large fixed glass, and impact sliding glass doors at the premium end of the range will be higher. CGI Sentinel runs approximately $800 to $1,200 installed.
Warranty: CGI carries a limited lifetime warranty on frames with 10-year glass coverage, substantially mirroring PGT's structure (both now operate under the same corporate warranty administration).
ES Windows
ES Windows is a Colombia-based manufacturer with a substantial U.S. market presence, particularly in Florida. The company was founded in 1986 and has built a reputation for high-quality aluminum impact windows at competitive price points. Their products carry Florida Product Approval and, on most configurations, Miami-Dade NOA.
The primary ES Windows residential impact line is the Series 600 (double-hung) and Series 900 (casement and awning). ES Windows products are frequently specified by builders and contractors who want aluminum quality at a vinyl price point - the aluminum profiles are slim and clean, and the fit and finish is generally regarded as high relative to the price.
The main practical consideration with ES Windows in Brevard County is supply chain. Because manufacturing is in Colombia, lead times for non-stock sizes and custom configurations can run 8 to 16 weeks. For standard residential sizes, local distributors typically carry inventory that shortens this considerably - but if your project includes unusual dimensions, custom shapes, or a large volume of non-standard units, lead time should be a factor in your timeline planning.
Price range (installed): ES Windows typically runs $550 to $850 per window installed for standard residential configurations - positioning the brand as the value-oriented aluminum option against PGT Vinyl on one side and PGT/CGI Aluminum on the other.
Warranty: ES Windows carries a 20-year limited warranty on aluminum frames and 10 years on glass. This is a longer frame warranty period than PGT/CGI's lifetime limited (which contains more exclusions in practice), though the practical warranty service experience is harder to evaluate since the company's U.S. service infrastructure is less established than PGT's.
WinDoor (PGT Innovations)
WinDoor is worth mentioning separately even though it is also a PGT Innovations brand. Where WinGuard and CGI are general residential products, WinDoor is specifically positioned at the architectural and luxury new construction market. WinDoor products feature very narrow aluminum sightlines, floor-to-ceiling glazing capability, and a focus on sliding glass doors, folding glass walls, and large fixed light systems that are common in high-end coastal homes.
For a standard Brevard County window replacement project, WinDoor will rarely come up in a quote conversation. For a luxury oceanfront renovation with large glass systems as a design feature - the kind of project where the windows are an aesthetic centerpiece rather than a functional replacement - WinDoor is worth asking about.
Other Brands You May Encounter
Beyond the main three, several other brands appear in Florida impact window proposals:
- Eco Window Systems: A Florida-based manufacturer focused on vinyl impact windows for the mid-range budget segment. Solid Miami-Dade NOA credentials. Commonly specified for residential replacement projects where price is the primary driver.
- Andersen 100 Series with Impact Glass: Andersen's entry-level fiberglass composite frames with laminated impact glass. More commonly seen in higher-end new construction than replacement projects. Higher per-unit cost than vinyl, lower than premium aluminum.
- Simonton StormBreaker Plus: An impact vinyl line from Simonton (a national manufacturer). Florida Product Approved and competitively priced. More commonly encountered in the national contractor and home center channel than in the local Brevard custom remodeling market.
Head-to-Head Comparison: PGT vs CGI vs ES Windows
| Category | PGT WinGuard Alum. | CGI Guardian | ES Windows Series 600/900 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market tier | Mid to premium | Premium | Value to mid |
| Frame material | Aluminum | Aluminum | Aluminum |
| Miami-Dade NOA | Yes - most configs | Yes - most configs | Yes - most configs |
| Installed cost (std. d/h) | $900 - $1,500 | $1,100 - $2,000 | $550 - $850 |
| Frame warranty | Limited lifetime | Limited lifetime | 20-year limited |
| Glass warranty | 10 years | 10 years | 10 years |
| Color / finish options | Good - 6-8 standard | Excellent - 10+ plus custom | Moderate - 4-6 standard |
| Florida lead time (stock sizes) | 2-6 weeks | 2-6 weeks | 4-10 weeks |
| Brevard County installer familiarity | Very high | High | Moderate |
| Best for | Most full-house replacements | Premium renovations, luxury homes | Budget-conscious replacements |
Understanding Florida Product Approval and What the Ratings Actually Mean
Before choosing a brand, it helps to understand exactly what the certification labels mean - because manufacturers use approval terms loosely in marketing.
Florida has two main tiers of impact product approval:
- Florida Product Approval (FPA): The baseline required statewide for any impact window or door. Products must pass ASTM E1886/E1996 large missile impact testing and cyclic pressure testing. This approval is required for any product to be legally installed in Florida under the Florida Building Code.
- Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance (NOA): A stricter approval developed by Miami-Dade County following Hurricane Andrew. Miami-Dade NOA requires the same impact and pressure tests but at higher wind load thresholds and with more rigorous quality control documentation. Products with Miami-Dade NOA are considered the highest-rated category. Many insurance underwriters specifically look for Miami-Dade NOA when calculating hurricane premium discounts.
A product without Miami-Dade NOA is not necessarily unsafe - it may simply be rated for a lower design pressure than the highest coastal exposure categories. For most inland Brevard County locations (Melbourne, Palm Bay, Viera, West Melbourne), standard Florida Product Approval is sufficient. For oceanfront and beachside locations in Satellite Beach, Cocoa Beach, or Indian Harbour Beach where wind loads are classified at the highest Exposure Category D under ASCE 7, Miami-Dade NOA products are the safer specification and are what most contractors will quote automatically.
When reviewing proposals, look for the specific Florida Product Approval number (not just the brand name) and verify it on the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation's product approval database.
Glass Options: What Goes Between the Frames Matters Too
All three brands offer multiple glass package options within their product lines. This is an area where buyers frequently underevaluate the spec, focusing only on brand and frame.
Laminated glass construction: All impact products use a laminated assembly. The standard interlayer is polyvinyl butyral (PVB). The premium interlayer is ionoplast (SGP - SentryGlas Plus), which is stiffer, provides approximately four times the tear resistance of PVB, and is common in higher-specification products and large-format glazing. For most residential single and double-hung windows, PVB is adequate. For large fixed lights, sliding glass doors, and storefront-scale openings, SGP is worth specifying.
Low-E coatings: All three brands offer low-emissivity glass options that reduce solar heat gain - important in Florida's climate where cooling loads are the dominant energy concern. The U.S. Department of Energy rates low-E coatings as one of the highest-value window energy upgrades. In Florida, look for low-E products with a Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) of 0.25 or lower for maximum summer cooling benefit. PGT, CGI, and ES Windows all offer qualifying products that can contribute to ENERGY STAR certification.
Obscure glass: For bathroom windows and privacy applications, all three brands offer obscure (patterned) glass options in their impact lines. If you are also doing a bathroom remodel as part of the same project, coordinating window and bathroom work under the same contractor and permit can simplify the process considerably.
How Insurance Discounts Apply by Brand
Florida homeowners can qualify for substantial wind premium discounts by installing impact-rated windows. The discounts flow from the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation's framework for wind mitigation credits, which are documented through a Wind Mitigation Inspection (typically $75 to $150 through a licensed inspector).
The key factor for maximum insurance credit is whether your openings receive an "Opening Protection" rating of "A" - meaning all windows and doors meet the required impact standard. The brand that achieves this matters less than the documentation. What matters for insurance purposes is:
- Florida Product Approval number on each product
- The product's design pressure (DP) rating relative to your location's wind load requirement
- Proper installation with a Brevard County building permit and inspector sign-off
- The wind mitigation report confirming "Opening Protection A" status
PGT, CGI, and ES Windows products all support Opening Protection A ratings when properly installed and documented. The insurance credit percentage depends on your insurer, your current coverage, and whether you are also upgrading the roof - but savings of 25% to 45% on the wind portion of your premium are realistic. On a $5,000 annual premium where wind represents 60% of the cost ($3,000), a 35% discount saves $1,050 per year - enough to recover a significant portion of installation cost within five to seven years.
For a deeper look at how impact windows and hurricane shutters compare on insurance savings and total cost of ownership, our impact windows vs hurricane shutters guide covers the full financial model.
Permit Requirements in Brevard County
Impact window installation in Brevard County requires a building permit in virtually all cases. The permit process involves:
- Submittal of product approval documentation (Florida Product Approval number, installation drawings)
- Structural review by Brevard County Building and Development Services
- Installation inspection by a county inspector to verify proper flashing, anchor spacing, and product match
All three brands - PGT, CGI, and ES Windows - provide complete installation documentation packages that satisfy Brevard County's requirements. The practical difference is that PGT and CGI documentation is extremely familiar to local inspectors, which can reduce the likelihood of documentation revision requests. For contractors who do not regularly work with ES Windows, there is sometimes more back-and-forth on product approval submittals - not because of any deficiency in the product, but simply due to less familiarity on both sides.
Only hire a licensed Florida contractor with a current State of Florida contractor's license to install impact windows. The license should cover window and door installation (specialty contractor) or general contracting. Always verify before signing.
Which Brand Should You Choose?
Here is the honest answer based on what we see working well in Brevard County:
If budget is the primary driver and you want aluminum quality: ES Windows Series 600 or 900 gives you genuine aluminum impact performance at a price point that used to only be achievable with vinyl. The trade-off is longer lead times and less installer familiarity. For a project with standard sizes and a flexible timeline, this is a legitimate choice.
If you want the most established brand with the deepest local supply chain: PGT WinGuard Aluminum is the default choice for full-house replacements in the $15,000 to $40,000 range. The product is proven, the installer ecosystem is mature, and lead times are predictable. WinGuard Vinyl is the right call if thermal performance and cost savings outweigh aesthetics for your project.
If you are doing a premium renovation where the windows are part of the design aesthetic: CGI Guardian delivers the best combination of narrow aluminum profiles, finishing options, and high-end fit and finish in the standard residential impact category. For oceanfront homes, luxury remodels, and projects where the homeowner will be living in the space for 20-plus years, the CGI premium is usually worth it.
If the project also includes large sliding glass doors or a significant glass wall system: Ask specifically about WinDoor (PGT) or CGI's Terrace Door series - both are better suited to large-format openings than standard residential product lines.
Whatever brand you choose, the installation quality matters as much as the product specification. A perfectly specified window installed incorrectly - improper flashing, incorrect anchor spacing, mismatched sill height - will fail in ways that no warranty will easily cover. Work with a contractor who pulls the permit, schedules the inspection, and gives you the final inspection record in writing.
Getting a Quote for Your Brevard County Home
A complete impact window quote for a single-family home typically includes a window-by-window schedule listing each opening's rough opening dimensions, the specified product and configuration, the product approval number, and the line-item installed price. Be wary of quotes that do not specify the exact product model - the Florida Product Approval number should be on every proposal.
For most homes in Melbourne, Palm Bay, Viera, and surrounding Brevard communities, the full-house impact window budget runs from $12,000 to $35,000 depending on home size, opening count, brand selection, and whether doors are included. Projects on the ocean or inlet side may run higher due to higher DP-rating requirements on oceanfront exposures.
We work with all three major brands depending on project requirements and budget. If you are planning an impact window replacement - whether as a standalone project or as part of a broader renovation that includes bathroom remodeling, kitchen work, or other upgrades - our free estimate process starts the conversation with specific numbers, not ranges.
Sources
- PGT Innovations - Official Site and Product Documentation
- ES Windows - Product Lines and Florida Approvals
- Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation - Product Approval Database
- Miami-Dade County - Notice of Acceptance (NOA) Product Search
- ASTM International - E1886/E1996 Impact Testing Standards
- Florida Office of Insurance Regulation - Wind Mitigation Credits
- U.S. Department of Energy - Window Energy Efficiency
- ENERGY STAR - Windows, Doors, and Skylights
- Florida Building Commission - Florida Building Code
