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ES Windows Roofing: The Pasadena Owner’s Guide
If your ES Windows skylight or roof window has a failed flashing kit, worn gasket, or cracked glazing, we stock the ES Windows-compatible roofing parts you need in Pasadena, and typical installed pricing runs $400 to $1,800 depending on whether we’re replacing a seal, a sash, or the full curb-mounted assembly. Most owners first notice it after a heavy rain: a water stain spreading across the ceiling drywall, a drip that starts and stops, or fogging between the glass panes that never clears. Sometimes it’s quieter than that, a draft you feel on a cold morning or a crank handle that suddenly spins without moving the sash. By the time water shows up inside, the roofing component has usually been failing for months.
We’re an independent contractor in Pasadena, not affiliated with ES Windows. But we’ve worked on enough of their units in the craftsman and mid-century homes across this city to know exactly what fails, what to stock, and what it costs to make it right. And we’ll put that price in writing before we touch a single screw.
Which ES Windows Models This Applies To
ES Windows makes a range of roof-adjacent products, and the roofing components differ more than people expect. Most Pasadena homes we service fall into three groups. First, the ES-3000 and ES-5000 skylight series, which use a curb-mounted design common on homes built from the 1980s through the early 2000s. Second, their roof window series (often marked with an RW prefix on the metal ID tag), which sit closer to the roofline and use a different flashing geometry. Third, custom fixed glass units that were often ordered through architects on hillside homes in the San Rafael and Linda Vista areas, where the hardware and gaskets were spec’d per project.
The fastest way to identify your unit: open the sash fully and look for a small aluminum or vinyl tag along the inside edge of the frame. That tag carries the series code and the glass size, and it’s the only reliable way to cross-reference the right gasket, hinge, or flashing profile. If the tag is gone, we measure the visible glass dimensions and the curb height, which usually narrows it down. One compatibility gotcha we see often in Pasadena: ES Windows changed their curb flashing profile in the late 1990s, so an old gasket from a 1995 unit will not seat correctly on a 2005 curb. You cannot just eyeball it. For most owners, we recommend OEM when it’s available because the seal tolerances are tighter than aftermarket equivalents. For some obsolete frame sizes, a quality aftermarket gasket from a specialty supplier is the only path, and we’ll tell you that plainly before you spend a dollar.
Styles & brands we work with
Signs Your ES Windows Roofing Is Failing
- Water staining around the ceiling opening. The flashing or curb gasket has lost its seal against the roof deck, and water is traveling along the curb into the drywall. This is the most common failure we see in Pasadena after the winter rain cycle, and it usually starts as a faint yellow ring that darkens over weeks.
- Fogging between the glass panes. The insulated glass unit’s seal has failed, which means the desiccant inside the spacer is saturated. In the dry Pasadena summers, the fog can temporarily clear, which is deceptive; once the seal is gone, the unit keeps losing its insulating value year-round.
- Condensation on the interior glass in the morning. A little edge condensation is sometimes normal, but if you see droplets across the full pane every morning, the interior gasket is letting warm house air meet the cold glass. The fix is a gasket replacement, not just a wipe-down.
- A crank handle that spins without moving the sash. The operator arm gear has stripped, which is a common failure on the roof window series after a decade of use. In Pasadena’s heat, the plastic gear inside the operator housing gets brittle faster than it does in coastal climates.
- Visible cracks or lifting in the exterior flashing collar. UV exposure breaks down the outer sealant layer over time. Once the flashing collar starts lifting from the roof plane, water has a clear path under the unit, and the next SoCal rain will find it.
Replacement Cost & What’s Included
In Pasadena, expect these installed price ranges depending on what’s actually failed:
- Gasket or seal replacement: $400 – $800
- Flashing kit replacement (correcting a leak at the curb): $600 – $1,200
- Full sash or glass unit replacement: $900 – $1,800
- Complete skylight/roof window swap (parts and labor): $1,500 – $5,000 when tied into a larger roofing project
What moves the number: whether we’re working from the roof side or the interior side, the curb height, whether the roof deck has rot around the opening that needs to be cut out and replaced, and whether we can re-flash to the existing roofing material or need to tie into new underlayment. Every quote includes the part, labor, the flashing and sealant materials, and a written workmanship warranty. You get one number before we start, not an estimate that grows at the invoice.
See the difference
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AfterDIY or Call Us?
If you’re comfortable on a ladder, you can check the visible exterior condition of the flashing collar and look for obvious lifted sealant. You can also verify the ID tag inside the frame so you know your series code. What we’d caution against: any repair that requires working on the roof deck itself, especially on the steeper pitches common in Pasadena’s hillside neighborhoods. A failed flashing repair that someone did themselves is one of the more expensive callbacks we see, because water gets behind the roofing underlayment and by the time it shows up, you’re replacing sheathing, not just a gasket. The work tells you everything, you just have to know how to listen to it. If you’re seeing water or glass fogging, call us at (626) 657-5396 and we’ll come look before you spend anything.
FAQs
Most original gaskets last 12 to 18 years here, but the heat and UV in Pasadena can shorten that on south-facing exposures. If your unit is past 15 years old and you’re seeing condensation or drafts, the gasket has likely reached the end of its service life. Call (626) 657-5396 for an inspection and a written quote.
It depends on where the water is entering. A failed gasket or a lifted flashing collar can usually be repaired without replacing the whole unit. If the frame itself has rotted at the curb or the glass seal is blown, replacement is the honest answer. Call (626) 657-5396 and we’ll tell you which one you’ve got.
For a gasket or flashing replacement, most jobs are done in half a day on-site. A full glass unit swap usually runs three to five hours. We bring the part with us when we can, so there’s no second trip while we order. Call (626) 657-5396 for a time window specific to your unit.
We stock common gasket profiles, flashing collar kits, and operator assemblies for the ES-3000 and ES-5000 series, and we can source RW-series parts within one to two business days. For odd frame sizes, we’ll tell you the lead time before you commit. Call (626) 657-5396 with your model number and we’ll check inventory while you’re on the phone.
Get the Part, the Price, and the Fix in One Visit
Luca Romano and the Sawyer Remodel Pasadena crew work on ES Windows roofing throughout this city, from Bungalow Heaven to the San Rafael hills, and we’ve learned that most ES Windows failures are boring to fix once you know exactly which gasket or flashing profile you’re dealing with. The work tells you everything. You just have to know how to listen to it. What you get with us: a written price before work starts, an arrival time we actually hit, photo updates before and after, and a full year of accountability through the 365-Day Done Right Promise. Call (626) 657-5396 to schedule your free estimate. We’ll tell you what’s failed, what it costs, and what we’d do if it were our own roof.
Written by Luca Romano, Owner & Lead Contractor, Sawyer Remodel Pasadena at Sawyer Remodel Pasadena, serving Pasadena and nearby areas. Luca grew up in East Los Angeles, trained through the construction technology program at East Los Angeles College, and has spent more than two decades working on Pasadena homes, including the older craftsman houses near Bungalow Heaven. When he’s not on a job site, he’s usually arguing with someone about the right way to season a cast-iron pan.
