Window Replacementin Redondo Beach, CA
Window replacement in Redondo Beach has no City rule we could find that exempts a like-for-like swap, so ask Building and Safety before ordering, and adding or enlarging an opening is an alteration under RBMC 9-1.02. On landmarks and historic district houses, windows visible from the street need a Certificate of Appropriateness.
Redondo Beach windows tell the story of its growth. Hotel Redondo opened in 1890, King Harbor was begun in 1956 and tracts and apartments followed, and the 2024 census survey says 67.4 percent of the City's 30,753 housing units were built before 1980. A window here may be more than a century old in a Townsite cottage or about fifty years old in a condo wall.
This page covers the permit question, historic review, the condo and tract-house case, energy labels, egress and property line rules, the Coastal Zone and cost. Prices and install steps are on our windows page, and the rest of our work in the city is on the Redondo Beach overview.
What Redondo Beach Building and Safety says about replacing windows
Where windows permits come from in Redondo Beach: City of Redondo Beach Community Development Department, Building and Safety Division.
- The pages read do not give a Redondo-specific rule for window replacement. The City amended only items 1, 2 and 9 of the state list of permit-exempt work, so the rest of the California Building Code exempt list governs and was not read here; ask Building and Safety (310-318-0636) whether like-for-like replacement needs a permit, and note that enlarging or adding openings is an alteration under RBMC 9-1.02.
- Windows and other openings must keep a 36 to 60 inch setback from the property line in accordance with the building code, and basement light wells projecting into a required setback must stay at least 36 inches from the property line (RBMC 10-2.1522(a)(1)).
- Administrative Design Review criteria include windows on the front facade of the building and continuing the street-facing architectural character on all elevations (RBMC 10-2.2500(b)(6)), which affects window changes in a project large enough to trigger that review.
- For a landmark or a property in a historic district, windows and doors are exterior architectural features, so replacing or changing them where visible from a public right-of-way needs a Certificate of Appropriateness; for a potential historic resource, like-for-like repair or replacement of windows is excluded from the advisory review (RBMC 10-4.104, 10-4.401 and 10-4.501).
- Non-streamlined ADUs must use window types, door and window trim similar to the primary dwelling (RBMC 10-2.1506(c)(4)(e)).
- The Building Division's forms page lists a Sound Attenuation handout and a Los Angeles County lead poisoning prevention handout among its residential handouts; neither PDF was read, so no window sound-rating or lead-safe window rule is stated here.
Do you need a permit to replace windows in Redondo Beach? What we could and could not confirm
The City pages we read give no Redondo Beach rule for window replacement. RBMC 9-1.02 amends only items 1, 2 and 9 of the state list of permit-exempt work, which cover sheds, fences and prefabricated pools, so window questions fall to the rest of the California Building Code exempt list, which we could not open. We will not call a swap exempt on that basis.
What the code does say is that a building may not be altered, repaired, enlarged or improved without a permit except for exempt work, so adding a window, enlarging an opening or changing a header is an alteration that needs one. Phone Building and Safety at (310) 318-0636, ask whether a same-size, same-type change-out needs a permit, then ask which inspection follows. Applications go through the City's iWorQ portal and Building page.
Work started before a permit issues costs double the permit fees plus enforcement costs, which is why we ask first and order second. MDG Builders, CSLB #1040337, handles the permit paperwork and a licensed subcontractor does the installation, and you can ask for that subcontractor's license number and certificate of insurance. Our guide to checking a contractor license shows how.
Replacement windows in the Original Townsite and on landmarks: when a Certificate of Appropriateness comes first
The City's Preservation Ordinance treats windows and doors as exterior architectural features. On a landmark or a property in a historic district, replacing or changing them where they can be seen from a public right of way needs a Certificate of Appropriateness, even if no other permit is required. The ordinance, RBMC 10-4.104 and 10-4.401, also counts paint color as an alteration.
The Original Townsite in South Redondo, a National Register district registered June 30, 1988, holds many of the City's landmarks, mostly houses and small apartment buildings from the 1890s to the 1930s on Gertruda Avenue, Garnet Street, Avenue C and nearby streets. The landmarks table flags Mills Act agreements and Historic Overlay Zone properties, so check it for your address first.
A property on the City's inventory as a potential historic resource is treated more lightly. Like-for-like repair or replacement of windows is excluded from advisory review, and a certificate is needed only to demolish, remove or relocate exterior features. Ordinary maintenance that changes no design, material or appearance needs no certificate. Ask Planning at (310) 318-0637 which status your house has before quoting wood or vinyl.
Replacement windows in a 1960s or 1970s Redondo Beach house, condo or apartment
The 1970s are the largest building decade, at 25.2 percent of units, and 32.5 percent of units sit in buildings of five or more. In a condo, find out whether the window is yours or the association's, because the association may control frame color, style and who installs. Get approval in writing, with the product named, before ordering anything that has a lead time.
The Building Division's forms page lists a Los Angeles County lead poisoning prevention handout and a Sound Attenuation handout. We could not read either, so we state no lead-safe window rule or sound rating here. In a house built before 1978, federal EPA rules require lead-safe practices when paid firms disturb paint, and pulling old frames disturbs paint, so ask how openings are protected and how debris leaves.
Large projects trigger Design Review, and its criteria include windows on the front facade and street-facing character on every elevation, so a window change inside a bigger addition is judged for looks as well as energy. An ADU outside the streamlined path must use window types and trim similar to the main house.
Double-pane glass, NFRC labels and Title 24 for Redondo Beach replacement windows
Energy rules come from state law, and the City adopted the 2025 California Building Standards Code with local amendments for every submittal from January 1, 2026. The Los Angeles building department cites Title 24, Part 6, Section 150.2(b)1B for dual glazing labeled and certified by the National Fenestration Rating Council on replacement windows in homes of three stories or less. We could not read a Redondo Beach handout on the subject, so ask Building and Safety for its list.
We print no U-factor or solar heat gain number, because city handouts disagree and we could not read the adopted text of Section 150.2. The questions for any seller are simple. Is every window labeled by the NFRC, does it meet Title 24 Part 6 for the climate zone, and is that written into the permit paperwork? If the answer is a brochure line instead of a label, keep asking.
The climate is mild and marine. NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Redondo Beach station show an average high of 70.6 F, about 38.5 days a year at or above 80 F and only 3.8 at or above 90 F, and the coast and the salt air matter more to a frame than the thermometer does.
Bedroom egress windows and property line setbacks for new Redondo Beach window openings
Windows and other openings must keep a 36 to 60 inch setback from the property line in accordance with the building code, and basement light wells that project into a required setback must stay at least 36 inches from the line (RBMC 10-2.1522(a)(1)). On a lot with a 5-foot side yard, a new window in a wall near the neighbor is a code question, not only a design choice.
Cantilevered bay windows with no floor area may project into a setback by half the required side setback or 30 inches, whichever is less, and up to 30 inches into front or rear setbacks. Eaves, sills and chimneys follow similar limits.
Bedroom egress is a life-safety item, and we did not read the code table that sets the clear opening and sill height, so we print no dimensions. Ask Building and Safety for the table that applies, write the egress size onto the order for any bedroom window, and remember that a new or enlarged opening needs plans and a permit. Tempered glass in hazardous locations, such as beside a tub or a door, is another code item we did not read in the adopted text, so ask for that list too.
Replacement windows near the coast: salt air and the Coastal Development Permit question
Replacing a window without enlarging the structure looks like repair and maintenance, and RBMC 10-5.2208(a)(3) exempts repair and maintenance that does not add to, enlarge or expand a structure. The exceptions are work on shoreline works, work in sand areas or within 20 feet of coastal waters, and any job that replaces 50 percent or more of a residential structure. Improvements to an existing single-family home are separately exempt, with narrower rules near the beach.
An exemption is not yours to declare. Anyone who believes a project is exempt must get a determination from the Community Development Director first, under RBMC 10-5.2206(b), and no work may start until the Director finds it exempt. Our 178-point sample put about 16 percent of the land in the Coastal Zone, along the western shoreline, so shoreline blocks are inside and inland blocks mostly are not, but only the City's map settles any address.
Salt air is the practical issue for frames and hardware. The City's climate sources say the coast and the salt air matter more to construction than the weather, so ask what finish and hardware the manufacturer warrants near salt spray and have it written into the proposal. We state no corrosion lifespan, because we found no local source for one.
What do replacement windows cost for a Redondo Beach house, and how long is the house open to the weather?
Contractor pricing follows the number, size and frame of the windows, and the regional ranges are in the note below. Permit pricing is a separate line that follows the City's valuation rather than your contract, and the Master Fee Schedule sits on a Finance page we did not open, so no City dollar amount appears here. A homeowner cannot pull a permit for a project valued over $50,000.
Work runs Monday to Friday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., never on Sundays or six holidays, under RBMC 9-1.12. The code excuses minor repairs and routine maintenance of homes, but whether a window swap counts is a question for the City. Plan the install for a dry week, since 81.8 percent of the 13.76 inches of yearly rain at the nearest NOAA station falls from December through March.
Inspections are requested in the portal by 3 p.m. for next-day service and run Monday to Thursday and on alternating Fridays, with stamped plans on site, so a permitted job needs a day set aside for the visit. The final inspection finalizes the permit.
Window details from Redondo Beach area projects
Flashing, frames and finished openings from window projects near Redondo Beach. Tap a photo to enlarge it.
What windows costs around Redondo Beach
On our windows page vinyl windows run about $550 to $1,200 installed, wood and fiberglass cost more, and a whole house of 10 to 15 windows runs about $14,000 to $28,000, all from Los Angeles area sources. Remodeling magazine's 2025 Cost vs. Value report puts vinyl replacement in Los Angeles at $23,783 with 83.2 percent recouped at resale, and Angi's Los Angeles page lists an average of $19,356. A Redondo Beach cost page lists $386 to $528 for one window with no method, so we rate it low. A new opening can start a bigger job, so see bathroom remodeling in Redondo Beach, a room addition in Redondo Beach and ADU construction in Redondo Beach. Neighbors decide differently, as Torrance, Long Beach, Los Angeles and the Redondo Beach overview show.
| What it covers | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Vinyl window, installed, each | $550 to $1,150 |
| Wood or fiberglass window, installed, each | $950 to $2,400 |
| Whole house, 10 to 15 windows | $14,000 to $28,000 |
| Glass options, per window | Double-pane $500 to $2,000. low-E $300 to $1,100. tempered $200 to $700. |
| Remodeling Cost vs. Value 2025, Los Angeles | Vinyl $23,783. wood $27,913. |
| New or enlarged egress opening | $3,200 to $6,500 |
Other work we manage in Redondo Beach
Redondo Beach window permit, energy, egress and historic questions
Do I need a permit to replace windows in Redondo Beach?
Ask Building and Safety, because we found no City page that exempts a like-for-like change-out. Adding or enlarging an opening is an alteration under RBMC 9-1.02 and needs a permit. Call (310) 318-0636 and ask about size, type and inspection before ordering. Starting without a permit costs double the permit fees plus enforcement costs.
How much does window replacement cost?
Regional sources put vinyl windows at about $550 to $1,200 installed, and a whole house of 10 to 15 windows at about $14,000 to $28,000, with wood and fiberglass higher. Remodeling magazine's 2025 report lists $23,783 for vinyl in Los Angeles. We found no Redondo Beach survey with a method, so written quotes decide.
Are double-pane windows required for replacement windows in Redondo Beach?
Los Angeles cites Title 24, Part 6, Section 150.2(b)1B for dual glazing labeled by the National Fenestration Rating Council on replacement windows in homes of three stories or less. Redondo Beach applies the 2025 state codes, but we could not read its own handout, so ask Building and Safety for the list. We print no U-factor numbers.
What size egress window is required for a bedroom?
The building code sets a minimum clear opening and a maximum sill height for bedroom windows, and we did not read the adopted table, so we print no numbers. Ask Building and Safety for the one that applies and specify the egress size on the order. A new or enlarged opening needs plans and a permit.
Do I need fire-rated or tempered windows in Redondo Beach?
A very high fire hazard severity zone is not expected. In our 178-point sample of the CAL FIRE Local Responsibility Area layer, revised August 21, 2025, every point was Non-Wildland and none fell in a State Responsibility Area. Check your address on the CAL FIRE viewer, and ask Building and Safety about tempered glass next to tubs and doors.
Do I need approval to replace windows in a historic Redondo Beach house?
On a landmark or a house in a historic district, yes, if the windows are visible from a public right of way. A Certificate of Appropriateness is required even when no other permit is. On a potential historic resource, like-for-like replacement is excluded from advisory review. Ask Planning at (310) 318-0637 which status your house has.
Are window replacements worth it?
Resale data suggests a partial return. Remodeling magazine's 2025 report for Los Angeles shows 83.2 percent of the job cost recouped for vinyl replacement. Energy savings depend on your existing glass and the labeled ratings of the new windows, and we do not print savings numbers because we found no local source for them.
Is the federal window tax credit still available for replacement windows?
No. The IRS says the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit under Section 25C is not allowed for property placed in service after December 31, 2025, though many older articles still advertise it. Ask your utility or the state about rebates, and treat any claim you cannot verify on an official page as unconfirmed.
Tell us about your Redondo Beach windows
Send the neighborhood, the year the building was built, how many windows and whether it is a condo, a landmark or near the water, and we will plan the visit from that.