Replacing the glass in a window: what drives the cost
Glass only or whole window, safety glass rules, and how to measure a pane.
Most people expect a broken window to mean a new window. In the majority of cases it does not — if the frame is sound, only the glass is replaced, and that costs a fraction of a new unit.
Can you replace just the glass?
Yes, in timber, aluminium and uPVC frames, and in most sliding and hinged doors. The frame is only replaced when it is rotted, badly corroded or bent out of shape.
What moves the price
- Pane size. Glass is priced by area, and big panes also need two people to handle.
- Glass type. Clear float is the cheapest. Obscure, laminated, toughened, low-e and tinted glass all cost more.
- Where the glass sits. AS 1288 requires safety glass in doors, side panels, low windows, bathrooms and stairwells, so an upgrade is sometimes mandatory.
- Access. Ground floor is straightforward; a second-storey window over a garden bed needs more setup.
- Double glazing. A failed insulated unit is remade to the same spacer and thickness, which costs more than a single pane.
How to measure a pane
Measure the visible glass, add roughly 3mm each way for what sits inside the frame bead, and note the thickness from a broken edge. If you are not sure, we measure for free — a wrong measurement is more expensive than the trip.
How long it takes
Standard clear and obscure glass in a common thickness is often cut the same day. Toughened and laminated panels are ordered or cut before toughening, which adds a few days — we board the opening in the meantime.