Emergencies and response
Urgent glass is handled in two steps: make the opening safe and secure tonight, then fit the replacement pane once it has been cut. Both parts get priced before anything happens. Storm nights are the exception to any response time — when a front comes through and drops hail across the north and west, every glazier in the city has a queue, and it is better to be told that than promised otherwise. Details are on the emergency page.
Glass types and the standard
Most confusion in a quote traces back to one thing: which glass the position requires. That is not the glazier's preference, it is AS 1288, and it covers doors, side panels, bathrooms, low-level glazing, balustrades, pool fences and overhead glass. Existing glass can stay until it is replaced; new work has to comply.
Cost and lead times
Two windows the same size can differ by a factor of three or four depending on glass type, access and frame condition. The cost guide works through the variables. Lead times follow the same logic — stock glass is fast, made-to-order glass is not.
Older Melbourne housing
Terraces, bungalows and post-war weatherboards throw up the same three issues: annealed glass in doors and bathrooms that has to be upgraded when it breaks, timber sashes that need repair before they can carry new glass, and heritage overlay rules that limit what can change at the front of the house. The suburb pages cover where that bites hardest, and residential work covers the rest.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to replace glass in a window in Melbourne?
There is no single figure, because glass is priced by area, thickness, type, edgework and access. A small clear pane in a sound aluminium frame is at the cheap end. The same opening in toughened or laminated glass, upstairs, in a heritage timber sash, can be several times that. A written quote after a measure is the only number worth acting on.
Can a cracked window be repaired instead of replaced?
Generally no. A crack in a sheet of glass cannot be welded or filled in a way that restores strength, and resin repairs are a windscreen technique, not a building glazing one. Once a pane is cracked it has lost structural integrity and it gets replaced. Surface scratches and acid tags are the exception, because those can often be polished out.
How long does replacement glass take to arrive?
Common clear float thicknesses and stock toughened sizes can often be fitted the same day. Cut-to-size toughened, laminated, obscure patterns, tinted and low-E glass are made to order, so allow several working days. Double-glazed units and anything oversized or shaped generally run one to two weeks.
Why does my bathroom window need special glass?
AS 1288 treats glass in and around bathrooms as a high-risk position, because people are wet, barefoot and close to hard surfaces. Glazing in a bathroom, and particularly anything in or beside a shower or bath, must be grade A safety glass - toughened or laminated - so that if it fails it does not produce large sharp shards.
Will my insurer cover broken glass?
Most home and business policies cover accidental glass breakage and break-in damage, and glass is one of the most frequently claimed items there is. Whether the glazier bills your insurer direct or you pay and claim back depends on the insurer. Photograph the damage before the glass is cleared, and get a police report number for a break-in.
Is double glazing worth it in Melbourne?
For comfort, usually. Glass is the weakest thermal point in a typical house, so single-glazed rooms run cold in July and bake under a summer northerly. Insulated glass units cut that and reduce condensation on the inside of the glass. Payback on energy alone is slow; most people notice the comfort and the noise reduction first.
Can old timber windows be double glazed?
Sometimes, and it needs checking rather than assuming. Insulated units are thicker and heavier than a single pane, so the sash rebate has to be deep enough and the sash and its hardware have to carry the weight. Slimline units and secondary glazing are the usual answers for heritage sashes, and in a heritage overlay the council may have a view on the street-facing facade.
What is the difference between toughened and laminated glass?
Toughened glass is heat-treated so it is much stronger, and when it does break it crumbles into small blunt pieces. Laminated glass is two sheets bonded to a plastic interlayer, so when it breaks it cracks but holds together in the frame. Toughened suits shower screens and balustrades; laminated suits doors, shopfronts and overhead glazing where the glass must stay put.