Frequently asked questions

Yes. Each is a local business that quotes and does the work under its own name. Your request goes to a pro who handles that kind of job, at no cost to you, and we check in if it goes quiet. How it works lays out each step.

Generally, yes. Requests come in from the Lower City, the Mountain, Dundas, Ancaster, Stoney Creek, Waterdown, Binbrook, Burlington and Grimsby. On rural roads it depends on who's working that way, so share your postal code and we'll check. See service areas.

Usually not. Fog you can't wipe off either side means the seal has failed. That sealed unit (some say thermopane) can often be swapped in your existing frame, or some pros defog it instead. If the frame is rotting too, a new window makes sense. See foggy window repair.

Most of the time. In the old wood sash common below the Mountain, a single pane is cut and puttied back into the sash. In a newer double-glazed window, the pro swaps the whole sealed unit and keeps the frame. More on broken window glass.

Only if the house can't be secured or someone could get hurt. Keep people and pets clear, take photos if safe, then cover the gap with plywood or heavy plastic. If only one pane of a double-glazed window cracked, it can generally wait until a pro quotes it. Timing depends on the pro.

The City's rule is no, if size and location stay the same and no fire-resistance rating applies. New, bigger or moved openings, like an enlarged basement window, need one. Near the LRT corridor, Metrolinx approval may come first. See the City's permit page and replacement windows.

No. On a designated property or in a heritage district, new windows and doors, even removable storms, need a Heritage Permit first, at no fee. Fixing a broken pane usually doesn't, and the City's own guidance favours repairing originals. See the City's Heritage Permit page and our heritage district guide.

It can. Hamilton's Rental Housing Licence is now permanent for smaller rental buildings, houses and townhouses in Wards 1, 8 and parts of 14. Check your address on the City's licence page, then read our rental licensing guide for the window and screen side.

Size, shape and type: plain, tempered, laminated or a coated sealed unit. Then the frame, since reglazing old wood sash is different work from a vinyl slider, plus access and how many units you do at once. Get it in writing with a free quote.

One program. Ontario's Home Renovation Savings lists certified windows and doors, per rough opening, among rebates that need an energy evaluation of the home and more than one upgrade. New glass in an old frame doesn't qualify. There's no general federal window rebate in 2026; the federal grant has closed.

Not for ordinary replacement. Better Homes Hamilton, the City's retrofit loan, left windows out and has closed. Owners of designated heritage properties are the exception: they can apply for City heritage grants and interest-free loans for work on the building. Current intake details are on the heritage windows page.