Dundas · heritage districts
Valley Town windows and the new Melville-Park West district
Dundas was a town from 1847 until it joined Hamilton in 2001, and two parts of it are now heritage districts: Cross-Melville, and Melville-Park West, designated in May 2026. If your house is in either, changing a window, a door or even a storm window needs the City's approval first. That's easy to miss when a district is new. We connect Dundas homeowners with independent local glass pros, whether the job is one new pane or a sash that needs rebuilding, and we'll point you to the City's rules before anything is ordered.
At a glance
- Heritage districts
- Cross-Melville and Melville-Park West (2026)
- In a district
- Heritage Permit for windows, doors and storms; no fee
- Common jobs
- Sash repair, storms, broken panes, shopfront glass
- Town since
- 1847; joined Hamilton in 2001
Cross-Melville and the new Melville-Park West district
Cross-Melville is one of Hamilton's long-standing heritage conservation districts. Melville-Park West is the newest: Council passed the by-law designating it, and adopting its district plan, on 13 May 2026. The by-law was open to appeal for a period after it passed, so read the City's notice and confirm its current status before planning work. The same rules already apply in Hamilton's older districts, from Durand-Markland in the Lower City to Mill Street in Waterdown.
Not every Dundas street is inside a district, and the lines don't follow neighbourhood names. The reliable check is the City's heritage mapping, which shows district boundaries and individually designated properties by address. If your house falls inside a line, the rules below apply.
Storm windows need a Heritage Permit here
Hamilton's heritage rule is broad. On a designated property or inside a district, you need a Heritage Permit before you replace or install windows or doors, and the City's list names temporary and removable storm windows and doors as well. There's no fee. Applications go to a review subcommittee that meets monthly, so build that into your timing. If the job also needs a building permit, the City won't issue it until the Heritage Permit is approved.
What usually doesn't need one: replacing broken window glass, weather-stripping and small like-for-like repairs. So a cracked pane in a Cross-Melville sash can be fixed straight away, while a new set of storm windows has to wait for approval.
Restoring original windows
The City's own heritage windows guidance argues for keeping and repairing original windows. It notes that the seals in modern double glass often fail, and it points to weather-stripping, fresh putty and storm windows for drafts and condensation. For most old Dundas sash, that's our order too: fix what's there, add a storm, replace only what's past saving.
A pro who does wood window repair can free a painted-shut sash, splice in new wood where a sill has rotted and reglaze loose panes. When a window really is beyond repair, the City expects its replacement in a district to match the original's material, profiles and bar sizes: in practice, a custom-made wood window, not a stock insert. Owners of designated properties can also apply for the City's Heritage Revitalization Grant and an interest-free heritage loan, both explained on the same City page.
Downtown Dundas shopfronts
Downtown Dundas is one of the City's business improvement areas, and the City keeps a Downtown Dundas Built Heritage Inventory of its older buildings. Being listed there isn't the same as being designated, but it's a reason to check before altering a shopfront.
If a display window breaks, make the area safe, photograph the damage for your insurer and get the opening boarded. Then a storefront glass pro can measure for the permanent pane. Replacing broken glass usually doesn't need a Heritage Permit, even on a designated building. Changing the frames or the doors does.
Getting a quote in Dundas
Send your street and a few photos: each window from across the room, and one close enough to see the putty and the sill. Your street tells us whether a district might apply, so the pro we match you with can plan for a Heritage Permit from the first visit. If a pane is broken now, say so; that repair doesn't need to wait for paperwork. Start a request for window repair, or see how we match jobs across the city.
Dundas questions
How do I check whether my Dundas street is in Melville-Park West?
Look your address up on the City's heritage mapping, which shows district boundaries and designated properties. The district was designated in May 2026, so if you bought or last checked before then, check again. If the map isn't clear, the City's cultural heritage planning staff can confirm. Our heritage district guide explains what changes once you're inside the line.
Are there grants for repairing heritage windows in Dundas?
For designated properties, yes. The City offers a Heritage Revitalization Grant and an interest-free heritage loan to owners of properties designated individually or inside a district, and its heritage windows page explains what qualifies and who to contact. There's no City program for ordinary window replacement. Ask about the grant before work starts, since approval and funding come first. Wood window repair explains the work itself.
What does a Heritage Permit cost, and how long does it take?
There's no application fee. Timing depends on the City's monthly review meetings and on how complete your application is: scaled drawings showing the windows, a site plan, photos, and product details or samples. A complete application avoids a second round. Book the glass work for after approval, since any building permit the job needs waits for the Heritage Permit too.
Can a broken pane in a Cross-Melville house be fixed without a permit?
Generally, yes. The City lists repair of broken window glass among the jobs that don't usually need a Heritage Permit, along with weather-stripping and small like-for-like repairs. Matching the old glass and putty keeps the repair in keeping with the house. Replacing the whole window, or adding storms, is different and needs approval first. Send the details of the broken pane to get it quoted.