Window replacement · Winnipeg
Replacing windows in a Winnipeg home
Sometimes a window only needs a new sealed unit or a new crank. When the frame has gone soft, cold air comes in around the whole unit, or you want triple pane throughout, replacement is the honest answer. We connect you with independent local window installers who measure each opening, quote in writing and do the work.
- Triple-pane quotes from local installers
- Straight answers on the Efficiency Manitoba rebate
- Every opening measured on its own
Before you replace
Signs a window needs replacing, not repairing
Fog between the panes or a stripped crank is a repair. These signs point further; our repair-or-replace guide has more.
The frame is soft or cracked
If a screwdriver sinks into the sill, or vinyl has split at a corner, new glass won't solve it.
Cold air comes in around the frame
Air moving between the frame and the wall means the window's seal to the house has failed.
Several windows are failing at once
When units fog all over the house and cranks strip, one project beats a string of repairs.
You want comfort, or the rebate
Single-pane sash, old aluminum sliders and rooms that never warm up are reasons to replace. The provincial rebate pays only for complete new windows.
Glass choices
Triple pane is the Winnipeg norm: why, and when double pane still makes sense
Most replacement quotes in Winnipeg are for triple pane, for two plain reasons.
The first is the cold. Through a long heating season, a third pane keeps the room-side glass warmer: less frost at the bottom of the window, less chill nearby.
The second is the rebate. Efficiency Manitoba pays only for ENERGY STAR certified triple-pane windows and doors, so double pane earns nothing from the program.
Double pane still has a place: it's lighter, and it's sensible for a porch or garage the rebate wouldn't cover anyway. Our triple-pane page compares the two.
Install methods
Retrofit or full-frame?
The installer recommends one of two methods after looking at the frame. The retrofit versus full-frame page compares them with the glass-only option.
Retrofit (insert)
The old sash and glass come out and a complete new window is fitted inside the original frame, which is capped outside. It's less disruptive, but you lose a little glass, and the old frame must be sound.
Full-frame
Everything comes out down to the rough opening, the framed hole in the wall. The new window is shimmed, insulated and sealed to the house. It costs more, but rot and leaks get fixed.
Window styles
Styles that suit Winnipeg homes: casement, awning, slider, hung, picture
Replacement is a chance to change how a window opens. Our window styles guide goes into each one.
Casement and awning
A casement swings out on a crank; an awning hinges at the top. Both press the sash into its weatherstripping, so they hold up well on a windy January night.
Sliders and hung windows
Neither projects, which suits a window over a deck. Brush seals pass more air than a casement's, so frost builds at the rails.
Picture windows
Fixed glass, often flanked by casements. With nothing moving, it's the simplest unit to seal.
Garden windows
A small glass box projecting from a kitchen wall. Snow sits on its glass roof all winter, so drainage and sealing matter.
Basement and egress windows
A basement bedroom needs a window big enough to climb out of. Check with the City before cutting or enlarging an opening.
Skylights
The roof is part of the job. Ask whether the pro handles the flashing or works with a roofer.
Before and after
Same opening, different window
A new window needn't be the same style. Here a slider becomes a picture window between two casements.
Get quotes for a style changeRules and money
Rebates, permits and taxes in Winnipeg
The rebate. People often call it a Manitoba Hydro grant, but the rebate is run by Efficiency Manitoba. It covers ENERGY STAR certified triple-pane windows and doors, each with an NRCan reference number, that replace existing ones in your home. Glass inserts without a full frame don't qualify, and neither do new openings. There are higher offers for income-qualified, First Nation and Red River Métis households. Our rebate guide covers the paperwork.
Permits. The City of Winnipeg lists replacing windows with the same size as work that doesn't need a building permit, though it still has to meet code (City home improvement projects). Enlarging or cutting an opening is different: check with the City first. Homes on the City's heritage list, or in Armstrong's Point or Crescentwood-Enderton Park, may need a heritage permit for window changes.
Tax. An installed-window quote should show GST, not PST. The installer pays PST on materials instead, as Manitoba Finance explains.
What affects the quote
What drives the cost of a replacement project
There's no honest per-window price without seeing the windows. These move the number, along with your choice of vinyl, hybrid or fibreglass frames:
- How many windows, and whether they're done in one project
- Size and style of each window
- Triple or double pane, coatings and any tempered or laminated glass
- Retrofit or full-frame installation
- The opening itself: rot, out-of-square framing or missing insulation
- Access: upper floors, stucco or brick
A photo of each window from inside, with rough sizes, lets a pro give a first quote before visiting to measure.
Settled houses
Out-of-square openings: each is measured on its own
Houses here sit on clay that swells and shrinks, and plenty have settled. An opening that's a little out of square, or two matching bedroom windows that differ in size, is ordinary. It's the installer's job to handle.
A careful installer measures every opening, orders each window to fit, and sets it level with shims and low-expansion foam.
Choosing an installer
How to compare quotes from different installers
Hold every quote, including the one from the pro we match you with, to the same checklist:
A written scope
Every window listed by room, with size, style, glass and install method. Retrofit and full-frame aren't the same job.
The NRCan number
For the rebate, ask for each unit's NRCan reference number on the quote, not after the install.
GST, not PST
An installed price with PST added is worth a question.
Trim, disposal and cleanup
Are old-window removal, trim, capping and caulking included?
The warranty, in writing
What's covered, and who handles a claim: the maker or the installer.
Your right to cancel
If you sign with a salesperson in your home, Manitoba gives you a period to cancel. The Consumer Protection Office explains how it works.
Questions
Window replacement questions
Explore your options
More ways to fix or upgrade a window
Local installers replace windows across the city and in nearby towns, including River Heights, St. Boniface, Transcona, Tuxedo & Charleswood and Steinbach.
Tell us how many windows, and roughly how big
List the windows by room, with rough sizes and a photo of each. We pass it to independent local installers, and they follow up with quotes. If some windows only need glass, they should say so.