If your windows stick, rattle, fog up, or let the winter cold through the frame, replacement quotes can land anywhere from a few hundred dollars to several thousand per window. The window replacement cost australia homeowners actually pay is set by the frame material, the window type, the glazing, and how much work the opening needs before the new unit goes in. Get those four things right and the quote starts to make sense.
Every figure below comes from a 2026 Australian source.
Window Replacement Cost Australia in 2026: The Short Answer
For a standard aluminium window supplied and installed into an existing opening, expect $700 to $1,500 per window in 2026 (Going Rate, November 2026). A whole-house replacement of eight to twelve windows commonly lands between $8,000 and $22,000, while a three-bedroom house can run $15,000 to $30,000 or more.
That range covers the most common job: a like-for-like swap into the same opening, standard aluminium frame, single glazing.
Window Replacement Cost by Window Type
Type sets the price first: it fixes the size of the unit, the weight of the glass, and the hours on site. A small fixed pane is a quick job; a bay window is heavy and often needs the reveal rebuilt around it.
Trusted Tradie Network’s 2026 guide puts the average at $300 to $1,200 per window supplied and installed, with smaller windows at $250 to $400 each and large custom units at $350 to $1,500. Yellow Pages’ 2026 supply-only figures: fixed $150 to $500, single-hung $300 to $750, double-hung $450 to $900, bay $1,500 to $3,000, before installation.
Going Rate’s November 2026 supplied-and-installed figures: a small awning or sashless unit at the low end, a standard sliding or double-hung in the middle, a large picture or bay at $1,800 to $3,500, and a sliding or stacker door at $2,500 to $6,000 depending on width and glazing. Hipages adds a tilt and turn window around $850 and an awning around $1,000, and shows size alone moving the number: a 1030 by 610 millimetre unit near $400, an 1800 by 610 millimetre unit near $550.
Window Replacement Cost by Frame Material
The frame is the largest single price variable. Standard aluminium is the Australian default — durable, cheap to fabricate, almost maintenance-free — but a plain aluminium frame conducts heat readily, which works against good glass. Everything else trades a higher price for better insulation or a different look.
Trusted Tradie Network’s 2026 per-window figures, supplied and installed: aluminium $300 to $800, uPVC $500 to $1,200, timber $600 to $1,500, and composite timber-and-aluminium $800 to $2,000. Going Rate frames it as a premium over standard aluminium: thermally broken aluminium 40 to 50 per cent more, uPVC 25 to 35 per cent, timber 50 to 60 per cent, and composite 80 to 90 per cent.
Timber looks right in period homes and is often the only option a heritage overlay will accept, but it needs recoating every five to seven years. uPVC is increasingly common in the southern states, where its insulation matters most. Thermally broken aluminium is money well spent in Melbourne, Canberra, and Hobart.
Single Glazing vs Double Glazing: What the Upgrade Adds
Single glazing is the cheapest option and still the most common in older Australian homes. Double glazing adds a second pane with a sealed gap, and that gap cuts heat transfer and street noise.
Hipages’ 2026 figures show single-pane glass at $150 to $250 and double-pane glass at $300 to $500, and single-pane windows generally run 25 to 35 per cent cheaper than double-glazed equivalents. A complete double-glazed window, supplied and installed, runs $800 to $2,000 or more according to Trusted Tradie Network; Melbourne sits higher, at $2,300 to $3,500 per window fully installed, or $1,200 to $1,800 per square metre (Windows Republic, July 2026).
Secondary glazing runs $350 to $800 per window in Queensland, and retrofitting an insulated glass unit into a sound existing frame runs $400 to $900 per window, according to The Quote Yard. A new double-glazed aluminium window runs $700 to $1,500, while uPVC or timber framed double-glazed windows run $900 to $2,500 or more.
Windows are rated for U-value, which measures heat transfer, and Solar Heat Gain Coefficient, which measures how much solar radiation passes through. For the wider picture, see our guide to energy-efficient homes, where windows are one part of a whole-house approach.
Labour and Installation: What a Glazier Charges
Labour is a big part of the bill, and the part most often hidden inside a single lump sum. Going Rate’s November 2026 cost split: supply about 58 per cent, removal and installation about 27 per cent, flashing, sealing, and make-good about 15 per cent.
On hourly rates, the 2026 sources agree: hipages $80 to $110 per hour, Yellow Pages $80 to $100 or more, Trusted Tradie Network $50 to $120 depending on complexity and location. ServiceSeeking’s March 2026 data averages $173.40 per hour with a $55 minimum across all window and glass jobs. Most glaziers also charge a minimum call-out fee, and an emergency call-out after a break-in or storm damage typically runs about $150 per hour.
Install time per window is short: single-hung one to two hours, double-hung two to three, double-glazed two to four (Trusted Tradie Network). Proper practice includes a head flashing, a sill pan or tray, backing rod with sealant rather than silicone alone, and correct packing so the frame is not distorted. The most common failure is water entry at the head and sill because old flashing was reused — so get the flashing and sealing method written into the quote.
Two extras catch people out. Second-storey work adds scaffolding at $1,500 to $2,500 for a typical house, charged per mobilisation — a strong argument for doing all upper-level windows in one campaign. Removal and disposal of old frames is a separate line on a proper quote.
Whole-House Window Replacement: Three Worked Budgets
Per-window figures only become a budget when you multiply them across the house. These three worked budgets use the cited figures above and nothing else.
Budget 1 — four windows, standard aluminium, like-for-like. Four windows at $700 to $1,500 supplied and installed: $2,800 to $6,000. Same openings, same sizes, single glazing, ground floor, no scaffolding — though disposal and minor make-good may sit outside that range, so check the line items.
Budget 2 — ten windows, double-glazed uPVC, national pricing. Ten windows at $1,000 to $2,500 each comes to $10,000 to $25,000. That band reflects The Quote Yard’s $900 to $2,500-plus range for uPVC and timber double-glazed windows and Owlno’s example of a $650 uPVC unit plus $300 installation. These are the window replacement cost australia numbers for the most common serious upgrade: a full house moved from single to double glazing.
Budget 3 — twelve premium double-glazed windows plus a stacker door. Twelve windows at $2,200 to $3,500 is $26,400 to $42,000; a sliding or stacker door adds $2,500 to $6,000, giving $28,900 to $48,000 before scaffolding. If the house is two storeys, add $1,500 to $2,500 for scaffolding.
Window Replacement Cost Australia by City
Sydney sits at the top of the labour table. Trusted Tradie Network’s 2026 city figures: Sydney $80 to $120 per hour ($250 to $400 labour per window), Melbourne $70 to $100 ($220 to $350), Brisbane $60 to $90 ($200 to $320), Perth $65 to $95 ($210 to $340), Adelaide $50 to $85 ($180 to $300).
Supply varies less, but installed prices follow local labour, and regional areas can run higher once travel is factored in. Melbourne also carries the highest double-glazing prices in the country, at $2,300 to $3,500 per window fully installed against a national range of $2,200 to $3,800. If you live in Victoria, our guide to the best windows in Melbourne covers the styles that suit the city’s period and modern homes.
What Moves Your Quote Up or Down
Seven things move a window quote more than any others. Size is first: a large picture window costs more than a small awning in glass and labour, and a custom size costs more than a standard one. Frame material is second, glazing third — double glazing, Low-E coatings, and acoustic laminated glass each add cost, and each is worth it only where it solves a real problem.
Fourth is the opening: changing a width or height means a new lintel, structural sizing, a building permit, and re-rendering or re-cladding — $2,500 or more per window. Fifth is access — second-storey work needs scaffolding. Sixth, a home built before 1990 may have asbestos sheeting or putty near the reveals, which needs a licensed removalist. Seventh is the finish: make-good of render, reveals, and architraves is routinely underestimated. That is why window replacement cost australia quotes for the same house can differ by thousands of dollars — one quote prices the window, and the other prices the job.
Repair, Re-glaze or Replace: The Honest Call
Not every problem needs a new window. A failed double-glazed unit showing fogging between the panes can often be reglazed into the existing frame for $400 to $900 per window in Queensland, against $700 to $1,500 or more for a new double-glazed unit. Sticking sashes, failed springs, worn rollers, and perished seals are all repairable.
Replacement genuinely makes sense when the frames are rotten or corroded, when the glazing is single pane and the comfort or noise problem is significant, when the hardware is obsolete, or when you are already renovating the room and the access cost is being paid anyway. The same safety-glass rules govern wet areas, which is why our shower screen cost guide prices the same AS 1288 standard in a bathroom setting.
How to Read a Window Quote (and Spot the Gaps)
A comparable quote has six lines, and any quote missing one of them is not comparable. First, the window itself: frame, size, glazing, and the energy rating label. Second, removal and disposal. Third, installation labour. Fourth, flashing, sill pan, backing rod, and sealant — named, not implied. Fifth, make-good of the reveal, render, and architraves. Sixth, compliance: proof the windows meet AS 2047, the mandatory Australian standard, with glass to AS 1288. The Australian Window Association’s compliance guide explains what that standard requires.
Watch for the gaps that turn a cheap quote expensive: a price that excludes disposal or scaffolding, or prices the glass but not the frame, is an incomplete one, not a lower one. A quote with no brand, no rating label, and no standard named is a warning in itself. Get the window replacement cost australia detail in writing, line by line, and compare the same scope across every quote.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to replace a window in Australia?
A standard aluminium window typically costs $700 to $1,500 supplied and installed in 2026. A whole-house replacement of eight to twelve windows commonly lands between $8,000 and $22,000, and a three-bedroom house can run $15,000 to $30,000 or more. Large picture or bay windows run $1,800 to $3,500 each, and sliding or stacker door units run $2,500 to $6,000.
Is it cheaper to replace just the glass instead of the whole window?
Yes, where the frame is sound. Single-pane glass costs $150 to $250 and double-pane glass $300 to $500, and a failed double-glazed unit can often be reglazed into the existing frame for $400 to $900 per window. Full replacement makes sense when the frame is rotten or corroded, the hardware is obsolete, or you are already renovating the room.
Do I need council approval to replace windows?
A like-for-like replacement in the same opening usually does not require planning approval. Properties in a heritage overlay, conservation area, or character precinct almost always do, particularly for street-facing elevations, and councils in those areas frequently require timber joinery rather than aluminium. Check the overlay on your title or the council planning portal before ordering.
Is double glazing worth the extra cost?
It depends on the problem you are solving. A complete double-glazed window costs $800 to $2,000 or more supplied and installed, against $700 to $1,500 for a standard single-glazed aluminium window, and Melbourne double glazing runs $2,300 to $3,500 per window. The upgrade pays in comfort, lower heat loss, and less street noise — most in cold southern climates and noisy streets, least where the existing windows are already sound and the house is mild-climate.
How long does window replacement take?
A single-hung window takes one to two hours to install, a double-hung two to three hours, and a double-glazed window two to four hours. The total time depends on how many windows there are, whether scaffolding is needed, and how much make-good the reveals need once the old frames come out.
What should a window replacement quote include?
Six things: the window itself with frame, size, glazing, and energy rating; removal and disposal of the old window; installation labour; flashing, sill pan, backing rod, and sealant named in writing; make-good of the reveal and architraves; and proof the windows comply with AS 2047 with glass to AS 1288. A quote missing any of these is not comparable with one that has them all.