Single glazed like-for-like swaps start closer to $300. Thermally broken systems sit higher. Below you can price your own job by tier, see exactly what sits inside a quote and what does not, and check the rebates and rules that change the number before you sign anything.
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Indicative only. A written quote follows a site measure.
Figures are in AUD and include GST. Ranges are per standard residential opening.
Per window installed for standard aluminium double glazing in Melbourne. A single glazed swap can start near $300.
What a thermally broken frame typically adds to the window price, for a fifth to a third less heat transfer.
Victorian Energy Upgrades discount per 10m² of glazing for households replacing single glazing.
The common planning budget for a full aluminium replacement in a three to four bedroom home.
All figures on this page are indicative installed prices in Australian dollars including GST, for common residential replacement work in Melbourne. Your quote will move with sizes, glazing, access and finishing scope.
Frame construction and glazing move the price more than anything else. Work out which tier you are pricing first, because most confusing quotes are simply two different tiers sitting side by side.
Ranges are per standard residential opening. Custom sizes, shapes and commercial systems are quoted individually.
Hardware count, fabrication time and the span the frame carries all shift with style. Fixed is the baseline on every job, and everything else moves up from there.
Aluminium carries wide spans on slim sightlines, which is what makes the larger configurations practical. Bay and rake windows sit well beyond the standard band, and where a wider opening needs its lintel reinforced, that alone can add $500 to $1,500.
The price gap between two quotes is usually a scope gap. Check both columns before you compare totals.
Standard double glazed openings at multi-window rates, under standard access conditions.
Smaller homes still carry the same fixed set-up cost, so doing the whole house in one visit matters most at this size.
The most common whole home range in Melbourne. Specifying thermally broken frames on the large or exposed openings only is usually where the value sits.
At this size the window schedule matters more than the per window rate. Ask for the job priced opening by opening so you can see where the money actually goes.
Replacing several openings in one visit lowers the price per window, because delivery, set-up and site protection are paid once rather than repeated across a staged project.
Two homes can order the same window count and receive very different numbers. Open each one to see why.
Aluminium carries its thermal upgrade in the frame. A polyamide thermal break is set between the inner and outer sections to interrupt the path heat takes through the metal. Standard aluminium double glazing commonly sits above 3.0 W/m²K on whole window U-value, while thermally broken aluminium typically sits between 2.0 and 2.4 W/m²K.
That is a fifth to a third of the heat transfer removed, which is why the premium is judged on comfort and condensation rather than on frame price alone. Ask for certified Window Energy Rating Scheme figures for the system you are quoting.
Glazing is specified opening by opening, so upgrades rarely apply across a whole house.
| Upgrade | Typical effect on price |
|---|---|
| Low-emissivity (Low-E) coating | Priced per window, around $50 to $100 |
| Acoustic laminated glass | Priced per opening, based on noise exposure |
| Toughened safety glass | Priced per opening, where compliance requires it |
Upgrade costs vary with opening size and specification, so treat these as a budgeting guide rather than a fixed rate.
Windows built to a fixed range of standard sizes rarely match an existing opening. The opening is then packed out, rebated or partly rebuilt to suit the window, and that reinstatement is charged as part of the job.
Windows fabricated to a site measure avoid that work because the frame is made to the opening. Local manufacture also shortens the gap between measure and installation, and keeps any warranty claim with the business that built the window.
Locks, rollers, hinges and seals usually sit inside the window price, although the grade varies. Two quotes can differ by a few hundred dollars on hardware alone, and that gap shows up years later in how smoothly the sash still runs.
Screens are commonly priced separately. A window flyscreen in Melbourne sits near $120, while a security screen compliant with the AS 5039 series, the Australian Standard for security screens, more often falls between $300 and $850 per window.
Ground floor openings with clear side access cost less to work in. Upper storey windows, narrow passages, steep blocks and the out-of-square openings common in older Melbourne homes all add labour, and scaffolding is quoted on top where the job needs it.
Brick veneer, render, weatherboard and cladding each need different treatment once the old frame is out. This is the line homeowners most often leave out of their own budget, and it explains many quote differences.
Buying the windows on their own can reduce the invoice. It also moves several responsibilities onto you.
Suits a like-for-like replacement into existing openings where a licensed builder or carpenter is already engaged.
Places measurement, manufacture and installation with one party, so a fault in the frame and a fault in the fit have one point of resolution.
Measuring is where a replacement is most likely to go wrong. Custom windows are made to your opening, so a five millimetre error can mean a frame that will not sit flush and cannot be returned. Removal, flashing, sealing and compliance with AS 2047, the standard governing window performance against wind and water, all sit with whoever holds the installation. That allocation usually matters more than the saving.
Some rules settle the specification before price enters the conversation. Others change what you pay, and when you pay it.
Victorian households and most businesses replacing single glazing may be eligible under the Victorian Energy Upgrades program. Your supplier can confirm whether the system appears on the scheme register, and the discount is generally applied to the quote rather than claimed back later.
Amounts and eligibility change between scheme updates, so check the current discount with your supplier before building it into a budget.
Under the Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995, a builder cannot demand a deposit above 10% where the contract price is under $20,000, or 5% where it is $20,000 or more. Those limits apply to a major domestic building contract, meaning domestic building work priced above $10,000. On a $24,000 whole home replacement that caps the deposit at $1,200.
The cap applies to installation work rather than a supply-only purchase. The Domestic Building Contracts Amendment Act 2025 moves these limits into regulations, commencing by proclamation and no later than 1 December 2026.
A heritage overlay may limit frame material, colour, sightlines and opening style. Councils assess these individually, so confirm your position before anything is ordered.
Properties in bushfire-prone areas carry a Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) rating that dictates glass thickness, screening and frame specification. Systems built to a higher BAL usually cost more than standard specifications.
Apartments and townhouses often sit under an owners corporation that controls changes to the external appearance of the building. Approval is generally needed before fabrication starts.
Replacing windows like-for-like in an existing home does not usually trigger the 7-star requirement, although a major renovation can. New Victorian homes must meet a 7-star Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme minimum under the National Construction Code.
NCC 2025 applies in Victoria from 1 May 2026 and made no change to the residential energy efficiency standard, so the 7-star minimum set under NCC 2022 still applies. Your building surveyor can confirm what your scope triggers.
Double glazing reduces winter heat loss and summer heat gain, and typical payback runs about 7 to 15 years in a Melbourne climate. The comfort improvement is immediate, which is why most households notice the change long before the numbers balance. Payback depends on how you heat and cool, how long you stay and what you pay for energy.
Well-maintained aluminium windows commonly last 30 years or more. The alloy holds its shape through Melbourne’s temperature swings and the frames resist corrosion. Powder-coated finishes are applied in the factory, so there is no repainting cycle to budget for. Hardware such as rollers, locks and seals tends to wear before the frame does, and those parts can be serviced rather than replaced.
Most people replacing windows are not worried about the price itself. They are worried about not knowing whether the number in front of them covers the same job as the one beside it. Tick these off and that doubt goes.
Supply-only pricing, standard stock sizes or basic single glazed units can sit well under $1,000 because they exclude measurement, removal, installation and reinstatement.
An installed quote covers the whole job, so comparing the two is comparing a part against the finished result.
Replacing glass alone is cheaper and makes sense where the frame is still sound and only the glazing has failed.
Once frames are draughty, corroded or sticking, the whole window is generally the better spend. New glass does not address air leakage around a failing frame, and older frames may not carry a double glazed unit properly.
It depends on the opening. On large glazing areas, exposed sites and homes working to a higher energy target, the improvement in whole window performance is substantial.
On smaller openings in sheltered positions, standard double glazing may deliver adequate comfort without the premium, so specifying by room rather than across the whole house usually gives better value.
Not always. Some suppliers quote inclusive of GST and others quote before it, which can make two otherwise identical figures look 10% apart.
Checking that one line before you compare totals removes a common source of confusion in window quotes.
Most of the wait is fabrication, because the windows are made to your openings. Lead times commonly run four to six weeks, and eight to ten weeks on more complex systems and glazing.
Installation is quick by comparison. Most homes are completed within a few days, depending on window count and access.
Like-for-like replacement into existing openings usually does not require a permit. Enlarging an opening, altering the structure or working on a property under a heritage overlay generally does.
Requirements vary between councils, so check locally before committing to a specification.
Most residential jobs are quoted per opening because every window is a different size and configuration. Square metre rates suit larger jobs and work as a budgeting shortcut rather than a final price.
Problems start when one quote arrives per window and another per square metre. Convert both to the same basis before comparing, or ask each supplier to price the same window schedule.
Arch Aluminium Windows & Doors fabricates architectural-grade aluminium in Rowville and sets out the frame system, glazing and site works separately, so the figure you receive after a site measure can be read in full. Once you can see which tier of frame you are pricing, which glazing sits in each opening and which site works are inside the number, the decision becomes one about specification rather than the total.
Send your details and our team will come back to you with a tailored figure.
This page is general information only. It does not consider your objectives, property or circumstances, and pricing, rebate amounts and regulatory requirements change over time. Speak with a qualified building professional, confirm current requirements with your council or building surveyor, and request a written quotation following a site measure before acting.