Repair the glass or replace the window?
Thermos, hardware or a whole new window? Four questions about the frame, the problem, the window and your borough, then the options side by side.
Read guide: Repair the glass or replace the window?Montreal window guides
Practical guides: permits, subsidies, thermos units and plexes
In Montreal, changing a window involves more than glass. Most boroughs want a permit even for an identical replacement, RénoPlex pays only when approval comes first, and a foggy thermos can often be changed without touching the frame. These guides explain each plainly, with links to the official pages. When you want a price, we connect you with an independent local glass professional who quotes the job.
Borough permits for windows and doors
Which of the 19 boroughs want a permit for a same-size window, the local rules that stand out, the documents to prepare and the order to do things in.
Read guide: Borough permits for windows and doors
RénoPlex and Rénoclimat window subsidies
What RénoPlex and Rénoclimat pay for, who qualifies, why a thermos alone is excluded and the order that keeps you eligible.
Read guide: RénoPlex and Rénoclimat window subsidiesRepair or replace: the decision guide
Montreal's rules pull two ways: subsidies pay only for complete new windows, while boroughs such as the Plateau and Ville-Marie favour keeping originals. The repair-or-replace guide turns that into four questions, then sets a new thermos, new hardware and a new window side by side.
Door and window permits by borough
Each of the 19 boroughs has its own permit counter. Most want a permit even for a same-size window, and several add rules on materials, sliders or door glass. The borough permit guide puts them in one table with links to every borough page. Check with your borough first: it sets the calendar.
RénoPlex and Rénoclimat explained
The City's RénoPlex pays a set amount per replaced window, door and patio door in eligible small plexes. Québec's Rénoclimat supports complete ENERGY STAR windows, with an energy evaluation before and after. Neither pays for a thermos on its own. The subsidy guide explains who qualifies and why the order of steps matters.
Plexes, rentals and condos
Most Montrealers rent, and most homes are flats in duplexes, triplexes and low walk-ups, so a window decision often involves more than one person. Owners with a balcony door on every floor can start with plex balcony doors and windows. Co-owners should read condo windows and glass early, since the permit file asks for the syndicate's resolution. Landlords planning work between leases can start with the property manager page.
Still looking for an answer?
The full FAQ covers the questions Montrealers ask most. Or describe the problem in a quote request with a photo of the whole window and a close-up; the pro we pass it to can say whether it is a glass, hardware or window job.
Common questions
Where should I start before changing my windows?
Start with what is actually failing, then with your borough. A fogged thermos or a stiff crank rarely calls for a new window. If the whole window does need replacing, most boroughs want a permit first, and RénoPlex needs approval before any work begins. The repair-or-replace guide walks through the diagnosis before you ask anyone for a quote.
Do subsidies pay for a glass repair?
No. Rénoclimat states that replacing only the glass, the sash, or a door without its frame does not qualify, and RénoPlex pays per replaced window, door or patio door. A new thermos in a sound frame can still be the sensible choice; it simply has to make sense without help. The subsidy guide sets out what each program covers.
Where do I find my borough's permit rules?
On the City of Montréal's page for same-size door and window replacement, where you choose your borough to see its version of the rules. Westmount and the other reconstituted cities run their own permit offices. Our borough permit guide links all 19 borough pages from a single table.
I rent my flat. Are these guides any use to me?
Yes. In a rental, a draughty, fogged or broken window starts as a conversation with your landlord, in writing and with photos. The guides help you describe the problem accurately, and landlords can use them to weigh repair against replacement. Québec's rental tribunal explains how urgent and necessary repairs work for both sides.