Island-wide · Montréal
Montreal, from Old Montreal to Hochelaga-Maisonneuve
Most people who ask us about a window in Montreal live in a flat: a duplex or triplex, a walk-up, sometimes a condo. Many rent. That changes the first question, which is often not what's broken but who handles it and which borough's rules apply. We're a free referral service: we connect owners, tenants, landlords and businesses with independent local glass professionals across the island, and we follow up so the request doesn't go quiet. This page covers the centre of the city and the boroughs that have no page of their own.
At a glance
- Housing
- Mostly flats in plexes and low walk-ups, largely built before the 1980s
- Tenure
- Most households rent
- Permits
- Set by each of the 19 boroughs (how it works)
- Heritage
- Much of Old Montreal is a declared historic district
A city of tenants and plexes
Most Montreal households rent, and most homes are flats in duplexes, triplexes and small apartment buildings; a detached house is the exception. The stock is old as well. Most of it predates the 1980s, and a large share was built before 1961.
For windows, that means three things. One building often holds several owners' and tenants' interests, so settle who is responsible before anyone books a visit; the rental tribunal's page on urgent and necessary repairs is a neutral starting point for both sides. Older frames are often worth keeping, with a new thermos (the sealed glass unit; English speakers here say thermos too) or a repaired crank or latch. And upper-floor balcony doors make access part of the plan.
Downtown and Old Montreal: heritage and storefronts
Ville-Marie, which takes in downtown and Old Montreal, requires a permit to replace windows and doors, and its rules state that work to keep or restore the original form or appearance is favoured (Ville-Marie rules). Much of Old Montreal was declared a historic district in 1964, and in a declared heritage site Quebec requires authorization to repair a building or change its appearance (Québec.ca). Before touching a window there, find out the building's status.
Downtown is also where much of the city's storefront glass is, along Sainte-Catherine and the commercial streets around it. A broken display window follows its own order: make the area safe, photograph the damage for the insurer, secure or board the opening, then replace the glass once it's measured. Our storefront glass page covers that path for merchants.
Hochelaga-Maisonneuve and the east of the island
Hochelaga was annexed to Montreal in 1883, and Maisonneuve, once nicknamed the Pittsburgh of Canada, in 1918. Their borough, Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, requires a permit even for a same-size replacement (borough rules), so a new window there starts at the counter.
Farther east and north the rules vary more. Saint-Léonard asks for a permit only for major renovations. Anjou generally doesn't require one for identical windows, with an exception for openings that don't meet the rules. Montréal-Nord requires one, with a separate approval path for heritage buildings. None of these has its own page, but requests from all of them are welcome: name your borough, and the pro will know which counter applies.
Outremont: ask the permit counter first
Outremont requires a permit to replace windows and doors, and the borough goes a step further than most: it recommends a visit to the permit counter before you start (Outremont rules). The borough has been mostly residential since the 1950s, with its shops along Laurier, Bernard and Van Horne. Whether it's a storefront or a house, bring photos of the existing windows and the pro's written quote, and ask what the borough expects before anything is ordered.
The Town of Mount Royal, most of which is a National Historic Site, is an independent town with its own permits. We haven't reviewed its rules, so check with the town directly.
Nineteen counters, and finding your neighbourhood's page
For same-size replacement, the city's own summary is that the rules differ by borough. Most require a permit; a few generally don't; several add conditions on materials or styles. Adding or enlarging an opening always needs a permit, and so do sliding patio doors and bay windows (montreal.ca).
The central plex boroughs each have a page, listed on the service areas page. Two show how far apart the rules can be: the Plateau and Mile End, where repairing original windows generally needs no permit, and the Sud-Ouest, the strictest borough on materials. Westmount, an independent city, runs its own review.
Montreal questions
Do you find pros in every Montreal borough?
Yes. We connect you with independent glass professionals who work across the island, in the central plex boroughs and in the east, north and west. Coverage doesn't depend on whether your borough has a page. Add your borough and postal code to the request form so the pro knows which permit counter applies, and we'll follow up if the request goes quiet.
Do I need authorization to change windows in Old Montreal?
Very likely. Much of Old Montreal is a declared historic district, and in a declared heritage site Quebec requires authorization to repair a building or change its appearance, in addition to the borough's permit. Ville-Marie also favours keeping or restoring original windows. Find out the building's status before anything is ordered, and expect the pro to work from the existing windows' details.
What are the permit rules in Outremont?
Outremont requires a permit to replace windows and doors, even with models of the same size, and recommends visiting the permit counter before you begin. Bring numbered photos of each window and the pro's written quote, and ask what the borough expects for your building. Our permit guide lists what most borough files include.
Can I get a storefront window replaced downtown?
Yes. We connect merchants with commercial glass pros who handle display windows and glass doors downtown and in Old Montreal. The usual order is to make the area safe, photograph the damage for your insurer, have the opening secured, then replace the glass once it's measured. In a heritage building, anything that changes the storefront's look may need approval. See storefront glass.
Do Saint-Léonard or Anjou require a permit for identical windows?
Generally not, with conditions. Saint-Léonard requires a permit only for major renovations, not for maintenance or minor work. Anjou generally doesn't require one for an identical replacement, unless an existing bedroom egress window, or a window or door that serves as a second exit, doesn't comply with the rules. Either way, a call to the borough before ordering settles it.