Saint-Henri · Pointe-Saint-Charles
Saint-Henri, Pointe-Saint-Charles, Griffintown: Sud-Ouest window rules
Le Sud-Ouest has the strictest window rules we found on the island. The borough bans PVC on the outside of windows, keeps original stained glass and glass blocks in place, protects transoms and sidelights, and strongly recommends getting the permit before you sign a contract. None of that makes a job impossible; it makes the order of steps matter. We're a free referral service that connects you with an independent local glass professional who can quote hybrid or original-style windows to these rules, or repair what you already have.
At a glance
- Housing
- Working-class neighbourhoods that grew up along the Lachine Canal
- Exterior PVC
- Not allowed anywhere in the borough; hybrids are
- Stained glass
- Original vitraux and glass blocks go back in
- Permit
- Strongly recommended before you sign
Working-class neighbourhoods along the Lachine Canal
The Sud-Ouest grew as a string of working towns along the Lachine Canal and joined Montreal in stages: Saint-Henri in 1905, Sainte-Cunégonde in 1906, and Côte-Saint-Paul and Ville-Émard in 1910. Pointe-Saint-Charles, Little Burgundy and Griffintown are part of the same borough, under the same rules.
The housing that grew up around the canal's industry is what those rules now protect, down to the coloured glass over a door. Searches for a glass shop here often name the sector itself, and the answer is the same across it: know the borough's rules before you choose a window.
No PVC outside; hybrid is allowed
PVC exterior finishes are prohibited on windows throughout the borough, frames included (Sud-Ouest rules). Hybrid windows, with PVC on the inside and a different material, usually aluminum, on the outside, are allowed. On buildings the borough lists as architectural witnesses (témoins architecturaux), the exterior has to be wood or aluminum.
If the doors and windows on your façade are original, the replacement must keep the same form and model. If they aren't, you choose from the authorized models in the borough's Annexe F. Either way, what will the counter accept? comes before what will it cost? Our page on PVC and hybrid windows explains the difference in construction.
Stained glass and glass blocks: keep and reinstall
Original stained glass (vitraux) and glass blocks have to be kept and put back when a door or window is replaced, and sidelights, transoms and carriage openings can't be blocked up. In practice, a replacement door or frame is chosen around the existing panel, and the pro removes the old glass with care and reinstalls it. If a panel is already cracked, ask the borough what it expects before anything is thrown out. For the plain glass around it, see door glass replacement.
Energy rating: what the by-law's “zone 2” means
The borough requires windows, patio doors and skylights serving dwellings to be ENERGY STAR certified. Its by-law still words that requirement as the one “for climate zone 2”, with a minimum energy rating attached. That phrase comes from an older version of the national criteria, which were replaced in 2020 by a single Canadian standard with no zones (NRCan).
In practice, ask for a product that meets current ENERGY STAR Canada criteria and the borough's energy-rating requirement, and have both appear on the soumission. The product sheet in the permit file is what the counter checks.
Get the permit before you sign
The borough strongly recommends obtaining the permit before signing a contract. For a window order, that turns the usual sequence around: a written soumission naming the model, a permit application built on it, and a signature only once the permit is issued. It protects you from owing money for windows the counter won't accept.
If the windows don't need replacing at all, the rules make keeping them even more attractive: a new thermos (the sealed glass unit) in a sound frame, restored wood sashes or new hardware keep the original window and its appearance. For full replacements, see replacement windows.
Sud-Ouest questions
Is any PVC allowed on windows in the Sud-Ouest?
Only on the inside. The borough prohibits PVC exterior finishes on windows, frames included, everywhere in the Sud-Ouest. A hybrid window, PVC inside with a different exterior such as aluminum, is allowed, while buildings listed as architectural witnesses need wood or aluminum outside. Ask the pro for a model that fits your building's category. See PVC and hybrid windows.
What happens to original stained glass when a door is replaced?
It stays. The Sud-Ouest requires original stained glass and glass blocks to be kept and reinserted, and sidelights and transoms can't be blocked. The new door or frame is fitted around the existing panel, which the pro removes and reinstalls. If a panel is damaged, ask the borough what it expects before anything is discarded. Our door glass page covers the plain glass around it.
Do I need the permit before signing the contract in the Sud-Ouest?
The borough strongly recommends it. Get a written soumission that names the model, apply for the permit with it, and sign once the permit is issued. That way you never owe money for windows the counter won't accept. Our borough permit guide explains what the file needs and how to number your photos.
What does the Sud-Ouest's “climate zone 2” requirement mean?
It's the by-law's wording for an energy-rating floor on windows, patio doors and skylights in homes. The national criteria dropped zones in 2020 in favour of one Canadian standard. In practice, ask for a certified product that also meets the borough's minimum energy rating, and make sure the product sheet in your permit file shows its rating.
Do you find pros in Saint-Henri and Pointe-Saint-Charles?
Yes. We connect you with independent local glass pros across the Sud-Ouest, including Saint-Henri, Pointe-Saint-Charles, Little Burgundy, Griffintown and Côte-Saint-Paul. Mention your neighbourhood and whether the façade is original, so the pro can quote within the borough's rules from the start. Next door, Verdun has detailed door rules of its own.