Carpenter Bee guide cover: window replacement cost in Ontario

Quick answer

In short

A standard replacement window in Ontario — slider, double hung, casement or awning — costs $500 to $1,000 installed in 2026. A bay or bow window is the outlier at $3,000 to $5,000.

Whole house: roughly $12,000 to $18,000 for a small home with 15 to 20 windows, and $25,000 to $35,000 for a large two-storey with 30 to 40.

And the rebate, which people assume is generous: Ontario’s Home Renovation Savings program pays $100 per rough opening for windows and doors — and only as part of a bundle with other upgrades, not on its own. On a twenty-window house that is $2,000 against a $15,000 job, if you qualify at all.

Prices by window type

TypeInstalled, each
Slider$500–$1,000
Double hung$500–$1,000
Casement$500–$1,000
Awning$500–$1,000
Picture$500–$1,500
Tilt and turn$800–$1,500
Bay or bow$3,000–$5,000

A second Ontario supplier, updated August 2026, prices vinyl units before installation from $220–$350 for a small slider up to $1,680–$2,630 for a large bay — which shows how much of your invoice is labour and trim rather than the window itself.

Whole-house totals

HouseWindowsTotal
Small 2-bedroom15–20$12,000–$18,000
3-bedroom bungalow17$12,835–$17,365
Medium 3-bedroom20–25$15,000–$22,000
Two-storey 3-bedroom23$18,870–$25,530
Large 4-bedroom32$24,415–$33,035
Large two-storey30–40$25,000–$35,000

Retrofit or full frame — which am I being quoted?

This is the question that makes two quotes comparable, and most homeowners never ask it.

Retrofit (also called insert) keeps the existing frame and fits the new window inside it. Faster, cheaper, less mess — and it loses a little glass area because the new frame sits inside the old one.

Full frame, sometimes called brick-to-brick, removes everything back to the rough opening, which lets the installer see and fix rot, re-insulate the gap and re-flash properly. It costs more and it is the right call when the old frames are soft, when there is water damage, or when the house is being resided anyway.

A cheap quote and an expensive quote often differ by nothing but this. Ask both companies which method they priced.

What about the rebate?

Ontario’s Home Renovation Savings program, run by Save on Energy with Enbridge Gas, lists windows and doors at $100 per rough opening, available in a bundle only. The larger money in that program sits elsewhere: up to $7,500 for a cold climate air source heat pump, $1,250 for attic insulation, up to $7,700 for an insulation bundle.

If your goal is a warmer house rather than new-looking windows, that ranking is worth reading twice. Attic insulation is usually the cheapest comfort per dollar in an Ontario home, and it has its own rebate line.

Check the program page yourself before you buy. The page does not publish an end date, and eligibility conditions change.

Red flags in a window quote

What you seeWhy it mattersWhat to do
Method not statedRetrofit and full frame are different jobs at different pricesAsk every company to write which method they quoted
Price per house, not per windowYou cannot compare, and adding or dropping a window becomes a negotiationAsk for a per-opening price list with sizes
Door-to-door sale with a same-day discountWindows are one of the most aggressively sold home products in OntarioNever sign at the door. A contract signed at home can be cancelled within 10 days
Rebate presented as guaranteedThe bundle condition and eligibility rules are easy to missRead the Save on Energy page yourself before paying a deposit
No mention of capping, trim or caulkingExterior capping and interior trim are where cheap installs are visibly cheapAsk what the outside and inside will look like when finished, in writing
Warranty described as “lifetime”Glass seal, hardware, frame and labour usually carry different termsAsk for the years on each, separately

What to do next

Count your windows and note the type and rough size of each before you call anyone. That one page turns three vague quotes into three comparable ones.

Then decide what you are actually buying: if it is comfort, read the Home Renovation Savings page and compare what insulation would cost. If it is windows, get three per-opening quotes on the same method.

Check each company with our contractor checklist and read your rights on a renovation contract — the 10-day cancellation right exists largely because of how windows are sold.

Carpenter Bee is a classified directory. We do not vet the companies listed here and a listing is not a recommendation.

Frequently asked questions

Not for like-for-like replacement in an existing opening. A permit is needed when the opening changes size, when a window becomes a door, or when the work affects structure. Heritage districts have their own approvals.

Triple glazing adds cost and weight and improves insulation. Whether it pays back depends on your heating system, the exposure of each wall and how long you will stay. Ask for pricing both ways rather than accepting one option.

Retrofit fits a new window inside the existing frame: cheaper, faster, slightly less glass. Full frame removes everything to the rough opening, which allows rot repair, re-insulation and proper flashing, and costs more.

Home Renovation Savings pays $100 per rough opening for windows and doors, available only as part of a bundle with other upgrades. Larger rebates in the same program go to heat pumps and insulation.

Most standard windows cost $500 to $1,000 installed in 2026. Picture windows run to $1,500, tilt and turn to $1,500, and bay or bow windows $3,000 to $5,000 because of the structural work involved.

Roughly $12,000 to $18,000 for a small home with 15 to 20 windows, $15,000 to $22,000 for a medium three-bedroom, and $25,000 to $35,000 for a large two-storey with 30 to 40 openings.

Sources

  • Canadian Choice Windows, Replacement windows cost in Canada, updated 12 May 2026 — windowscanada.com
  • TH Windows & Doors, Window replacement prices in Toronto, updated 18 August 2026 — thwindowsdoors.com
  • Save on Energy, Home Renovation Savings program page — saveonenergy.ca, checked 18 September 2026

Prices are published ranges collected on 18 September 2026, not quotes. Rebate terms change — confirm on the program page.

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