Answers, with the number first.

A supplied-and-installed replacement window in Kitchener-Waterloo and the GTA runs roughly $900 to $1,750 per opening in 2026. Sliders and fixed units sit at the low end, casements and hung windows in the middle, and bay or bow units run $3,400 to $6,500 because they need structural support and a new roof or seat. Brick-to-brick installation adds about $250 to $450 per opening over a retrofit.

Retrofit installation leaves the existing window frame in the wall and fits the new unit inside it. Brick-to-brick removes the old frame entirely, back to the masonry opening, and installs a full new frame. Retrofit is faster and cheaper and is correct when the existing frame is sound. Brick-to-brick is the right call when the frame is rotted, when the opening has water damage, or when you want to recover the glass area a retrofit would lose.

Usually not — but there is an exception almost nobody mentions. Toronto exempts like-for-like replacement only in a detached house, semi-detached house or row house containing a single dwelling unit, where the opening size is unchanged and the structural support is not altered. If your house has a second suite, or is a duplex, a condo townhouse or an apartment, you need a permit even for identical same-size windows. Enlarging an opening, cutting a new one or converting a window to a door always needs a permit.

On street-facing elevations, usually not. Toronto’s conservation guidance requires that original windows which are sound or repairable be retained and restored, and that replacements match the materials, appearance and profile of the original. The Riverdale district plan says it plainly: wood windows are preferred, and vinyl and aluminium should be avoided. Windows not visible from the street, and interior work, generally fall outside the heritage permit. Note that being listed on the Heritage Register is not the same as being designated — a listed-only property does not need a heritage permit to replace windows.

A minimum unobstructed opening of 0.35 square metres with no dimension under 380 mm, openable from inside without tools, with the sill no more than 1,000 mm above the floor. Three things are widely misunderstood. The requirement is one egress window per floor level containing a bedroom, not one per bedroom. A door to the exterior on the same level exempts that level entirely, which is why many walkout basements need no egress window. And on a horizontal slider only the openable half counts, so the unit has to be roughly twice the width of the required clear opening.

One: the Home Renovation Savings Program pays $100 per rough opening for ENERGY STAR certified windows and doors. Three conditions catch most people out. A pre-retrofit energy assessment has to happen before any work starts — there is no retroactive claim. Windows and doors together count as only one upgrade and the program requires two, so a windows-only job earns nothing unless you pair it with insulation, air sealing or a heat pump water heater. And you need at least three window openings, or one door opening. The Canada Greener Homes Grant and Loan are both closed, and the Enbridge rebate that paid up to $325 per window ended in 2024, despite still being advertised in places.

Yes, and nothing in the building code prevents it. The real constraint is sealant chemistry: most sealants want 4°C to 27°C, cure more slowly when it is cold, and will not adhere if condensation forms on the substrate because the surface has dropped below the dew point. Installed properly — cold-weather-rated sealant, product conditioned indoors beforehand, frost-free surfaces, one opening open at a time — winter work is sound. Winter is also the quietest part of our schedule.

Most whole-home window projects take one to three days on site. A single window or door is usually a half day. Your install date is written into the contract before you sign, and if we miss it for any reason inside our control we credit $250 per day against your balance.

Yes. Single-window and single-door jobs are quoted at the same published rates as whole-home projects, with no minimum order and no small-job surcharge.

No. Every Sightline installation is done by our own employed crews. The lead installer on your job is named on your quote before you sign it, and the same crew returns for any warranty service.

Twenty-five years on the vinyl, the sealed glass unit and the hardware, plus the installation itself. It is non-prorated and transfers to the next owner of the home at no cost if the transfer is registered within 30 days of closing. Factory-applied exterior colour finishes carry a 10-year term.