What Strata Window Replacement Costs

The first question most committees ask is how much it will cost. A single figure would be misleading, because unit blocks vary so much. What we can give you is our current prices, a worked example for a typical unit, and an honest list of what changes the number. The final figure comes from a site walk and an itemised proposal.

Our current prices

The table further down shows our current prices for each product at a standard size, with a drawing of each. All are white Aluplast Ideal 4000 uPVC with 4mm Low-E / 20mm argon / 4mm clear toughened double glazing. Installed prices are for a single item fitted by our own team; flyscreens are extra. Thermally broken aluminium is quoted per project.

Worked example: a two-bedroom unit

Take a typical two-bedroom unit in a 1970s walk-up: one balcony sliding door of about 2100 x 2100mm, three casement windows of about 900 x 1200mm in the bedrooms and living room, and an awning window of about 900 x 600mm in the bathroom.

Priced one item at a time from the table below, that is a sliding door at $4,841.93, three casements at $2,109.25 each and an awning at $1,775.95, or about $12,950 installed including GST. Real openings vary in size, so the figure moves up or down with them. Across a whole building, measuring, manufacture and installation are organised once, and volume pricing brings the per-unit cost down.

What moves the price for a whole building

• Opening sizes. Price follows the area of glass and frame, so large living-room windows and wide balcony doors carry most of the cost
• Glass specification. Acoustic laminated glass for main roads and flight paths, or Low-E for west-facing units, costs more than standard double glazing
• Frame system. uPVC and thermally broken aluminium are priced differently; we can quote both side by side
• Access. Ground and first floors are fitted from inside or a ladder; higher floors may need scaffolding, a swing stage or a boom lift
• Building condition. Rotten sub-sills, failed flashings or concrete damage behind old frames need repair before new windows go in
• Compliance items. Window safety devices, safety glass and wind ratings for exposed elevations
• Number of units and staging. One continuous program costs less per window than the same work spread over several years

Why whole-building replacement costs less per window

When every unit is done together we measure once, manufacture in one run, set up access once and keep the same installation crew on site. Owner-by-owner replacement repeats all of that for each unit and usually ends up with mismatched frames. Most buildings we work with see a lower per-window price on a whole-building program than any single owner would get alone.

Paying for it

Window replacement is usually funded from the capital works fund and should sit in the building's 10-year capital works plan. If the fund cannot cover the whole building at once, the work can be staged by elevation or block across financial years, with the same frames and colours throughout. Our approvals and funding guide covers this in more detail.

Running costs after replacement

Double glazing lowers heating and cooling bills in every unit, cuts the condensation that damages sills and paintwork, and removes the ongoing repair bills for worn rollers, failed seals and leaking frames. Those savings land with owners and the owners corporation for decades, which is worth including in the AGM papers alongside the price.