Windsor, Ontario
Window and glass work in the City of Windsor, from downtown out
Windsor, Ontario is a handful of old towns stitched together, with a downtown of heritage buildings, towers and college sites in the middle. So the job depends on where you are: a century-old sash in the core, a blown seal in a 1990s replacement, a torn screen in the middle of July. We connect you with an independent Windsor pro who does that kind of work, pass your request along, and follow up so it doesn't go quiet.
At a glance
- Housing
- Some of the oldest in Ontario; a large share built before 1960
- Heritage
- Register entries cluster downtown, in Walkerville and in Sandwich
- Season
- Screens and patio doors in use from mid-April to the end of October
A city of former towns, joined in 1935 and 1966
Sandwich, Walkerville and East Windsor, the old Ford City, joined Windsor in 1935; Riverside followed in 1966. Each grew up on its own terms, and the houses still show it.
- Walkerville: wood sash and leaded glass, and a heritage district still before Council.
- Olde Sandwich Towne: the one heritage district in force, and a grant that names windows and porches.
- Riverside: picture windows and patio doors along the river.
The rest, County towns included, are on the service areas page.
Downtown and the core: heritage-listed buildings, towers and college sites
The core has the biggest cluster on the City's heritage register, so a downtown house or storefront is more likely than most to be listed. If yours is, talk to the City's heritage planners before changing street-facing windows.
Downtown is also where Windsor rents and lives up high: towers, rentals, and St. Clair College sites along Riverside Drive West and on Victoria Avenue. In a condo, windows and balcony doors usually need the board's approval before anyone changes them, so ask the management office first.
Main-floor shops, glass entry doors and office fronts go through commercial glass.
What Windsor homes most often need
Summer does more damage here than winter.
- Blown seals: fog trapped inside thermal glass, the sealed unit. The unit can usually be swapped in its frame.
- Old wood sash: sticking or cord-broken windows on pre-1960 streets, often repairable.
- Window screens: torn mesh and bent frames, found in April and cursed by July.
- Patio doors: rollers and latches on doors open all summer.
- Small jobs: one cracked pane, a cabinet door, a cut mirror. Send them too.
Permits through the City's Planning & Building Department
The City's building permit page lists new or structural alterations to windows and doors, porches, sunrooms, solariums and basement or main-floor walkouts among the work that needs a permit. Replacing a window or door in the same opening isn't on either list, so it usually doesn't need one. Confirm with the City before the work is booked.
In the Sandwich district, some original street-facing windows also need a heritage permit, and Walkerville may get its own rules once Council decides on its proposed district.
Grants in Sandwich, Ford City and on the main streets
Windsor is unusual: some City programs name windows and doors on ordinary houses. The City's Sandwich Town and Ford City improvement plans, or CIPs, have residential grants for repairing or replacing front doors, windows and porches, and applications ask for two contractor estimates. In Ford City, the work also has to be visible from the road; the Ford City page explains what that means.
On the main streets, the Main Streets CIP helps with storefront façades, doors and windows included. Our guide to Windsor's CIP and façade grants walks through them. The City decides every application, so treat a grant as possible, not promised.
City of Windsor questions
Do I need a permit to add a walkout or make a window bigger?
Yes. The City of Windsor lists basement or main-floor walkouts and new or structural changes to windows and doors among the projects that need a building permit. A same-size swap in the existing opening usually doesn't, though the City doesn't say so outright, so confirm before booking. When you send a request, say whether the opening is changing, so the pro can plan for the permit.
Can I replace the balcony door in my downtown condo?
Usually not on your own say-so. In a lot of condo buildings, windows and balcony doors count as common property, which means board approval comes first. Ask the management office what's allowed and who pays, then take a written quote to the board. Smaller repairs, like new rollers, may be handled differently.
Is my house on Windsor's heritage register?
Look it up in the City's municipal heritage register. It marks each property as individually designated, inside a heritage conservation district, or listed without designation, and groups them by area. The core, Walkerville and Sandwich have the most entries. If your address appears, call the City's heritage planning staff before you change the front windows; what applies depends on the property's status.
Does the downtown CIP help with windows?
It might, but we can't confirm it. The City runs a downtown CIP alongside the neighbourhood and main-street plans, and we haven't seen exactly which window or interior work it covers. Ask the City's planning staff before you count on it.
Is my part of Windsor covered if it doesn't have its own page?
Yes. A neighbourhood gets its own page when its houses or rules need explaining; the rest of the city is served the same way. Tell us the street or building, add a photo, and we'll find an independent pro nearby who takes on that sort of work.