What Changes the Price of a Glazing Job

What moves the number

Size, and how many openings: More glass and framing costs more. Very large lites can need special handling and equipment to set.
Doors and their hardware: Each door brings its frame and hardware: hinges or pivots, closers, locks, exit devices, and automatic operators where they are needed.
The glass: Insulated or single, tempered or laminated, and any coatings or tints. Code requires safety glass in some places, such as doors.
The system and the finish: Thermally broken framing costs more than framing without a break, and exterior work in a Chicago winter usually calls for it. Anodized, painted and custom colors are priced differently.
Taking out the old: Removing and hauling away an old storefront or window, and fixing what turns up behind it, such as rotted blocking or missing anchors.
Access: Ground floor or up high, lifts or scaffolding, how close we can park, and how much of the space has to be protected while we work.
The schedule: After-hours or weekend work, phasing so a business can stay open, and rush lead times.
Drawings and approvals: Shop drawings, engineering and permits, where the job needs them.

Ask for every quote in writing, with what is included spelled out, so two quotes can be compared line by line.

Lite

A single pane of glass.

Pivot

Door hardware that carries the door at the top and bottom instead of along its edge.

Closer

A device that closes a door on its own and controls how fast it closes.

Tempered glass

Heat-treated safety glass that is much stronger than regular glass and breaks into small, dull pieces.

Laminated glass

Two or more lites bonded to a plastic interlayer that holds the pieces together if the glass breaks.

Thermal break

A low-conductivity strip that separates the inside and outside aluminum of a frame.

Anchor

A clip or fastener that ties the framing to the building structure.

Shop drawings

Detailed drawings from the installer that show exactly how the system will be built, sent for approval.