Time for a windows update

We’re not glassing over these stats—there are a lot of windows in Canada. The 2021 Census of Population counted close to 37 million Canadians and nearly 15 million private dwellings occupied by their usual residents.

Across the provinces in 2019, there was a total floor area of 709 million square metres spread across nearly 556,000 commercial buildings and another 72.5 million square metres of floor area among the country’s hospitals and postsecondary campuses.

If you’re wondering about how many businesses install all those windows for businesses and households, data on glass manufacturing and imports, and everything in between, this is a glass-half-full (and more!) story.

Installation

In June 2024, there were 2,250 glass and glazing contractors across Canada. Establishments in this industry primarily install glass panes in prepared openings and perform other glass work such as additions, alterations, maintenance and repairs.

These are typically small businesses. More than half of them (1,231) reported staff numbers, and of those, about half had 1 to 4 employees, one-quarter had 5 to 9 employees and most of the remainder had 10 to 49 employees.

There were also 18,655 finish carpentry contractors nationwide in June 2024. They install prefabricated windows, in addition to many other services.

If you need to get your windows replaced before the cooler weather sets in, it’s probably best to book the work as soon as you can. In the second quarter of 2024, the job vacancy rate among specialty trade contractors was 4.6%, or nearly 34,700 vacant positions.

The vacancy rate for specialty trade contractors has declined by 3.5 percentage points from the second quarter of 2022 (8.1%), when the number of economy-wide job vacancies hit a record high.

Manufacturing and raw materials

You’ll likely face a higher cost for window work, given the rise in manufacturing costs and prices for materials (whether sourced from Canada or abroad). In July 2024, prices paid at the factory gate for cement, glass, and other non-metallic mineral products increased 8.6% year over year. Since July 2020, prices have risen 39.7%.

Prices for sand, gravel, clay and refractory minerals, a product category of raw materials that includes industrial sand (used for glass manufacturing) have risen 26.3% from July 2020 to July 2024.

Businesses in the glass and glass product manufacturing industry group operating in Canada sold and shipped $174.0 million worth of product in July 2024. This comes one month after $203.3 million worth of product sold and shipped in June, the highest value since November ($272.4 million).

In July, the estimated month-end value of raw materials, fuel, supplies and components was $126.5 million, down from $138.9 million in June, which was the highest monthly total on record.

Our most recent annual operating statistics are from 2022, when the industry group reported a record $2.3 billion in total revenue. Also hitting a record high was total expenses ($2.1 billion), including higher costs for labour, materials and supplies.

A window into better efficiency

Windows, doors and skylights can be a significant source of energy loss in your home—up to 25%! For more energy saving tips, as well as further information on possible rebates and incentives, visit the Natural Resources Canada website.