How it works: from your request to a written quote from a local pro

What windowsoshawa.com does, and what it leaves to the pro

Our part is small and specific: sort each request by the kind of work it needs, then hand it to an independent local pro who does that work in Oshawa or elsewhere in Durham. Everything after that is the pro's: measuring, supplying the glass or part, quoting and doing the job. They run their own firms and aren't on our payroll, so what you sign and any warranty you get come from them.

Ontario treats glazing as a non-compulsory trade: some installers hold the trade certificate, but no licence is required to do the work. Skilled Trades Ontario describes the trade. So judge a pro on the plain things: jobs like yours done recently, liability insurance, and a quote on paper.

After you press send

We read the details

Your description and photos tell us whether it's glass, hardware, a screen or a whole window. Mention the building type too, since the City's same-size permit exemption covers houses only, not apartments or shops.

An independent local pro contacts you

They ask about size, glass type and access, and either quote from photos or book a time to measure.

You get a written quote and decide

Take it, question it or turn it down; nothing obliges you to hire. If a finished job has a problem, go to the pro who did it first, because the contract is theirs. Then let us know, so we know how that pro handles things.

Why we follow up, and why a sealed unit takes time

The complaint heard most about glass jobs around here isn't price. It's the long wait for a sealed unit with no word on where it's at. Part of that is real: a new sealed unit is made to order, to the pro's measurements, so it can't be pulled off a shelf. The silence doesn't have to be. We check that the pro got in touch, and if nobody has, we pass your request to another. We can't set a pro's schedule or price, and we won't pretend to.

Your rights when you sign: estimates, cooling-off and HST

• Get it in writing. Ask for glass, parts, labour, removal and disposal on separate lines.
• Estimates. Ontario's Consumer Protection Act, 2002 means a final bill can't climb far past the estimate without your say-so.
• Cooling-off. A contract signed in your own home comes with a cooling-off period to cancel, no reason needed. Ontario sets out the steps on its home service contracts page.
• HST. It's added to home repair work in Ontario. Check whether the quote includes it; the CRA's rate calculator shows the rate.

What we pass on about you

The pro taking your job gets what they need to quote it: your contact details, the address, what you told us and your photos. That's what it's shared for. Once you've picked someone and want the calls to stop, say so and we'll close the request. For the details, read the privacy policy and terms of use; the FAQ covers the rest.