Widening the patio door opening: does Brampton require a permit?

Yes. A wider or new opening needs a City building permit, with a survey, elevations and lintel details. A same-size swap isn't on the City's permit list either way, so confirm it with the Building Division. Ask who prepares the drawings when you request quotes.

Is a tilt-and-turn patio door a good choice for a Canadian winter?

It can be. It closes tight against its seals at several points, which helps against wind and drafts. The trade-offs: it swings into the room, so it needs clear floor space, and as a single panel the opening may be narrower than a slider's.

Can a new patio door earn the Home Renovation Savings rebate?

It might. The Home Renovation Savings Program pays per rough opening for ENERGY STAR certified doors and windows, generally through its assessment pathway with two or more upgrades. A new sealed unit in the old door won't qualify. The same rules apply to replacement windows.

Is there an average price for replacing a patio door?

There's no useful average, because doors, glass and openings vary so much. The price follows style and width, frame material, glass, any structural or permit work, and repairs under the old sill. Written quotes for the same spec tell you more.

Is it cheaper to repair a patio door or replace it?

Repair almost always costs less when the frame is sound: rollers, a latch or a new sealed unit. Replacement becomes the better value when the frame is bent, the sill is soft, or you'd pay for several repairs on a door that still leaks air.

Replacing the door

Replacing a patio door, from same-size swaps to new walkouts

A same-size swap, a wider opening and a window turned into a walkout are three different jobs, and the City treats them differently. We're a free referral service: we match you with an independent installer who measures, quotes in writing and does the work. First, check the repairs worth trying.

A repair check first
Permit pointers for new openings
An itemized written quote

Get a free quote 905-216-6105

A hinged French pair where a slider used to be.

Check first

Before you replace: a quick repair check

It drags or won't lock

New rollers and a latch adjustment fix most of these; see sliding door repair.

The glass is foggy or cracked

The sealed unit in one panel can be replaced on its own.

Drafty after new seals

Then the frame may be out of square, and that is a reason to replace.

Permits

Same opening or a bigger one? Why it matters for permits

The City's list of work that doesn't need a permit doesn't mention same-size door replacement either way, so confirm with the Building Division before relying on it.

Widening an opening, or cutting a new one where a window was, needs a building permit. The City's openings package asks for a survey, elevations, lintel details and, for a new door, the sill height, landing and stair direction. Ask who prepares them before you sign. On a larger renovation, the installer can act as the builder's door trade; see contractors.

Install day

Install day when a basement tenant uses the walkout

When the rear walkout is also a second unit's entrance, plan around both households.

Agree the date
Tell your tenant well ahead and agree how they'll get in while the opening is empty.
Old door out, new door in
The installer checks the sill, sets the new frame level and square, and seals it.
Walk-through and keys
Check it runs smoothly and locks, the area is clean, and the tenant has working keys.

Styles

Sliding, tilt-and-turn and hinged styles compared

Each opens differently. For the front of the house, see entry doors.

Sliding

Nothing swings into the room, so it suits tight spaces. Rollers and track are what wear.

Tilt-and-turn

Tilts in for air or swings open, and closes against its seals at several points, which helps in wind. Needs floor space inside.

Hinged or French

A single door or a pair on hinges. Opens the full width but needs room to swing.

Illustration

A dark slider replaced with a white one

Same opening, new door, no new framing.

Start a patio door request

Rebates

Rebate eligibility for ENERGY STAR doors

Ontario's Home Renovation Savings Program offers a rebate per rough opening for ENERGY STAR certified windows and doors, generally as part of a home energy assessment with two or more upgrades. A patio door on its own may not qualify, and new glass in an old door doesn't. If someone calls or knocks offering a door “program”, check the program's own site first.

Pricing a new door

What sets the price of a new patio door

Style and width: slider, tilt-and-turn, hinged or French pair
Frame material, plus interior and exterior colour
Glass: panes, low-E coating, tint or internal blinds
Same opening or a wider one, with permit drawings and a lintel
Sill and subfloor repairs found when the old door comes out

Ask for a written, itemized quote: door, glass, installation, trim, disposal, permit work, warranty and completion date, with any surprises priced in writing first.

Start a patio door request

Asking is free; independent installers quote.

Glass

Glass choices: tempered safety glass, low-E, blinds between glass

Safety glass, tempered or laminated, comes with any sliding door. You choose the rest: low-E to reflect heat back in, a third pane for a warmer room side in January, or blinds sealed between the glass for privacy on a walkout facing a neighbour's yard.

Condo townhouses

Townhouse and condo patio doors

In a freehold townhouse the door is yours. In a condominium townhouse it's often a common element, so the corporation decides, and permitted work there needs a Notice of Permission to Construct signed by the corporation (see the openings package). Ask the board or property manager before getting quotes.

Questions

Questions before replacing a patio door

Explore your options

Installers we connect you with work across the city, including Bramalea, Peel Village, Professor's Lake and Castlemore.

Send the opening width and a photo from inside

Measure across the frame and say whether you want the same style. We pass it to a local installer, and we follow up so the quote doesn't go quiet.