Storefront glass · Markham
Storefront glass: make it secure, then replace it properly
A display pane with a crack running in from one corner, or a door light smashed overnight. Storefront glass is usually made to order, so the job comes in two parts: secure the opening now, then fit new glass that suits the frame. We connect you with an independent commercial glazier who handles both and quotes in writing. When one pane is broken, one pane is usually all that's replaced. It's part of our commercial glass services.
- Board-up first, new glass once it's made
- Condo-owned units and heritage fronts
- Written quotes from commercial glaziers
The first hours
First hours after a break: safety and board-up
The order that works: make it safe, record it, cover it, then replace it. A cracked window upstairs or at the back follows the same steps; see broken window glass.
Keep people clear
Tape off the sidewalk or corridor. Cracked plate glass can shed heavy pieces, so leave loose glass in the frame.
Tell the building's manager
In a plaza or condo-owned mall, management may have rules about work in common areas. Telling them early saves a second visit.
Ask for a board-up
If the unit can't be locked, include a board-up in your request. Evening attendance isn't guaranteed; it depends on who covers your area.
Glass types
Plate, tempered or laminated: storefront glass types
The glass in your frame decides how the replacement is made.
Newer plaza fronts often use sealed double-glazed units, replaced whole in the same frame.
Plate glass
Plain sheet glass, not heat-treated. It can be cut to fit odd-sized frames but breaks into long, sharp pieces. Many heritage display windows are this type.
Tempered glass
Heat-treated for strength, and it breaks into small, blunt granules. Tempering fixes its size for good, so each pane is made to the measured size. Door lights use it; see commercial glass doors.
Laminated glass
A clear interlayer is sandwiched between two sheets and keeps the broken glass in place. It slows a break-in without making a front unbreakable.
Insurance
Insurance and documenting damage
Photos taken before anything is swept up are the ones an adjuster wants. Call your broker before approving permanent work.
Photograph the whole front
One wide shot with the unit number or sign and the broken pane both in frame, followed by close shots of the damage, the frame corners and whatever struck the glass.
Keep the paperwork separate
Board-up and permanent glass are usually billed separately, and insurers want both.
Condo-owned malls
Units in condo-owned malls: owners, managers and approvals
Pacific Mall, at Steeles and Kennedy, operates as a condominium corporation, so each shop unit has its own owner.
In a landlord-run plaza along Highway 7, the lease is the first place to look. Either way, the pro quotes to whoever approves the work.
The unit owner
Usually arranges and pays for glass within the unit. Tenants start with the owner and check the lease.
The corporation
Its declaration sets which glass is the unit's and which is common elements. Work on common elements needs the board's approval first.
Heritage main streets
Main Street Markham and Unionville: heritage storefronts
Both main streets sit inside heritage conservation districts, where the City requires a heritage permit before exterior changes, shop windows and doors included. The Markham Village plan describes Main Street's shopfronts by their large plate-glass windows at street level.
Check with the City's heritage staff before any work starts, even for a pane in the same frame. The districts are also Special Sign Districts, so lettering or a logo on the glass may need approval too; the heritage protection page has the contacts. Our heritage district guide and Markham Village page go further.
Pricing factors
What a storefront glass quote depends on
No two storefront panes are priced alike. Expect questions on:
- Pane size, and plate, tempered or laminated glass
- A single sheet or a sealed double-glazed unit
- Aluminum, older wood or a frameless door
- Access, such as mall hours or high transom lights
- A board-up visit before the glass is ready
With a wide shot of the front and a close-up of one frame corner, a pro can often start pricing before the visit.
Heritage grant
The heritage grant for historic storefront work
Markham's Heritage Property Grant, launched in 2026, lists the repair or restoration of authentic historic storefront treatment as eligible work, and commercial façades inside the heritage districts can apply even when the building isn't designated. Routine maintenance isn't covered.
It asks for two professional quotes for the same scope and runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines set by the City. Read the current grant guidelines before you commit, and mention the grant in your request so the quote is written around that scope.
Questions
Storefront glass questions
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Related glass help for businesses
Commercial glaziers we work with take on storefronts across Markham, including Markham Village, Unionville, Milliken Mills and Markham Centre.
Photograph the front and tell us the unit
Include the mall or address, the unit number and which pane is broken. We pass it to a commercial glazier, who comes back with next steps and a written quote.