Aluminium window prices: what a project actually pays per m²
For project quantities, most of our thermal-break aluminium window and door orders fall between USD 80 and USD 150 per square metre, FOB China. Where your project lands in that band is not a matter of negotiation — it is decided by system depth, glass build-up, hardware, finish, certification and volume. This page sets out what each part of the band buys, how a quotation is built up, and how to send a specification that comes back as a number you can budget against.
The budget band: USD 80–150 per m², and what each part buys
Three working bands, not a price list. The figures are indicative FOB China levels for budgeting a project; your number is confirmed against the window schedule.
| Band | Typical specification at this level | Typical project |
|---|---|---|
| USD 80–100 / m² | Thermal-break casement or sliding systems at standard depths, standard double glazing (clear or low-E), reliable domestic or Asian hardware, stock finishes (white, grey, black), mechanically spliced corners, full-container volume | Residential villas and multi-unit housing where the market requires CE marking or no third-party label; repeat programmes |
| USD 100–125 / m² | Deeper systems with heavier wall thickness, low-E with argon fill, branded hardware (tilt-turn, multi-point locking), custom RAL powder coat or wood-grain, welded corner options, certified performance to CE or AS 2047 | Mid-to-high specification housing, hotels and commercial buildings in regulated markets |
| USD 125–150 / m² | Heavy-duty systems for large panels, lift-and-slide and heavy sliding doors, laminated or triple glazing, fluorocarbon finishes, certified performance to the destination standard, complex shapes and oversized sashes | Premium residential, North American and Canadian projects, coastal and high-wind exposure, architect-specified designs |
Under USD 80 / m²
Possible on very large repeat volumes with a fixed standard specification and stock finish, or on non-thermal-break systems supplied without glass. Not the level for certified markets.
Over USD 150 / m²
Impact-rated glazing, unitised or structural curtain wall, very large single panels, bespoke profiles, and small-batch custom colours. Quoted case by case.
What the band excludes
Sea freight, insurance, import duties, local taxes and installation. Those are quoted separately once the destination is known, and they are the reason a landed figure differs from a factory figure.
How a quotation is built up
Every export quotation resolves to the same seven inputs. The shares below are indicative ranges for budgeting a project — they are not a breakdown of our own costing, and the freight and duty lines depend on your route and country.
| Input | What actually drives it | Indicative share |
|---|---|---|
| Aluminium profile & thermal break | Frame depth, wall thickness, thermal break material, profile weight per metre | roughly 30–40% |
| Glass unit | Build-up (double, low-E, laminated, triple), area, spacer, gas fill | roughly 15–25% |
| Hardware | Opening method, brand, sash count and sash weight | roughly 10–20% |
| Fabrication & labour | Cutting, machining, corner jointing, welding versus mechanical splicing, assembly | roughly 10–15% |
| Packaging | Crate type, whether frames are knocked down, protection level for sea freight | roughly 3–6% |
| Freight & logistics | Route, season, full container versus consolidated, inland haulage | roughly 5–15% |
| Duties, taxes & certification | Destination country, import classification, any market-specific testing or labelling | varies by destination |
Aluminium ingot is the single largest raw-material input, which is why quotations carry a validity period rather than staying open indefinitely.
The six variables that move a quotation most
These are what decide whether your project sits at USD 80 or at USD 150. Ranked by how much they typically change the total; the effects are relative to the same base specification, not absolute amounts.
| Variable | Typical effect | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Frame depth and system class | the largest single driver | A deeper system with a heavier wall thickness uses substantially more aluminium per metre and usually carries a wider thermal break. Moving from an entry system to a heavy-duty system is what takes a project from the low band to the high band. |
| Glass specification | typically +6–12% | A low-emissivity coating with argon is an upgrade over standard clear double glazing; laminated and triple builds move further still. Supplying frames without glass reduces the glazing line materially. |
| Opening method | per sash, not per m² | Fixed panes carry almost no hardware. Casement, tilt-turn and awning sashes each require a mechanism; lift-and-slide doors require the heaviest hardware sets, priced per unit. |
| Frame construction | typically +5–10% | Fully welded and sealed corners cost more per square metre than mechanically spliced frames, and perform differently at the corner joint over the life of the building. |
| Size and shape | per unit charges | Oversized sashes exceed standard perimeter allowances and need heavier profiles; arched heads, shaped glass and cut-outs are charged per unit because they are handled outside the standard line. |
| Quantity and colour | fixed costs spread | Custom colour carries a batch setup charge and a surcharge below roughly 50 m². Full containers also spread packing and inland haulage across more area, which is why volume moves the per-square-metre figure on its own. |
Order of magnitude matters more than precision at the enquiry stage. Getting these six right moves a budget estimate from "somewhere between 80 and 150" to within roughly ten per cent of the final figure.
A worked example with real numbers
A single window and a whole project, both from the same band. Figures are indicative FOB China levels for budgeting, not a quotation.
| Configuration | Specification | Indicative level |
|---|---|---|
| One window, 1500 × 1500 mm | Clear double glazing, spliced frame, standard hardware, stock colour — 2.25 m² | USD 180–225 per unit |
| Same window, tilt-turn | Branded tilt-turn mechanism rated for the sash weight, low-E glass, welded corners | USD 250–330 per unit |
| 600 m² villa project, standard | Casement and sliding mix, low-E double glazing, stock colour, one container | USD 48,000–60,000 FOB |
| 600 m² villa project, specified | Heavier systems, branded hardware, custom RAL, certified to the destination standard | USD 72,000–90,000 FOB |
The two villa lines differ by around half again, and both are the same floor area. That is the point: the band is wide because the specification is wide. A supplier who answers "how much per square metre" with a single number before seeing the schedule has either not understood the project or has padded the figure to cover every possibility — and that padding is what you pay for.
Container utilisation adds a further, separate effect: the same product costs less per square metre landed when it fills a container than when it travels as a consolidated shipment.
Why two Chinese factories can differ by 40%
When two quotations for "the same" window differ by that much, the difference is almost always in one of five places. None of them are visible in a photograph, and all of them sit inside the band above.
| Difference | What to check |
|---|---|
| Profile wall thickness | Ask for the measured wall thickness in millimetres, not the frame depth. A thinner wall uses materially less aluminium per metre and changes both weight and structural performance. |
| Thermal break material | Polyamide (PA66 GF25) is the standard for a genuine thermal break. PVC inserts are cheaper and behave differently over time and temperature. |
| Glass origin and build-up | Whether the sealed unit is made in-house or bought in, which original glass manufacturer is used, and whether the spacer and gas fill are as specified. |
| Hardware brand | A named European mechanism and a generic equivalent look similar on day one and diverge in service life. Ask for the brand and model on the quotation. |
| Testing and certification | Whether the quoted price includes an actual third-party test report and certification, or assumes you will not ask. This line alone can account for a visible gap. |
Checking these five takes one email. It is the fastest way to find out whether a cheaper quotation is a better price or a lighter product — and it explains how two offers for the same drawing can sit at opposite ends of the USD 80–150 band.
How to ask for a quotation you can actually use
The accuracy of a quotation is almost entirely set by the quality of the enquiry. Six items, sent once, produce a number you can budget against.
| Send this | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Window schedule | Mark, width × height, quantity and opening method for every unit. This is the single most important document. |
| Glass requirement | Build-up, coating, thickness, and any acoustic or safety requirement per elevation. |
| Surface finish and colour | Powder coat, fluorocarbon or wood-grain, with a RAL or sample reference. |
| Certification needed | Destination country and the standard you must meet — AS 2047, NFRC, CSA or CE. |
| Destination port | Needed for freight, and to quote CIF or DAP rather than FOB only. |
| Target delivery window | So we can confirm production slot and transit realistically rather than quoting a best case. |
What we do not quote
Being explicit about this saves everyone time, and it is the reason our quotations hold.
Single retail units
We build for projects and distribution programmes, not one-off replacements for a homeowner. Below project quantity, fixed setup costs dominate and the per-square-metre figure stops being meaningful.
Lowest-price comparisons with no standard
If there is no certification requirement and no defined specification, we are not the right factory. That work goes to whoever is cheapest, and we do not compete on that basis.
Vague specifications
"Same as the photo" is not a specification. Without sizes, glass and hardware, any number we give would be a guess, and guesses turn into disputes at delivery.
Frequently asked questions
Last updated: 2026-10
What is your price per square metre?
For project quantities, most thermal-break aluminium window and door orders fall in the range of USD 80 to USD 150 per square metre, FOB China. Where a project lands in that band depends on system depth and wall thickness, glass build-up, hardware brand, opening method, surface finish, certification requirement and order volume. The only way to get a firm number is a quotation against your window schedule, which we return within one working day.
Why is there no fixed price list?
Because a made-to-measure window has no single rate. The same frame depth can cost materially different amounts depending on glass build-up, opening method, hardware brand, colour and the certification your market requires. The published band is for budgeting; the quotation is issued against your schedule, so that the number survives contact with the project.
What is included in the USD 80–150 per m² range?
The band covers the manufactured window or door: aluminium profile with thermal break, sealed glass unit, hardware, fabrication and standard export packaging, quoted FOB Foshan or a nominated Chinese port. It excludes sea freight, insurance, import duties, local taxes and installation, which are quoted separately once we know the destination. Very large panel systems, impact-rated glazing and unitised curtain wall sit above the band.
What is your minimum order quantity?
Project quantities, not single retail units. As a practical guide, we work from around 50 m² of window and door area per order, which is roughly one container for most residential projects. Below that, fixed costs such as custom colour set-up and packing are spread over too little area to be economical for either side, and the per-square-metre figure rises accordingly.
Do you quote FOB or CIF?
Both, and we state which one on the quotation. FOB Foshan or a nominated Chinese port is the default. CIF or DAP to your port can be quoted once we know the destination, because freight and insurance vary by route and season. Duties, import taxes and local clearance are the buyer's responsibility in both cases.
How long is a quotation valid?
Typically 30 days, because aluminium ingot price is the largest raw-material input and it moves. If your project is scheduled beyond that window, tell us at the enquiry stage and we will quote with a validity period or an adjustment clause tied to the metal price rather than letting the number quietly expire.
Can I order a sample window before a full order?
Yes. Sample windows and sample corners are routinely produced, usually without glass, and the cost is credited against a subsequent project order. A sample lets you check profile finish, corner jointing and hardware feel before committing. Allow production time plus courier transit, typically two to three weeks door to door.
How much does certification add to the price?
If the product you need already holds the certification for your market, the cost is already inside the product and adds nothing. Additional cost appears only when a project requires new testing, a new product certification, or project-specific labels — for example a new NFRC simulation or a new AS 2047 test specimen. We tell you which case applies before you commit.
What payment terms do you use?
Standard terms are a deposit with the order and the balance against bill of lading or before shipment, by bank transfer. For long-term or repeat programmes, terms can be reviewed. We do not ask for full payment upfront on a first order, and we do not quote against letters of credit with unusual clauses without reading them first.
Can you match a cheaper quotation I already have?
Sometimes, but only if the specifications are genuinely the same. Most large gaps come from profile wall thickness, thermal break material, glass origin, hardware brand, or whether third-party testing is actually included. Send us the competing specification and we will tell you plainly where the difference sits and whether it is a real saving or a thinner product.
Send the schedule, get a real number
Drawings, a window schedule or even a marked-up elevation is enough to start.