Glass and Aluminium Project Budget Estimator

What a good one includes

• Linear meter extrusion costs, including a realistic waste percentage of 10% to 15% to account for unavoidable offcuts.
• Detailed glass specifications, including thickness, treatments like toughening or laminating, and specific processing charges for cutouts or polished edges.
• A dedicated hardware inventory tracking high-cost items like commercial pivots, multipoint locks, rollers, and weather-stripping seals.
• Estimated workshop fabrication hours calculated per frame, covering cutting, CNC machining, drainage slotting, and assembly.
• On-site installation labor costs, factoring in crew size, site accessibility challenges, and specialized lifting equipment hire if craneage is needed.
• A clear overhead allocation and net profit margin markup applied consistently across all material and labor totals.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Forgetting to factor in aluminium extrusion offcut waste, which leaves you paying for unused metal that cannot be billed to the client.
• Omitting small but essential consumables like setting blocks, structural glazing silicone, wedge vinyl, and specialized fixing anchors from the final count.
• Pricing installation at a flat rate without assessing physical site access, stairs, or the need for heavy glass suction cranes.
• Underestimating fabrication time for non-standard frames, such as raked windows, arched heads, or custom curtain wall connections.

Frequently asked questions