Windows and doors
Glazing and misted units
Whether this needs a licence in Ireland
No licence required
Taken from the statute below; not yet reviewed by a lawyer
Glazing and misted units: what the job involves
Replacing a cracked pane or a double-glazed unit that has misted up between the panes, in the existing frame. The frame stays; a glazier measures the unit, has a new one made, and fits it on a second visit.
Also asked for as: misted windows · blown double glazing · glazier · broken window · replace glass
How the job is usually done
- Check the frame and hardware: is it only the glass, or is the sash dropping or the seal failing too?
- Measure the sealed unit exactly and note the glass spec — thickness, toughened, laminated, obscure, low-E, spacer colour.
- Make the opening safe if the glass is broken: board it or tape it until the new unit is in.
- Order the unit, usually ready in one to two weeks.
- Remove the glazing beads, take out the old unit, and fit the new one on packers so the sash stays square.
- Refit the beads and gaskets, check the window opens and locks freely, and take away the old glass.
Glazing and misted units: what is included
Usually included
- Measuring and ordering the new sealed unit or pane
- Removing and disposing of the old glass
- Fitting, packing and re-beading
- Re-adjusting the sash so it closes properly
Usually not included — agree it separately
- Replacing frames, hinges or handles, unless agreed
- Emergency boarding-up out of hours, unless agreed
- Leaded, stained or Georgian-bar glass, which is specialist work
Materials and who supplies them
- A new sealed unit made to measure by a glass supplier — arranged by the glazier
- Glazing packers, gaskets or new beads where the old ones are brittle
How long it takes
Measured on one visit and fitted on a second, usually one to two weeks apart; fitting takes under an hour per unit, longer for large or high panes.
When to book
Misted units are no emergency and can be done any time; a broken pane in an external door or ground-floor window should be boarded the same day.
Glazing and misted units: the rules in Ireland
What the official sources say, checked against them on the date shown. A summary, not legal advice — follow the link to read the rule itself.
Replacement windows, external doors and roof lights should have an average U-value no worse than 1.4 W/m²K. Replacing only the glass, a sash or a door leaf counts as a repair, not a replacement.
Applies to: the installer
Building Regulations Part L — Technical Guidance Document L, Dwellings (2019), paragraph 2.1.1.2 and Table 5 · gov.ie · Checked 9 October 2026
What glazing and misted units costs, and why
What jobs on Talqero came to
Not enough comparable jobs yet to publish a range here. Talqero shows a price range only once at least five comparable jobs, agreed prices or offers exist — a range from fewer would describe a handful of jobs, not the market. Post your job and compare the offers you get.
What affects the price
- Number and size of units
- Glass type: toughened, laminated, obscure, acoustic or low-E
- Height and access, and whether the unit is in a door
- Hardware or gaskets that also need replacing
- Emergency or out-of-hours boarding
- VAT: supply-and-fit windows and doors are usually charged at the reduced 13.5% building-services rate, but if the materials are more than two-thirds of the price Revenue’s two-thirds rule applies the standard rate to the whole job
- VAT: building work on a home is charged at the reduced rate of 13.5% by a VAT-registered business — unless the materials come to more than two-thirds of the price, when Revenue’s two-thirds rule applies the goods rate to the whole job. Ask whether a quote includes VAT.
Paperwork to ask for at the end
- A receipt with the glass specification, so it can be matched later
- The sealed unit guarantee, usually several years against misting
Safety
- Do not try to pull broken glass out of a frame by hand; tape it and keep children and pets away.
- Glass in doors, side panels and low panes should be toughened or laminated; ask for the kitemark on the corner.
- Leave large units to two people; a double-glazed unit is heavier than it looks.
Glazing and misted units: before you hire
Questions to ask a tradesperson
- Is the new unit toughened or laminated where it needs to be?
- What guarantee comes with the sealed unit?
- Can you match the obscure pattern or spacer colour?
- Is VAT included?
What you can do yourself
Taping a cracked pane and boarding a broken one temporarily is safe with gloves; fitting a sealed unit is a glazier’s job.
What to put in your task
- What is wrong with the glass?
- How many panes or units?
- Where is the glass?
- Which floor is it on?
Photos that help
- The whole window or door with the problem pane
- A close-up of the misting or crack
- The corner of the glass showing any stamp or spacer bar
Glazing and misted units by county
Choose your county for glazing and misted units close to home.
- Glazing and misted units in Dublin
- Glazing and misted units in Cork
- Glazing and misted units in Galway
- Glazing and misted units in Kildare
- Glazing and misted units in Limerick
- Glazing and misted units in Meath
- Glazing and misted units in Tipperary
- Glazing and misted units in Donegal
- Glazing and misted units in Wexford
- Glazing and misted units in Kerry
- Glazing and misted units in Wicklow
- Glazing and misted units in Mayo
- Glazing and misted units in Louth
- Glazing and misted units in Waterford
- Glazing and misted units in Clare
- Glazing and misted units in Kilkenny
- Glazing and misted units in Westmeath
- Glazing and misted units in Laois
- Glazing and misted units in Cavan
- Glazing and misted units in Offaly
- Glazing and misted units in Sligo
- Glazing and misted units in Roscommon
- Glazing and misted units in Monaghan
- Glazing and misted units in Carlow
- Glazing and misted units in Longford
- Glazing and misted units in Leitrim
Windows and doors
Need glazing and misted units? Describe the job.
Post it once, free. Professionals near you reply with their own price and when they could start. You choose, and pay them directly.
Questions about glazing and misted units
Does glazing and misted units need a licence in Ireland?
No licence is required for this work in Ireland (source: www.cru.ie). Ask instead for references and photographs of similar jobs.
Do I need a new window if the glass is misted?
Usually not. Misting between the panes means the seal on that unit has failed, and the unit can be replaced in the existing frame. A new window is only needed if the frame itself is rotten, warped or the hardware is worn beyond repair.
Can misted units be cleaned instead of replaced?
Some firms drill and dry units, but once the seal has failed the gas fill and insulating value are gone and misting usually returns. A replacement unit restores the insulation and comes with a guarantee.
Is a new unit covered by the window’s guarantee?
If the windows are within their sealed-unit guarantee, contact the original installer first; many cover misted units for several years. Otherwise any glazier can supply a matching unit.