Aluminium Windows Cost: What Really Determines the Price

Why Quotations Differ So Much

"Aluminium window" describes a category, not a product. A quotation is the sum of many choices — profile system, glass, hardware, finish, fabrication and installation — and each one can be specified at very different levels. When two offers look alike on paper but differ in price, the reason is almost always hidden in one of the factors below.

1. The Profile System

The system determines the basic construction of the window:

• Standard (non-insulated) aluminium is simpler to produce and generally the lowest-cost option
• Thermal break aluminium adds polyamide strips and extra assembly steps, so it costs more, but it is the right choice for air-conditioned rooms in the Gulf
• Specialist systems such as lift & slide doors, folding doors, slim minimal frames, motorised windows and curtain walls involve more complex profiles and mechanisms

The opening type matters as well. A fixed pane is the simplest unit; a sliding window adds rollers and interlocks; a casement or tilt & turn window adds a sash, hinges and multi-point locking.

2. Profile Weight and Wall Thickness

Aluminium is bought by weight, so the amount of metal in a profile has a direct effect on cost. Two factors control it: the frame depth and the wall thickness of the extrusion.

Alminyar's casement range illustrates this clearly. The S11 and X11 share the same 110 mm frame depth, but the X11 steps up from 1.8 mm to 2.0 mm wall thickness. The F16 and Q35 use 3.0 mm walls with deeper frames of 116 mm and 135 mm. More metal means more rigidity, larger possible sash sizes and better resistance to wind load — and a higher material cost.

This is also where low quotations can save money unseen: a thinner wall or shallower profile can look identical in a brochure photo. Always ask for the wall thickness, frame depth and alloy (for example 6063-T5) in writing.

3. Glass Make-Up

Glass is often the largest single cost item in a window, and the range of options is wide:

• Single glazing versus double glazing versus triple glazing
• Clear glass versus tinted, reflective, Low-E or solar control coatings
• Annealed versus tempered (required for safety in many positions) versus laminated
• Cavity width and fill — for example 5+20A+5 versus 5+27A+5
• Acoustic laminated glass for noisy locations

A quotation that states only "double glazing" leaves too much open. The make-up of each pane, the coating and the cavity should be specified.

4. Hardware

Handles, hinges, locks, rollers and multi-point locking mechanisms are a significant part of the price, and their quality decides how the window feels and how long it keeps working. Alminyar systems are offered with hardware brands such as MAIBAHO, CMECH, VBH, OPK and GU depending on the system. Heavy sliding and lift & slide doors need rollers and mechanisms rated for the panel weight — the T127-90, for example, is designed for panels up to 400 kg.

5. Size and Configuration

Larger windows use more profile and glass, but cost does not scale simply with area:

• Many small windows cost more per square metre than a few large ones, because each unit needs corners, hardware and labour
• Very large panels may need heavier profiles, thicker glass and special handling equipment
• Complex shapes, arches, corner units and combinations with fixed and opening parts add fabrication time

6. Finish

Standard powder coating colours are the baseline. Costs rise with:

• Fluorocarbon (PVDF) coatings, used for higher UV and coastal durability
• Wood grain finishes and special effects
• Anodising
• Dual colours — a different colour inside and outside
• Non-standard colours in small quantities

7. Installation and Site Conditions

Supply-only and supply & install quotations are not comparable. Installation pricing depends on:

• Access, scaffolding and working height
• Whether sub-frames are required
• Sealing materials and method at the frame-to-wall joint
• Removal of existing windows in renovation projects
• Site distance and logistics, for example between Muscat and other regions of Oman, or across the UAE

8. Project Scale and Programme

Larger projects benefit from repeated sizes and efficient production runs. Small orders with many different sizes, rushed timelines or phased deliveries cost more per unit to manufacture and install.

Summary of Cost Drivers

How to Compare Quotations Fairly

1. Issue the same window schedule to every supplier, with sizes, opening types and quantities
2. Ask for the system model code, not a generic description
3. Compare wall thickness and frame depth line by line
4. Check the glass make-up — thickness of each pane, cavity, coating and safety glass
5. Confirm hardware brands for handles, hinges, locks and rollers
6. Confirm the finish type — powder coating or fluorocarbon, and the colour
7. Check the scope — supply only or supply & install, sealing, fixings, sub-frames and removal of old windows
8. Ask what is excluded — scaffolding, site protection, final cleaning
9. Request shop drawings and samples before fabrication
10. Ask about warranty terms and after-sales service in writing

A lower price that comes from thinner profiles, simpler glass or lighter hardware is not a saving — it is a different product.

Alminyar Recommendation

The best value usually comes from investing in the elements you cannot easily change later — the thermal break system, profile weight, glass and hardware — and keeping finishes and configurations simple where design allows. Send us your drawings or window schedule for a project in Oman, the UAE or elsewhere in the GCC, and we will provide a quotation that states the system, profile, glass, hardware, finish and installation scope clearly, so you can compare it on equal terms.