"What do aluminum windows cost?" is a fair question that almost never gets a straight answer, because the honest reply is a range, and the range is wide. But wide is not the same as unknowable. After pricing a lot of these packages, I can tell you what actually moves the number and where premium European aluminum tends to land - so you can sanity-check a quote instead of squinting at it.
The short answer, per square foot
European thermally broken aluminum windows cost about $45 to $95 per square foot supplied in 2026 for opening windows, with large fixed glass lower at about $30 to $50 - which is about $1,460 to $2,300 for a 60 x 60 inch tilt and turn window and $765 to $880 for a fixed one in a standard system. That's the supplied number - the windows themselves. Ocean freight, customs and import duty turn it into a landed number, and installation is a separate local labor line on top of that.
The spread inside that range is not random. Large fixed glass sits at the bottom (about $30 to $50 per square foot); operable tilt-turn units sit toward the top; very small units, steel-look profiles and glazed entrance doors can run above it. If someone quotes you a single "$X per square foot" for a whole mixed package, that's a blended average, and it's only meaningful once you know the mix. For a broader look across materials, my guide on how much European windows cost puts these aluminum numbers next to uPVC, wood and aluminum-clad wood.
Aluminum window prices by size
Here is what that looks like per window, from the pricing model my estimator runs on: double glazed, clear glass, no bars, supplied. "Standard" is the two lower-priced aluminum window systems I quote; "steel-look / premium" covers the narrow-sightline and premium systems.
| Window size (W x H) | Area | Fixed, standard | Tilt and turn, standard | Tilt and turn, steel-look / premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 x 36 in | 6 sq ft | $310 - $355 | $590 - $635 | $795 - $925 |
| 36 x 48 in | 12 sq ft | $480 - $550 | $915 - $990 | $1,235 - $1,435 |
| 48 x 60 in | 20 sq ft | $665 - $765 | $1,265 - $1,370 | $1,715 - $1,990 |
| 60 x 60 in | 25 sq ft | $765 - $880 | $1,460 - $1,580 | $1,975 - $2,295 |
| 72 x 96 in | 48 sq ft | $1,165 - $1,335 | $2,220 - $2,400 | $3,000 - $3,450 |
Color does not change these numbers: matte black prices like white, and I show the full size list in what black aluminum windows cost. My estimates carry a +/-10% accuracy band on top.
What actually drives the number
Six things explain almost all of the variation in an aluminum window quote:
1. Size. This is the biggest and most counterintuitive driver. Cost per square foot drops as the unit gets bigger, because a lot of the cost is in the frame perimeter, hardware, and handling - not the glass field. A small 5-square-foot window can run more than double the per-square-foot rate of a large 30-square-foot one. When you compare quotes, compare like sizes.
2. Operation type. A fixed window is the cheapest thing you can buy per square foot - no hardware, no seals, no moving parts. A tilt-turn operable unit costs meaningfully more because it carries multi-point hardware and compression seals all the way around. A glazed door costs the most - typically a couple of times the per-square-foot rate of a fixed window of the same size - because of the hardware, the multi-point lock, and the heavier profiles.
3. Glass package. Double versus triple glazing, standard versus tempered (ESG), and any acoustic or solar-control coatings all move the price. On the aluminum systems I quote, going from double to triple glazing adds about 11 to 14 percent. Tempered glass adds a few percent and is effectively mandatory on large panes anyway.
4. Muntins and bars. Bars between the panes add a few percent per window; simulated divided lites (SDL) bonded to the glass add more, roughly 15 percent on a typical size, and a higher share on small windows with a dense grid. If the design has a lot of grid, that's a real line item, not a rounding error.
5. Finish and color. Standard RAL colors and anodized finishes are close in price; specialty finishes, dual-color (different inside and out), or wood-look laminates carry a modest surcharge. Matte black is a standard RAL color and prices like white - I show what black aluminum windows cost size by size in a separate breakdown. For the full menu, see my piece on European window colors and finishes.
6. Certification and US-spec details. On my pricing an NFRC label adds about 5 percent where the permit needs one and the selected system offers it, and a nailing flange for US-style installation about 6 percent on aluminum windows and doors. Neither is large individually, but they belong in the quote.
Duty is part of the landed price
The landed price includes the project-specific customs allowance and freight shown in the quote. Confirm the actual shipment treatment, quote validity and who handles any change before ordering. When comparing a domestic installed offer, also add installation and site work to the European DDP price. See project-specific import costs.
How European aluminum compares
Against domestic US aluminum, premium European systems usually cost more per square foot on supply - but the comparison is rarely apples to apples. Many US residential aluminum windows are hung, slider or casement units with a poured-and-debridged thermal break; European systems bring tilt-turn operation, multi-point hardware, and a deeper thermal break as standard. If you want to know what that deeper break actually is - and why the poured break on most US frames is narrower - I explain both methods in thermally broken aluminum windows explained. You're buying a different level of performance and sightline, not the same window from a different port. My American vs European aluminum benchmark lays the specs side by side.
Aluminum vs uPVC windows: what is the price difference?
European aluminum windows cost roughly three times as much as European uPVC windows of the same size and opening type. Premium European uPVC lands at about $15 to $25 per square foot; aluminum's $45 to $95 reflects the slimmer sightlines, the structural spans it can achieve, and the finish durability. The gap is widest on opening sashes and narrowest on fixed glass.
| Same window, supplied | European uPVC | European aluminum |
|---|---|---|
| Price per sq ft | about $15 - $25 | about $45 - $95 |
| 60 x 60 in tilt and turn | about $475 - $580 | about $1,460 - $2,300 |
| 60 x 60 in fixed | about $330 - $400 | about $765 - $880 (standard system) |
| Triple glazing uplift | about +15% | about +11-14% |
| Nailing flange uplift | +8% | +6% |
| Color | white standard, foil colors extra | any RAL powder coat, black same as white |
For the uPVC side size by size, see the uPVC tilt and turn windows price list; the aluminum vs PVC guide walks through when each one is the right call - it's a genuine design decision, not just a budget one.
What the number does not include
The per-square-foot range above is the supplied window. To get from there to a number you can budget, add the landed costs, then installation:
| Price level | What it includes | Who prices it |
|---|---|---|
| Supplied | The windows, glazed and finished | My estimator and quote |
| Landed (DDP) | Supplied + ocean freight, customs clearance, import duty and delivery to site | Every quote I send is DDP |
| Installed | Landed + local installation labor and site work | Your installer |
The supplied range does not include:
- Installation labor, which is local and varies widely by market, opening type, and how the windows mount (flange, bracket, or into a prepared buck).
- Site conditions - openings that need rework, structural headers for big glass, or waterproofing details.
- Doors priced as windows. Glazed entrance and lift-and-slide doors are their own line and run higher; don't average them into the window rate.
I always break these out separately in a quote, because burying installation inside a per-square-foot number is how two bids that look different turn out identical - or vice versa.
Getting a real number for your project
A per-square-foot range is useful for a gut check, but your actual number depends on your specific mix of sizes, operations, glass, and finish. The fastest way to a grounded figure is running your window schedule through the project estimator - it uses the real system pricing behind the ranges in this article, adds freight and duty, and gives you a landed range rather than a marketing average. From there, add your local installation quote and you have a budget you can actually plan around. If you have drawings, send them to me and I'll price every unit, usually the same or next working day. The aluminum window frames page shows the frame styles and systems behind these prices.
FAQ
How much do aluminum windows cost per square foot in the US? For premium thermally broken European aluminum, plan on about $45 to $95 per square foot supplied: large fixed glass at about $30 to $50, opening sashes toward the top, very small units and steel-look profiles above it. Glazed doors sit above both. Freight and duty make it a landed number; installation is separate and local.
How much does a 60 x 60 aluminum window cost? A 60 x 60 inch (25 sq ft) European aluminum tilt and turn window costs about $1,460 to $1,580 supplied in a standard system and $1,975 to $2,295 in a steel-look or premium system, double glazed. A fixed window of the same size runs about $765 to $880 in a standard system.
What is the price difference between aluminum and uPVC windows? European aluminum windows cost roughly three times as much as European uPVC windows of the same size: about $45 to $95 per square foot against $15 to $25 for uPVC, or about $1,460 to $2,300 against $475 to $580 for a 60 x 60 inch tilt and turn window. The gap pays for slimmer sightlines, larger spans, a deeper thermal break and a powder-coat finish.
Why are aluminum windows more expensive than vinyl? Aluminum windows cost more than vinyl because the frame is a thermally broken metal profile with multi-point hardware, slimmer sightlines and a durable powder coat. US vinyl is the cheapest category; premium European uPVC lands around $15 to $25 per square foot, and European aluminum at roughly three times that.
Does the price include import duty? A properly quoted landed price includes duty (the rate depends on the frame material, and the project-specific customs treatment needs confirmation) and freight. Always confirm whether a quote is all-in landed or whether duty and shipping are added afterward, since rates change.
What makes one aluminum window cost more than another the same size? Operation type (fixed vs tilt-turn vs door), glass package (double vs triple, tempered, coatings), divided-lite bars, finish, and US-spec details like an NFRC label and nailing flange. Size matters too - larger units cost less per square foot.
Pricing an aluminum package? Run it through my estimator for a landed range, or send me your drawings for a line-item DDP quote.