An architect sends me a 40-position schedule on a Friday. Half the rows say "W" for type, the sizes are typed as 6' 0" in one column and 72 in another, and nobody has said whether those are rough openings or unit sizes. The quote that should take a day turns into three rounds of email and a lost week.
A window schedule is the table on a drawing set that lists every window and door by mark, with its quantity, size and operation type. For a European window quote to go through in one pass, the window schedule also needs to say whether each size is a rough opening or a unit size, the handing, the glass (double or triple), the finish inside and out, and any bars, nailing fin or egress requirement.
Below is a sample window schedule in that shape, the columns that matter and why, and the fastest way I know to turn it into a price.
What is a window schedule?
A window schedule is one sheet - or one table on the A-series sheets - that ties each tag on the floor plans and elevations (W1, W2, D1) to a single line of specification. A door schedule does the same for doors, and most residential sets merge them into one window and door schedule. The plans tell you where an opening is; the schedule tells the supplier what to build.
For a US-made window line, a short schedule often works because the catalog fills the gaps. A European window is made to size for your project, so every gap in the schedule becomes a question I have to send back before anything can be priced.
Window schedule example
Here is a sample window schedule for part of a custom home, written the way I like to receive it:
| Mark | Qty | Width (in) | Height (in) | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W1 | 4 | 47.25 | 59.00 | Tilt-turn | Single sash, triple-pane, RAL 7016 outside / white inside, nailing fin |
| W2 | 2 | 70.75 | 59.00 | Tilt-turn + fixed | 1 operable sash, hinge left viewed from inside, triple-pane |
| W3 | 3 | 23.50 | 82.50 | Fixed | Tempered, triple-pane, no bars |
| W4 | 1 | 35.50 | 23.50 | Hopper | Bathroom, obscure glass |
| W5 | 2 | 41.25 | 59.00 | Tilt-turn | Bedroom egress - confirm clear opening |
| D1 | 1 | 141.75 | 94.50 | Lift-and-slide | 2 panels, 1 operable, flush threshold |
| D2 | 1 | 39.50 | 94.50 | Entry door, inswing | Hinge right viewed from inside, multipoint lock |
Every row can be priced and drawn without a follow-up question. Sizes are unit sizes in decimal inches, the unit is in the header, and the notes carry the decisions that change the product: glass, color, hardware, egress and installation method.
Which columns does a window and door schedule need?
| Column | Why it matters for a European quote | Most common gap |
|---|---|---|
| Mark | Ties the row to plans, elevations and the shop drawing | Two different units sharing one mark |
| Qty | Price and packing are per position | Quantity only on the plans, not in the table |
| Width / Height | European units are made to size, not picked from a catalog | No note on rough opening vs unit size |
| Type / operation | Tilt-turn, casement, hopper, fixed, lift-and-slide and bifold are different products | "W" or "window" with no operation |
| Handing | Decides hinge side and which way the sash swings into the room | Drawn from outside on US elevations |
| Glass | Double vs triple, tempered, obscure, laminated | Left to "per code" |
| Finish | Inside and outside color can differ | One color for both faces, or none |
| Bars | None, simulated divided lites, or bars between the glass | Shown on elevations only |
| Install | Nailing fin or bracket / strap mounting | Not mentioned until the framer asks |
| Notes | Egress, NFRC label needed, arched or corner units | Kept in a separate spec section |
Handing is the one that bites. European systems are described from inside the room, while US elevations are drawn from outside, so "hinge left" can mean opposite things. Write "viewed from inside" in the header or the note and the problem disappears. If you are still choosing between operation types, tilt-turn vs casement windows walks through the room-by-room trade-offs, and the egress rules for tilt-turn windows explain what W5's note is really asking for.
Should the window schedule list rough opening or window size?
Either works, as long as the schedule says which. What causes trouble is a column that mixes both. My preference is unit size, because the shop drawing I send back for review is dimensioned in millimeters to the frame, and that drawing becomes the reference for the framer.
For bracket-mounted European windows, the rough opening is typically 1/2 to 3/4 inch larger than the frame on each side. Nailing fin units follow the US framing habit more closely. The full chart and the mm-to-inch sizes are in European window rough opening sizes, and the fin vs bracket decision is covered in European windows with nailing fin.
Which units and file format work best?
Decimal inches or millimeters, with the unit written in the column header, for example "Width (in)" or "Width (mm)". Feet-and-inches text like 6' 0" reads fine to a person but is easy for any software to misread, and a schedule that carries inches, feet-and-inches and centimeters side by side is asking for one of them to be picked wrongly.
An Excel or CSV export of the schedule is the cleanest input. A PDF drawing set works too, as long as the schedule is a real table rather than a scanned image.
How do I turn a window schedule into a price?
Upload it. The European window cost estimator takes a PDF, Excel or CSV schedule and reads the standard columns - Mark or Position, Width, Height, Qty, Type and Notes, or a single "W x H" size column. It also picks up what the notes say about triple-pane glass, nailing fin, simulated divided lites or bars between the glass, NFRC and arched shapes, so a schedule written like the example above gets priced closer to what you actually drew.
Before any number appears you get a preview of every row, so a misread type or size can be fixed on screen. The result is a landed range in three tiers - uPVC, aluminum and steel-look aluminum. Wood and aluminum-clad wood are quoted from drawings, so for a timber package the schedule goes straight to the quote form.
When you are ready for a formal quote, the confirmed schedule travels with the request from the estimator, so I am not retyping 40 positions from a PDF. With a usable schedule I normally send a budget estimate the same or next working day, and the same schedule is often priced on two or three systems so you can compare. Shop drawings follow 2-3 working days after review.
| Step | Where | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Export the schedule | Your CAD or BIM file | PDF, Excel or CSV |
| 2. Upload and check rows | /estimator | Landed range in 3 tiers |
| 3. Decide the look | /studio | Frame, color, glass direction |
| 4. Request the quote | /quote | Budget estimate, then shop drawings |
Where does Studio fit?
The schedule says what goes where. It does not decide what the windows look like - frame family, sightline, color inside and out, glass package. That is what Windows Guy Studio is for: you can build a direction, save it, build a second one and compare them before the finish column of the schedule gets filled in. Designing European windows before you ask for a quote explains how the five steps work.
A good order for a design-build team: draft the schedule with sizes and operation, run it through the estimator for a budget, settle the look in Studio, then send the finished schedule for the formal quote.
FAQ
What is a window schedule? A window schedule is a table on the drawing set that lists every window by its mark, with quantity, size, operation type and notes on glass, finish and hardware. It links the tags on the floor plans and elevations to one line of specification, so a supplier can price and draw each unit without guessing.
What should be included in a window and door schedule? A window and door schedule should include mark, quantity, width, height, operation type, handing, glass type, inside and outside finish, bars and installation method, plus notes for egress, tempered glass or NFRC labels. Say whether sizes are rough openings or unit sizes, and put the unit in the column header.
Is the size on a window schedule the rough opening or the window size? It can be either, and the schedule must say which. For European windows I prefer unit sizes, because the millimeter shop drawing is the final reference. Bracket-mounted European units typically need a rough opening about 1/2 to 3/4 inch larger than the frame on each side.
Can I get a European window quote from a schedule without full drawings? Yes. A schedule with sizes, quantities and operation types is enough for a budget estimate, which I normally send the same or next working day. Elevations help with handing, bars and mulled units, and the formal quote is confirmed on shop drawings after review.
What file format should a window schedule be in? Excel or CSV is the cleanest, because every row and column comes through exactly. A PDF drawing set also works if the schedule is a real table rather than a scan. The estimator on this site accepts all three and shows a preview of every row before it calculates.
Have a schedule already? Upload it to the estimator for a budget range in a few minutes, settle frame and color in Studio, and send it for a quote when you are ready for real numbers.