For glazing contractors and curtain wall installers
Curtain wall estimating and takeoff services
Each curtain wall elevation taken off by mark, with its size, every panel listed, the glass type and the framing system, priced line by line.
- Elevations by mark
- Every panel size listed
- 24 to 48 hours
In short
What curtain wall estimating covers
Curtain wall estimating is the takeoff and pricing of aluminum curtain wall: the framing system, the glass or panels in every module, the doors set into it, and the sealant and anchorage around it. Each curtain wall elevation is taken off by its mark with its overall size and a list of every panel size, then priced. MassBid Estimation prepares curtain wall takeoffs and estimates for glazing contractors and general contractors, typically in 24 to 48 hours.
- Scope
- Curtain wall framing and glass, butt-glazed storefront, doors in curtain wall, hardware, sealant
- CSI section
- 08 44 13 glazed aluminum curtain walls, 08 41 13 storefronts, 08 80 00 glazing
- You send
- Elevations, frame elevations, wall sections, glazing and door schedules, specs and addenda
- You get
- Marked-up elevations with each frame dotted by mark, and a priced workbook with every panel size
- Turnaround
- 24 to 48 hours on most projects
- Checked by
- A separate QA team, twice on every job
- Coverage
- All 50 states, priced to the project's ZIP code
- Quote
- Free, usually back in about 20 minutes
Thursday · 9:15 AM
Two frames on the elevation look alike. One is storefront at eight feet. The other is curtain wall at twenty-one.
Curtain wall and storefront are drawn with the same lines on an elevation. What separates them is in the frame elevations and the specification: the system, the mullion depth, and whether the frame spans one story or runs past the floor line.
The difference matters because curtain wall costs more per square foot and is ordered panel by panel. A takeoff that lumps it in with storefront underprices the tallest glass on the building.
Four ways a curtain wall bid loses money
01 · The system
Curtain wall priced as storefront
A deeper mullion, a heavier system and taller glass all cost more. On an elevation the two can look the same.
What changes
Each frame is identified as curtain wall or storefront from the frame elevations and kept on its own line.
02 · The panels
A frame priced by area alone
A tall elevation is made of many panel sizes, and glass is ordered by the lite. Area gives a budget; it does not give an order.
What changes
Every panel size in each elevation is listed with its count.
03 · The glazing method
Butt-glazed joints missed
Butt-glazed and structurally glazed walls replace vertical mullions with sealant joints and need thicker tempered glass.
What changes
The glazing method and glass thickness are carried on the line, and the joint sealant is measured.
04 · The doors
Doors in the curtain wall left out
A door set into a curtain wall is framed and hung by the glazier, with hardware by the system manufacturer.
What changes
Doors in curtain wall are counted by mark with their hardware set.
Then and now
What has changed in curtain wall estimating
Curtain wall used to mean high-rise towers. Four things have brought it onto ordinary jobs and changed the takeoff.
Curtain wall on small buildings
Tall glass entries and feature walls on retail, car wash and restaurant buildings are now often curtain wall, a few elevations beside ordinary storefront.
Energy performance
Thermal breaks, low-E coatings and insulated units are specified by performance. The glass makeup on each elevation has to be read from the glazing schedule.
Structural and butt glazing
Frameless-looking walls with sealant joints are common. They change the glass thickness, the labor and the sealant quantity.
Lead times
Curtain wall systems and oversized glass carry long lead times, so panel lists are needed early and have to be exact.
Real curtain wall work
Sample curtain wall takeoff and estimate
Pages from one finished job: a car wash building in North Carolina of about 5,100 square feet, with curtain wall and butt-glazed storefront on the same elevations. Client names, brand names and title blocks are removed; the quantities are as delivered. Click any page to enlarge.
Elevations
Curtain wall takeoff on the elevations, by mark
Protects you fromCurtain wall and storefront priced as one system.
Front and rear
Curtain wall and storefront on the front and rear elevations
Protects you fromThe tallest glass priced at the lowest rate.
Butt glazing
Butt-glazed storefront taken off the floor plan
Protects you fromButt-glazed joints and thicker glass missed.
Priced estimate
Priced curtain wall estimate with every panel size
Protects you fromA square-foot price with no panel list.
Every estimate is built to the client's own specification, so yours may be laid out differently. To see a past project in your own trade, ask for an example. Examples are finished work for other projects, not an estimate of yours; for pricing on your own job, send the elevations for a free quote.
A real curtain wall estimate
Curtain wall and storefront cost breakdown for a car wash building
Group totals from one finished estimate: a car wash building in North Carolina of about 5,100 square feet.
Glazing trade cost came to $173,155, or $33.77 per square foot of building. The five curtain wall frames, about 1,410 square feet of wall, were $83,414, roughly $59 per square foot. Butt-glazed storefront was $70,611. With general requirements and markups the bid total was $237,706.
Figures are from the delivered estimate, rounded to the dollar, with related lines combined; rounded rows may differ from the total by a dollar. Wall area and the per-square-foot figure are calculated from the frame sizes. They are specific to that project and are not a price guide.
Real jobs, not a price list. Each figure comes from one project, priced for its own ZIP code and that client's wages, overhead and profit. Prices change by region and over time. Yours will be priced for your location.
| Item | Quantity | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Aluminum curtain wall, 1-inch insulated glass | 5 frames | $83,414 |
| Butt-glazed storefront, 1/2-inch tempered glass | 6 frames | $70,611 |
| Storefront doors | 3 EA | $6,771 |
| Storefront windows and pass-through window | 3 EA | $5,491 |
| Sealant, backer rod and shim | 2,430 LF | $3,678 |
| Door hardware | $3,191 | |
| Glazing trade cost | $173,155 |
Building somewhere else? See figures from jobs in Texas, California, Florida and other service areas.
Full sample
Read a full sample, page by page
We do not have a sample for exactly this scope online yet. This is the closest one. Storefront and glazing, from a finished job: a equipment rental building, 10,500 sq ft in North Carolina. Open it full screen, scroll through all 4 pages and zoom in on any line.
This is one real job, shown as an example. It was built to that client's own specification: their wage rates, labor style, type of pricing, and overhead and profit. Prices also change by region and over time, so yours will be priced for your location.
Want a current sample in your own trade or specialty, or have a question? Use the contact form, email [email protected] or call (832) 356-4237.
Who it is for
Curtain wall estimating for glazing contractors and general contractors
Glazing contractors
Elevations by mark with a full panel list and glass makeup, priced and ready to send out for a system quote.
Glazing estimatingStorefront installers
Curtain wall kept apart from the storefront on the same building.
Storefront estimatingEnvelope contractors
Perimeter sealant and flashing where the wall meets other cladding.
Thermal and moisture protectionGeneral contractors
An independent number to check a curtain wall quote, or to carry when none comes in.
GC estimating
Curtain wall scopes we take off
- Stick-built curtain wall
- Unitized curtain wall
- Insulated vision glass
- Spandrel glass and panels
- Butt-glazed walls
- Structurally glazed systems
- Doors in curtain wall
- Sunshades and trim
- Metal panels in the wall
- Perimeter sealant
- Anchors and embeds
- Door hardware
Pricing data
Where the prices come from
Quantities are priced from our own pricing database, built with local vendors across the United States. The estimator enters the project's ZIP code and gets current material prices for that market.
Material prices change from region to region and from month to month, so a price book or a national average is out of date before the bid goes in.
Priced by ZIP code
Current local material prices for the place the job is built, not a national average.
Updated by vendors
Local vendors update their prices in the database as they change.
Labor as you bid it
Union, open shop, or Davis-Bacon and prevailing wage rates with fringes.
How it works
From elevations to a finished curtain wall estimate
Send the drawings
Elevations, curtain wall frame elevations, wall sections, the glazing schedule, the door and hardware schedule, the Division 08 specification and addenda.
Free quote
We review the set and reply with a quote and a delivery date, usually within about 20 minutes.
Identify, list, price and two QA reviews
Each frame is identified as curtain wall or storefront, its panels are listed with sizes and glass, and doors, hardware and sealant are added. A separate QA team checks the panel lists against the frame elevations, then the priced estimate.
Delivery and revisions
The package typically arrives within 24 to 48 hours. Addenda and revisions are free, with no limit and no time limit, and are handled on priority.
The work is done in-house by more than 20 estimators, typically with 7 to 10 years of industry experience.
What it costs
Curtain wall estimating prices
- Single project
- From $199. Simple scopes typically run $100 to $250.
- Larger buildings
- Typically $200 to $500. Large or multi-story curtain wall is quoted individually.
- Monthly plan
- From $1,499 for 10 to 15 projects, for glazing contractors who bid every week.
Every job is quoted individually from the drawings, and the quote is free. See all pricing
After delivery
An editable Excel workbook and free revisions
- Formulas built in
An Excel workbook you can change yourself
The estimate arrives as an editable Excel workbook with the formulas built in. Change a quantity, a rate or a markup and every total follows. Move overhead and profit from 25% to 30% and the whole bid recalculates on the spot.
- No waiting
Adjust your bid at the last minute
If something changes just before the deadline, you do not have to send the estimate back and wait. Open the workbook, change the number and submit. The control stays with you.
- Priority turnaround
Free revisions, with no limit
Addenda, scope changes and pricing updates are all free, however many times you come back, and there is no time limit. Revisions are handled on priority and typically come back within an hour to a few hours.
Questions
Curtain wall estimating FAQ
It is the takeoff and pricing of aluminum curtain wall: the framing system, glass or panels, doors, hardware and sealant. Each elevation is taken off by mark with its overall size and a list of every panel, and unit prices are applied to produce an estimate a glazing contractor can bid from.
Each curtain wall frame by mark and size, every panel size with its count, the glass type, the framing system and mullion depth, doors in the wall with their hardware, and sealant, backer rod and shim in linear feet.
Curtain wall hangs outside the structure and can span several floors, with deeper mullions designed for wind and water. Storefront sits between floor and structure and is usually one story. They look alike on an elevation, so the frame elevations and specification are used to tell them apart.
Yes. On one building, a single curtain wall frame 26 ft 8 in wide was listed as 13 panel sizes with the count of each.
Yes. The glazing method and glass thickness are carried on the line and the sealant joints are measured. One car wash had a 77 ft butt-glazed wall of 30 half-inch tempered panels.
It depends on the system, the glass and the height. On one small building we estimated, five curtain wall frames totaling about 1,410 square feet came to roughly $59 per square foot installed, before markups.
08 44 13 Glazed Aluminum Curtain Walls. Storefront is 08 41 13 and glazing 08 80 00.
Yes. This page shows a full sample from a finished job (storefront and glazing, for a equipment rental building, 10,500 sq ft in North Carolina), which you can open full screen and read page by page. It is the closest sample we have online for this scope. It was built to that client's own specification, so the wage rates, pricing and overhead and profit are theirs. Ask us for a current sample in your own trade.
From our own pricing database, built with local vendors across the United States. An estimator enters the project's ZIP code and gets current material prices for that market, and vendors update their prices as they change. Labor is priced as union or open shop, or at Davis-Bacon rates with fringes on government work.
Yes. The estimate is delivered as an editable Excel workbook with the formulas built in. Change any quantity, rate or markup and the whole estimate recalculates. If overhead and profit was set at 25% and you want 30%, change that one cell and every total updates, so you can adjust your number minutes before the bid is due without sending it back to us.
As many as you need. Every revision is free, including addenda, scope changes and pricing updates, however many times you come back, and there is no time limit. Revisions are handled on priority and are typically returned within an hour to a few hours, depending on the size of the change.
A single project starts at $199, and simple scopes typically run $100 to $250. Larger buildings typically run $200 to $500, and large or multi-story curtain wall is quoted individually. The quote is free and usually comes back in about 20 minutes.
Yes. Every estimate is built to the client's own specification. Send your unit prices or template and the package is returned that way, or order the panel list alone.
Related services and service areas
Have a curtain wall bid due? Send the elevations.
Free quote in about 20 minutes. Curtain wall takeoffs and estimates typically in 24 to 48 hours, built to your format, with free revisions with no limit. Based in Houston and estimating glazing in all 50 states.