Tempered Glass Required? Replacement Windows by Doors, Tubs, Stairs
You are replacing a house full of windows and someone mentioned tempered glass.
Reply within one business day. Or call / text 763-204-2099.
Tempered glass is required on replacement windows in hazardous locations: generally glass close to a door, beside a tub or shower, near the bottom of a stair, and large panes set low. The building official decides. JMB Builders flags those openings at the measure, orders labeled safety glass and installs across the Twin Cities. Priced per opening; photos get a reply within one business day, or book a free in-home estimate.
- Priced per opening
- Safety-glass openings flagged at the measure
- Labeled tempered glass from the factory
The residential code calls the places where people are likely to fall into glass hazardous locations, and glass there must be safety glazing: tempered, or laminated where it fits the job. On a typical Minnesota house the usual ones are a window beside an entry or patio door, a window in or next to a tub or shower wall, a window near the bottom of a stair or landing, and a large pane whose bottom edge sits close to the floor. Each has a distance and height range in the code, and the building official decides how it applies to your house.
Old windows often went in before those rules or were never updated, so the window you are replacing may have plain glass where the new one needs tempered. That is why we flag it at the measure, opening by opening, and mark it on the line-item quote. Tempered glass cannot be cut after it is made, so it has to be on the order from the start. It also can add to the lead time; that depends on the brand and is written on the quote.
Every pane of factory safety glass carries a small permanent mark in a corner naming the glass and the standard it meets. An inspector looks for it. When a permit is needed, JMB pulls it, and the mark is how the window shows it was ordered right.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough: a reply within one business day, or ask for a free in-home estimate. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
What you supply
- Photos of each window, with the nearby door, tub, shower or stairs in the frame
- Notes on which windows sit low to the floor
- Whether you want obscure or clear glass in bathroom openings
- Access to every room on install day
What JMB supplies
- One in-person measure of every opening, with safety-glass openings flagged
- A line-item quote that marks tempered or laminated glass per opening
- Windows ordered through ABC Supply on one order, safety glass factory-made and labeled
- Permit pulled when the job needs one
- Old windows out, sill pan, foam and sealed joints at every opening
- Room-by-room install, floors and furniture covered
- Photos of each finished window, label included, in your job folder
How it is priced: per opening
Quoted in writing from your photos, with a reply within one business day. What moves the number:
- How many openings need tempered or laminated glass
- Pane size; large low fixed panes cost more to temper
- Obscure or clear glass in bathroom openings
- Insert vs. full-frame replacement
- Wet-wall openings that need waterproofing tied into tile or a surround
- Stairway openings that need staging to reach
Send one photo of each window that shows what is near it: the door, the tub, the stairs or the floor. That is what decides whether the glass is tempered.
How long it takes
Safety glass does not change install time much: a few windows a day. Lead time depends on the brand and is written on the quote.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized reply within one business day. Prefer a look in person? A free in-home estimate is always an option.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Situations and options
Next to an entry or patio door
A window or sidelite close to a door's swing is the most common one. The window beside a back door or patio slider is usually tempered on the new order.
Tub and shower walls
Glass in or next to a tub or shower is a hazardous location when it sits low enough to fall into. Tempered and usually obscure, with the opening waterproofed.
Stairs and landings
A window near the bottom of a stair or on a landing can need safety glass depending on its height and distance. The building official decides; we flag it and ask.
Large low panes
A big picture window with its bottom edge close to the floor and a walking surface in front of it often needs tempered glass, even in a living room.
Tempered Glass Required? Replacement Windows by Doors, Tubs, Stairs: questions, answered
Where is tempered glass required in replacement windows?
Generally in hazardous locations: near a door, in or beside a tub or shower, near the bottom of a stair or landing, and large panes set low with a walking surface in front. Each has a distance and height range in the residential code. The building official decides how it applies to your house.
Do I need tempered glass if the old window did not have it?
Often yes. Many older windows went in before the current rules, and a replacement is usually expected to meet today's code. We flag the openings at the measure, and when a permit is needed the inspector checks the glass.
Is tempered glass required near a door?
Glass close to a door and low enough to walk into is one of the hazardous locations in the code. A window right beside a back door or patio door usually gets tempered glass on the new order. The exact distance and height are in the code, and the building official makes the call.
How can I tell if a window has tempered glass?
Look in a corner of each pane for a small permanent mark etched or printed on the glass. It names the maker and the safety standard. No mark usually means plain annealed glass, though laminated glass can be marked differently.
Does tempered glass add lead time?
It can, because tempered glass is made to size at the factory and cannot be cut afterward. The lead time depends on the brand and is written on the quote. Flagging the openings at the measure keeps it from delaying the job later.
Is laminated glass the same as tempered glass?
No. Tempered glass breaks into small pieces; laminated glass cracks but stays held together by a plastic layer. Both can count as safety glazing. Tempered is the usual choice for windows near doors and tubs, and laminated is chosen where security or noise matters too.
Recent JMB work, from our job log
59 installs recorded across 30 Twin Cities communities since Dec 2025. Window and door installs for homeowners and the builders we work with. Counts come straight from our job log; no customer names.
Related jobs we do
Window in Shower Replacement — Tempered Glass, Sealed to the Tile
The window in your tub or shower wall is black at the bottom corners, the paint is peeling and the sill stays wet after every shower.
Read moreStairway Window Replacement — Landing and Over-the-Stairs Windows
The window over your stairs is fogged, drafty or rotted, and nobody can reach it without a ladder balanced on the treads.
Read moreMudroom Window Replacement — Back Entry Window Beside the Door
The window by the back door takes slush off the boots, salt off the dog and a slam every time someone comes in, and the sill has given up.
Read moreLaminated Glass Replacement Windows for Security on the Ground Floor
A window is the easy way into a house. You want the ground-floor and walkout windows to be the hard way, without turning the place into a bunker.
Read moreWindow Installation Day: What to Expect, Arrival to Walkthrough
The windows came in, the date is set, and the trailer pulls up in the morning. Here is how the day runs.
Read more1.5 Story Dormer Window Replacement — Upstairs Knee Wall Bedrooms
The upstairs windows in the dormers are drafty and hard to reach, and the bedrooms up there are the coldest rooms in the house.
Read morePage reviewed October 9, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All windows pages
Where we work
Window Replacement & Installation near you
Based in Zimmerman, scheduling across the Twin Cities metro. Closest first: