Does replacing glass only count as a replacement window?

No. New glass in an existing sash and frame, or new sashes in an existing frame, is a repair if it performs at least as well as the original. A new frame makes it a replacement.

Can I remove the stickers once the windows are in?

Not before the inspection. Section 110.6(a)5 says the temporary label may not be removed before the building department inspects.

Do I Need Title 24 for a Window Replacement Permit?

Usually yes, but the paperwork is light. A replacement window is regulated, yet the building department may require no certificate of compliance, or a simplified one, because no field verification is involved. What decides your path is the type of job: glass only, same-size replacement, added glass, film or windows reinstalled.

Choose your report
Upload your plans
Pay securely
Permit-ready report by email

Sort the job first

New glass in the existing sash and frame, or new sashes in an existing frame, is a repair as long as performance is at least equal to the original.
A same-size replacement window must meet the U-factor and SHGC limits; the numbers are on new windows and Title 24.
Added or enlarged glass meets the new-home limits, though up to 16 square feet is exempt from the area caps.
Window film appears in the compliance manual's list of alterations, and a film-covered window that has no NFRC rating takes the default values in Tables 110.6-A and 110.6-B.
Windows removed and reinstalled during an alteration or addition are excepted from the product certification rule of Section 110.6(a).

What the counter and the inspector look at

Section 10-103(a)1C names window replacements: where no field verification applies, the department may require no certificate or a simplified one, and that allowance does not authorize work that breaks the code. In the field, each manufactured window carries a temporary label showing U-factor, SHGC and visible transmittance and certifying air leakage of 0.3 cfm per square foot or less at 75 pascals. It may not be removed before the inspection. A product without an NFRC rating is labelled with "CEC Default" values instead, which is why aluminum windows often struggle.

The mistake to avoid

Changing the product after the permit is issued. If a specification changes before installation so that the building may no longer comply, Section 10-103(a)2B requires it to be brought back into compliance, with amended documents sent to the department. Check the NFRC figures on the quote against the permit set before ordering.

Installers can see what we cover on our page for window installers; for glazed doors see exterior doors, for fire zones wildfire-zone windows, and for the HVAC side of the counter HVAC replacement permits. Our residential reports cover alterations.

Common Title 24 Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Explore Windows and Doors

View all Windows and Doors guides → · Windows and Building Envelope · Title 24 guide