Window Replacement in Pickering, From the Company Next Door in Scarborough
Fortress Windows & Doors is a family-owned installer with its head office at 4725 Sheppard Ave E in Scarborough, one exit past the Rouge on the 401 from Pickering. We have been replacing windows, entry doors, patio doors and eavestrough in Pickering homes since 1989, and it is the closest city to our office that we serve. The windows are built in Ontario, and the person who measures your job answers at (416) 291-5795, not a call centre.
Reviewed by Steve McCue and Steve Mercer, owners, Fortress Windows & Doors Inc.
What we replace in Pickering homes
Replacement windows
Most of our Pickering calls come from Bay Ridges, West Shore and Dunbarton, where the houses date from the late 1950s to the 1970s and still carry original wood or aluminum windows with single-pane glass and sashes painted shut. Amberlea, Liverpool and Woodlands are a decade or two newer, with builder vinyl that has fogged or lost its seal. We measure every opening, build each window to it, and choose full-frame or retrofit based on what the brick and sill look like once the old unit is out.
Entry doors
Insulated steel or fibreglass, with the frame and threshold replaced along with the slab. The 1960s side-splits and bungalows in Bay Ridges often have a door that has been planed and re-planed to fit a frame that moved years ago. We re-hang the whole unit square instead of forcing a new door into an old jamb.
Eavestrough and downspouts
Five-inch seamless aluminum, formed on site to your fascia length. Around Frenchman's Bay the lake wind drives rain sideways under the eaves, which is why a properly pitched trough with sealed corners matters more on those streets than inland. Downspouts that dump beside the foundation get rerouted.
Basement egress windows
Cutting a larger opening in a block or poured foundation for a legal bedroom or basement apartment. The City of Pickering requires a building permit for this, and we prepare the drawings and file it.
Patio doors
Sliding and garden doors for backyard walkouts. A lot of Pickering houses still have the original 1970s aluminum slider. We replace it with a vinyl frame, low-E argon-filled glass, a multipoint lock and a drip cap that actually keeps water out of the header.
Why Pickering homeowners call Fortress
Pickering is 15 minutes from our door. That matters more than it sounds: the measure, the install and any follow-up visit are a short drive, not a special trip, and if something needs a second look after the install we are close by. Fortress has 37 years of installs behind it, a real office you can visit, and the number on this page rings there.
Installing since 1989
Fortress has installed windows and doors across Scarborough and Durham Region for 37 years. The same family still runs it.
HomeStars winner every year since 2014
That comes from customer reviews, not a paid listing. Read them before you book.
Canadian-made, CSA certified, Energy Star
The windows we install are built in Ontario, certified to CSA A440 and Energy Star rated. The lakefront streets in West Shore and Rosebank get wind and driven rain that a builder-grade window was never tested for.
Licensed, insured, and we pull the permits
When a job needs a City of Pickering permit, such as an egress window or an enlarged opening, we prepare and file it. You are never asked to sign off on unpermitted structural work.
Financing available
Flexible financing on windows and doors, so a whole-house replacement does not have to wait for one lump sum.
How a Pickering job runs
Every job starts with someone from Fortress at your house with a tape measure. We check the frames, the sills and how the house was built, then give you one written price for product, installation, disposal and any permit. That price includes:
- Written quote with no hidden line items
- Removal and disposal of the old windows and doors
- Foam insulation around every frame
- Colour-matched exterior aluminum capping
- Interior trim and caulking
- Permit drawings and filing where required
- Same-day clean-up
- Warranty registered in your name
Service Steps
1. Call or book a measure
Call (416) 291-5795 or send the quote form with what you want replaced and roughly when.
2. In-home measure
We measure every opening, check for rot or water damage in the sill, and go through frame colour, grilles and glass options at your kitchen table.
3. One written price
A single price for the whole job. It does not change unless you change the scope.
4. Build and install
Windows are custom-built to your measurements, which takes a few weeks and longer in spring. Most Pickering bungalows and side-splits are installed in a single day; a larger two-storey takes two.
5. Walk-through and warranty
We walk every window and door with you, show you how the hardware works, and register the warranty in your name.
Need windows, doors or eavestrough replaced in Pickering?
What changes after the install
Lower heating bills
A single-pane 1960s window loses several times the heat of a modern low-E, argon-filled unit. A Bay Ridges bungalow with 10 to 12 windows usually notices it on the first winter gas bill.
No more cold spot by the window
The cold pocket in front of the living room window in January is the frame leaking, not the glass. Foam-insulated frames fix it.
A quieter house
Sealed double or triple glazing takes the edge off traffic noise, which matters if you are near Kingston Rd, Bayly St, Brock Rd or the 401.
Rebates when they are open
Ontario and federal energy rebate programs come and go. We track what is open when you book and tell you what your job qualifies for.
Fewer basement problems
Properly pitched eavestrough with downspouts that run away from the foundation is the cheapest basement waterproofing there is. On the clay in south Pickering, a downspout dumping beside the wall shows up as a wet corner in the basement within a couple of springs.
Easier resale
Home inspectors look at the windows first. New, warrantied windows are a line in the listing. Original 1960s aluminum sliders are a negotiating point against you.
Other areas we cover
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to replace windows in Pickering?
Not for a like-for-like replacement in the same opening. A City of Pickering building permit is needed when an opening is enlarged or a new one is cut, which is common for basement egress windows and walkouts. Fortress prepares and files the permit as part of the job.
How long does window replacement take in Pickering?
A typical Pickering house with 10 to 15 windows is installed in one to two days once the windows arrive. Lead time from measure to install depends on the season. Spring and early fall are the busiest.
Do you replace windows in winter?
Yes. We do one opening at a time so the house is never open to the cold, and we use cold-weather-rated foam and caulking. Winter is often the fastest time to get on the schedule.
Do you have an office in Pickering?
Our head office is at 4725 Sheppard Ave E, Unit 405, Scarborough, ON M1S 5B2, about 15 minutes from Pickering along the 401. Call (416) 291-5795. We measure and quote at your house, so there is no showroom trip.