Window Replacement in Whitby, From an Installer 30 Minutes Down the 401
Fortress Windows & Doors is a family-owned installer with its head office at 4725 Sheppard Ave E in Scarborough, about half an hour west of Whitby on the 401. We have been replacing windows, entry doors, patio doors and eavestrough in Durham Region homes since 1989. Our crews are in Whitby most weeks, so a measure or a warranty visit is a short drive, not a special trip. The windows are built in Ontario, and the person who quotes your job answers at (416) 291-5795.
Reviewed by Steve McCue and Steve Mercer, owners, Fortress Windows & Doors Inc.
What we replace in Whitby homes
Replacement windows
Whitby has two very different window jobs. In Pringle Creek, Blue Grass Meadows and West Lynde, the houses went up in the 1980s and early 90s with builder-grade vinyl or aluminum sliders, and the sealed units are now fogged or the sashes no longer lock. In Brooklin, Williamsburg and Taunton North the homes are newer, but 20-year-old builder windows fail the same way, just later. We measure every opening, build each window to it, and decide full-frame or retrofit based on what the brick and sill look like when we open it up.
Entry doors
Insulated steel or fibreglass, with the frame and threshold replaced, not just the slab. The century homes around downtown Whitby and Port Whitby often have out-of-square openings that need the door hung to the house, not the other way round. We fit multipoint locks on doors that face the lake wind.
Eavestrough and downspouts
Five-inch seamless aluminum, formed on site to the length of your fascia. On the larger two-storey homes in Brooklin and Rolling Acres, with long roof runs and steep pitches, we size the trough and downpipes to the roof area rather than defaulting to five inch.
Basement egress windows
Cutting a larger opening in a block or poured foundation for a legal bedroom or basement apartment. This needs a building permit from the Town of Whitby, and we handle the drawings and the application.
Patio doors
Sliding and garden doors for backyard walkouts. Many Whitby homes from the 80s and 90s still have the original aluminum slider that drags on the track and lets cold in at the latch. We replace it with a vinyl frame, low-E argon-filled glass, a multipoint lock and a proper drip cap.
Why Whitby homeowners call Fortress
Whitby is close enough to our Scarborough office that we treat it as home territory. Our crews are in Durham most weeks, so a measure, an install or a warranty visit is a short drive down the 401, not a special trip. 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 the east GTA and Durham Region for 37 years, and 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 for the winters Whitby actually gets, including the wind that comes off the lake in Port Whitby.
Licensed, insured, and we pull the permits
When a job needs a Town of Whitby 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 Whitby 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 Whitby single-family homes are installed in one to two days.
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 Whitby?
What changes after the install
Lower heating bills
A fogged 1980s sealed unit has lost its gas fill and most of its insulating value. A Pringle Creek two-storey with 15 to 18 openings usually notices the difference on the first winter gas bill.
No more cold spot by the window
The cold pocket in front of the family 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 back onto Thickson Rd, Taunton Rd, the 401 or the 412.
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. Whitby's clay soil holds water against the wall when the downspout dumps beside it.
Easier resale
Home inspectors look at the windows first. New, warrantied windows are a line in the listing. Fogged 30-year-old sliders are a negotiating point against you.
Other areas we cover
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to replace windows in Whitby?
Not for a like-for-like replacement in the same opening. A Town of Whitby 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 Whitby?
A typical Whitby house with 12 to 18 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 Whitby?
Our head office is at 4725 Sheppard Ave E, Unit 405, Scarborough, ON M1S 5B2, about 30 km west of Whitby along the 401. Call (416) 291-5795. There is no Whitby showroom. We measure and quote at your house, which is where the job is anyway.