Elje / Guides

Buying windows from China

Windows are the highest-stakes line in an imported fit-out. They hold the weather out, carry wind load, count toward your energy rating and, in bushfire areas, help keep fire out. Buy only with Australian evidence.

What to spec

  • Your wind classification (N1 to N6, or C1 to C4 in cyclonic areas) from the engineering or AS 4055.
  • Your BAL rating, if you are in a bushfire-prone area.
  • The window U-value and SHGC your energy assessor used to reach 7 stars.
  • A window schedule from the approved elevations: type, size, opening, glass, frame colour, flyscreens, reveals.
  • Glazing: double glazed, low-E, toughened or laminated, as the schedule and the rules need.
  • Hardware brand, and the reveals and packaging.

What it costs landed

On the house we fitted out, 57 windows and external sliding, stacker and pocket doors, about 100 m2 in all, were $23,946 at the factory gate including timber reveals, stainless flyscreens and steel-framed glass packaging. Sea freight to Brisbane port added $2,300, so $26,246 delivered to the port. The factory shipped its own container, separate from the joinery.

Elje estimate, October 2026. Not yet from a delivered job; replaced with real landed numbers as jobs land.

ItemFactory gateLanded estimate
57 windows and external doors, about 100 m2, double glazed$23,946 (real quote)$31,000 to $36,000
Per m2 of window, at the factory gateAbout $240 per m2About $310 to $360 per m2
Sea freight to Brisbane port, own container$2,300 (real quote)Included above

What to check

  • AS 2047 compliance, proven by a test report from an accredited testing laboratory or a current product certificate from a JAS-ANZ accredited certification body. Check the certificate is current on the certifier's or JAS-ANZ website, not only its expiry date.
  • Glass certified to AS/NZS 2208 or AS 1288 alone is not enough. The whole window assembly needs the AS 2047 evidence.
  • Size: a window may exceed the tested size by no more than 10 percent in either direction and 15 percent in area.
  • For houses, windows and doors other than timber ones must be labelled with the compliance information where it can be read after installation.
  • Wind: N and C ratings from AS 4055 apply only within its geometry limits. Cyclonic C ratings need more testing; treat them case by case.
  • Energy: ask for WERS-rated or AFRC-method U-value and SHGC for the whole window. The energy assessor needs them to hold your 7-star rating.
  • Bushfire: AS 3959 sets frames and glass by BAL level. At BAL-40 the frame must be metal, and at BAL-FZ you need a tested system. Ask for the BAL test evidence for the exact product.
  • Aluminium frames carry no timber rules, but timber reveals and crates do: illegal logging due diligence and ISPM 15.

Mistakes we have seen

  • A factory quoting AS 2047 when the report is for a different system or size.
  • Glass certificates offered as window certificates.
  • Windows chosen on price after the energy rating was done on a better window. The house no longer rates.
  • Ordering before the frame sizes are confirmed on site.
  • No compliance labels, so the certifier cannot sign off.

Questions

Who is responsible if imported windows are non-conforming?

In Queensland, everyone in the chain of responsibility: the importer, the supplier, the builder and the installer. That is why Elje checks the evidence before introducing a window factory, and why your certifier will ask for it.

Can I import windows for a bushfire-prone block?

Sometimes. Up to BAL-29 many aluminium systems have tested evidence. At BAL-40 and BAL-FZ the options narrow sharply, and a local tested system is often the honest answer. We say so on the estimate.

Will imported windows hurt my energy rating?

Not if their U-value and SHGC are as good as the ones your assessor used, and documented. The windows on the house we fitted out quoted U-values of 3.42 to 4.93 and SHGC of 0.43 to 0.64, depending on the configuration.

Sources