Guide
Window and door quotes in Canada: sales tax and deposits
A window or door quote in Canada has two jobs besides the price. It has to show the sales tax clearly, and it has to say what the customer pays up front.
What the quote should show
- Your business name and your GST/HST registration number
- One line per opening, with its size and price
- Installation and disposal as their own lines
- The subtotal
- Each sales tax, with its rate
- The total
- The deposit, and the balance due after it
Which sales tax applies
Sales tax depends on the province or territory. There are four set-ups.
| Sales tax | Where | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| HST | Ontario | 13% |
| HST | Nova Scotia | 14% |
| HST | New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island | 15% |
| GST only | Alberta, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Yukon | 5% |
| GST and PST | British Columbia, Manitoba (where PST is called RST) | 5% and 7% |
| GST and PST | Saskatchewan | 5% and 6% |
| GST and QST | Quebec | 5% and 9.975% |
These are the rates the Canada Revenue Agency published on 8 October 2026. Rates change, so confirm yours with the CRA's GST/HST calculator, Revenu Québec or your accountant before you set up a quote. This page is not tax advice.
PST on installed windows
In a province with its own PST, don't assume it goes on the quote as a separate line. Supply-and-install work is often taxed differently from selling goods over the counter. In British Columbia, for example, a contractor who installs windows that become part of the building generally pays PST on the materials and does not add PST to the customer's price, unless a written agreement says the customer pays it. Ask your accountant how your province treats installed work.
A worked example (Ontario, HST 13%)
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Kitchen North, casement, 48″ × 48″ | $1,344 |
| Living room, bay, 48″ × 36″ | $1,848 |
| Installation | $350 |
| Disposal | $100 |
| Subtotal | $3,642 |
| HST (13%) | $473 |
| Total | $4,115 |
| Deposit | $1,000 |
| Balance due | $3,115 |
The tax is 13% of the subtotal: $3,642 × 0.13 = $473.46, shown here to the nearest dollar. The deposit is an amount you choose, and the balance due is the total less the deposit.
The two window prices come from a rate per united inch. See united-inch pricing, explained for how they are worked out.
Two taxes on one quote (Quebec)
Where two taxes apply, show each on its own line with its own rate. Here is the same $3,642 subtotal in Quebec:
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Subtotal | $3,642 |
| GST (5%) | $182 |
| QST (9.975%) | $363 |
| Total | $4,187 |
Both taxes are calculated on the subtotal. GST is $3,642 × 0.05 = $182.10 and QST is $3,642 × 0.09975 = $363.29. QST is not charged on top of GST.
Setting out the deposit
A deposit is easiest to agree when the customer has just accepted the price. Put the deposit and the balance due directly under the total, and say in your terms when each is due and how you take payment.
Send the quote as a private link the customer opens on their phone. They can accept it there without an account or an app.
Doing this in Quote for Windows
Quote for Windows builds a quote like the ones above.
- Sales tax. Choose your province in Settings and the tax lines fill in. You can edit the names and rates, and two taxes show as two lines on the quote.
- Registration number. Your GST/HST registration number prints on the PDF quote.
- Deposit. Set a default deposit amount and change it on any job. The quote shows the deposit and the balance due.
- Financing. Add your financing application link and the customer's quote shows an “Apply for financing” button.
- Whole dollars. Every amount on the quote is rounded to the nearest dollar.
You send a private link and the homeowner accepts from their phone. It is free during the beta. See the features or what it costs.