What does a glazier do?
You fit glass, which is heavy, sharp and unforgiving — and you decide which kind of glass the law requires in each location.
Also called: glass fitter, window installer, glazing technician.
A day looks like
- 1You measure the opening twice, because glass cannot be trimmed on site.
- 2You lift panes with somebody else and with suction cups, because a dropped pane is a serious injury.
- 3You work out which openings are safety-critical locations, and specify accordingly.
- 4You refuse to fit annealed glass into a door side panel, however much cheaper it is.
Hardest part
Glass does not forgive a mistake in either direction. Measure it wrong and it is scrap; fit the wrong type low down in a door and somebody's child goes through it.
Best part
A big unit in, plumb, sealed and clean, with a room that is suddenly twice as light.
How you actually become a glazier
- At schoolNo qualifications; strength and care matter more than grades.
- TrainingGlazing apprenticeship or on-the-job training, plus competent person scheme registration for windows.
- How longMonths to fit, a couple of years for structural and specialist glazing.
- Your first jobGlazier's mate — carrying, cleaning and learning to read openings.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a critical location for glass?
- Low-level glazing, glass in or beside doors, and glazing in bathrooms — anywhere someone is likely to collide with it. Building regulations require safety glass in those positions, marked so it can be identified.
- What is the difference between toughened and laminated?
- Toughened glass is heat-treated so it breaks into small blunt pieces. Laminated glass has a plastic interlayer that holds the fragments together. Both are safety glass; which is appropriate depends on the position.
- Why can't glass be cut on site?
- Sealed double-glazed units and toughened glass cannot be cut at all — toughening is the last process and cutting it afterwards shatters it. So the measurement has to be right before the order.
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