Wood, aluminium, PVC, doors and shutters
Windows in Watermael-Boitsfort
Here, the commune (the local council) recommends wood, two garden cities are listed and any change in appearance needs a permit. So we start with what is allowed at your address. Only then do we measure.
- Free measuring
- Written quote
- Same-day reply
Three questions about your house. Each answer is explained just below.
Is your house in Le Logis or Floréal?
Both garden cities are listed. The rules there are not the same as in the rest of the commune.
Will the windows look different?
A different material, wood to PVC for example, the glass divided up differently, or a different colour.
Can these windows be seen from the street?
Front façade, gable or dormer you can see from the pavement: yes. Rear façade hidden by the house: no.
The Logis-Floréal management plan decides
A heritage management plan has covered both garden cities since 1 September 2014. The works it describes, external joinery included, are exempt from authorisation. Anything that departs from it needs a permit. It describes painted timber joinery, a colour palette for each neighbourhood and two kinds of thin glazing.
Changing the look means a permit
The commune puts it in black and white: a permit is needed as soon as the appearance changes, whether that is the material, the division or the colour. Replacing white wood with white PVC needs one too. Useful to know: for windows, the application is exempt from the file fee and the municipal tax.
Like for like, with conditions
In a house that is not protected, a like-for-like replacement can be exempt from planning permission if the visible divisions, the opening sashes and the fixed frames stay the same. The exemption falls away when the project departs from a planning regulation or a special land-use plan (PPAS), and the commune has several. A word with its planning department beforehand clears up any doubt.
Like for like, on the garden side
The commune lists the replacement of windows visible from public spaces among the works that need a permit. On the garden side, with no change in appearance, you are in the lightest position. Special land-use plans in some neighbourhoods still have their say, so a question to the planning department before you order remains a good habit.
A guide, not an official opinion. Sources: commune of Watermael-Boitsfort, Homegrade, urban.brussels. Checked on 15 September 2026.
Before you choose windows
Here, the commune has a say
Three things a homeowner in Watermael-Boitsfort does well to know before asking for any quote.
It recommends wood
On its page about replacing windows, the commune advises always giving wood priority, and devotes a whole paragraph to the reasons for being wary of PVC.
What the commune saysTwo listed garden cities
In Le Logis and Floréal, a management plan governs joinery, glazing and a colour palette specific to each neighbourhood.
The rules for both garden citiesA permit with no application fee
When windows need a permit, the commune exempts the application from the file fee and the municipal tax. The real cost is time: best to start early.
When you need a permitWhat we fit
Windows, doors, shutters and insect screens
Every page starts from the same question: what suits a house here, and what does the commune think of it.
Wooden windows
The material the commune recommends, and the one in the Logis-Floréal management plan.
Aluminium windows
Slim profiles for large openings. Their use is sometimes restricted in areas of cultural interest.
PVC windows
Not banned, but not free of formalities when they replace wood.
Double glazing
Changing just the glass, when the frame is still sound.
Front doors
Multipoint lock and a threshold with a thermal break, as standard.
Roller shutters
The box, the controls, and what you see of them from the street.
Insect screens
Between the forest and the ponds, so you can sleep with the window open.
Repairs
A window that rubs or does not close properly. Coming to take a look is free.
How we work
From the first call to the final adjustment
Nothing extraordinary. Just what you expect from a window fitter, and do not always get.
- Five minutes on the phoneYou describe the house and the windows. In five minutes, we know whether the job is right for us. We reply the same day, or the next morning if you write late.
- Measuring, free of chargeHalf an hour is enough for a typical façade. Each opening is measured at several heights, because no wall is perfectly straight, and samples are looked at in daylight, against your façade.
- A written quote, in your languageFrench, Dutch or English. No brand is imposed: the profile is chosen to suit the façade and the budget, and the manufacturer’s name is on the quote.
- Fitting, one window at a timeFloors and furniture are covered before anything is taken apart. With us, the old frame comes out completely, right back to the masonry. In the evening, the house is closed up, even when the job lasts several days.
- Adjustment, before we leaveEvery opening sash is adjusted in front of you, with the sheet-of-paper test. The rubble and the old glazing leave with us.
The budget side
Grants for windows: where things stand on 15 September 2026
Renolution grants are suspended, and Watermael-Boitsfort has no municipal grant for windows. What is left still counts for something.
- VAT at 6% for renovating a home more than ten years old, subject to conditions.
- The Ecoreno loan, from 2.5%, which also finances super-insulating glazing.
- Free advice from Homegrade, including for a permit application without an architect.
Frequently asked questions
What people in Watermael-Boitsfort ask us
Do you need a permit to replace your windows in Watermael-Boitsfort?
Not always. The commune asks for a permit as soon as the appearance changes, meaning the material, the division or the colour. A like-for-like replacement in a house that is not protected can be exempt. In Le Logis and Floréal, the heritage management plan sets the rules.
Is PVC banned in the commune?
No. The commune writes that wood should always be given priority and devotes a paragraph to the reasons for not choosing PVC, but it does not ban it. Replacing wood with PVC changes the material, so it needs a permit.
Do you charge for measuring?
No, for new windows it is free. For a typical façade, allow half an hour on site.
Does the house stay open while the windows are fitted?
For as short a time as possible. We work one window at a time rather than all at once, so the house is closed up in the evening, even when the job runs over several days.
Do you handle the grant application?
No, and we would rather say so straight away: a grant application stays in your name and under your signature. For windows, Renolution grants are suspended for now in any case.
Do you speak Dutch and English?
Yes. We speak French, Dutch and English, and the quote is written in the language you choose.
Did a rule change at the commune, or do you see a mistake on this page? Let us know and we will fix it.