Shopfront glass has to be safe if someone walks into it, secure enough for the business and its insurer, and part of an entrance that disabled customers can use. Laminated glass stays in the frame when broken, while toughened glass is stronger but shatters. A new or altered shopfront often needs planning permission, and signs can need advertisement consent.
What glass is used in shopfronts?
Most shopfront glass is in a critical location, because people walk close to it and through glazed doors. Building regulations across the UK control glass in those places. In England, Approved Document K asks for glass that breaks safely, is robust enough for its size, or is permanently protected. In practice that means toughened glass, laminated glass or laminated toughened glass, and sometimes double-glazed units built from those to reduce heat loss.
In England, Approved Document K also allows ordinary annealed glass in large areas such as shopfronts if it is thick enough for the size of the pane, and it sets maximum sizes for each thickness. Safety glass is often chosen instead, because it breaks safely and suits doors and low-level panels as well as large panes.
The choice depends on the size of the panes, the frame system, the level of security the business needs, the insurer's requirements and whether the shop is heated. A survey should look at all of these together, because changing the glass type can change the weight, the frame needed and the time it takes to make.
Toughened or laminated: which suits a shop?
Toughened glass is about four times stronger than ordinary glass of the same thickness and breaks into small, blunt pieces. That makes it safe for people, but a broken toughened pane leaves an open hole until it is boarded or replaced. Toughened glass can also break without an obvious impact, because of tiny nickel sulphide inclusions from manufacture.
Laminated glass bonds panes to a plastic interlayer. When it breaks, the pieces stay attached and the pane usually stays in the frame, so the shop remains closed to the weather and to intruders while a replacement is made. Laminated toughened glass combines both: the panes are toughened for strength and laminated so the glass holds together.
For street-level shopfronts, laminated or laminated toughened glass for at least the outer pane has the advantage of keeping the opening closed after a break. Toughened glass is still common in doors, upper panels and internal screens. Your insurer may say which it requires, so check the policy before ordering.
What is security glazing to BS EN 356?
BS EN 356 is the British and European standard for security glazing that resists manual attack. It sets requirements and test methods for glass designed to resist actions of force, and classifies products by their resistance. The aim is to delay access to the protected space for a period, not to make it impossible to get in.
Security glazing to this standard is laminated glass, usually with several interlayers or thicker ones, and its class depends on how it performed in testing, not on its thickness alone. Ask the supplier which BS EN 356 class the glass has been tested to and check that it matches what your insurer or crime prevention adviser has recommended. The frame and its fixings must be strong enough to hold the glass, or an attacker will simply remove the whole pane.
- Which BS EN 356 class the glass has been tested to
- Whether the insurer specifies a class or glass type
- How the frame and beads hold the glass in place
- Whether the laminate is on the outside, inside or both
| Glass type | How it breaks | Typical shopfront use |
|---|---|---|
| Toughened | Small blunt pieces; leaves an open hole | Doors, upper panels, internal screens |
| Laminated | Cracks but stays in the frame | Street-level panes, safety and security |
| Laminated toughened | Holds together with toughened strength | Large panes and frameless entrances |
| Security laminated (BS EN 356) | Resists attack for a period | Higher-risk premises, insurer requirements |
What makes a shop entrance accessible?
In England, Approved Document M volume 2 sets out how entrances to buildings other than dwellings should be designed. For external doors used by the general public it gives a minimum effective clear width of 1000mm in new buildings and 775mm in existing buildings. The threshold should be level, or not more than 15mm high if a raised threshold cannot be avoided.
The opening force at the edge of a manual door furthest from the hinges should be no more than 30N from closed to 30 degrees open, and no more than 22.5N from 30 to 60 degrees. Powered doors should revert to manual control or fail safe in the open position if the power fails, and manual controls should sit between 750mm and 1000mm above the floor. Where appropriate, door leaves and side panels should give visibility between 500mm and 1500mm from the floor.
Separately, the Equality Act 2010 requires service providers to take reasonable steps where a physical feature puts a disabled person at a substantial disadvantage. Those duties apply in England, Wales and Scotland. Northern Ireland has its own equality legislation, and the building guidance in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is set out in each nation's own documents.
Does shopfront glass need manifestation?
Yes, in most cases. Manifestation is the marking on large areas of clear glass that makes it visible so people do not walk into it. In England, Approved Document K says glass doors and glazed screens in shops, offices and other non-domestic buildings should be marked at two levels, roughly 850mm to 1000mm and 1400mm to 1600mm above the floor.
The marking must contrast with the view through the glass from both sides, in all lighting. A logo or sign used as manifestation should be at least 150mm high, and a decorative feature at least 50mm high. Mullions, transoms, door frames or large push and pull handles can sometimes do the same job. Vinyl lettering or etched patterns can combine branding with this safety requirement.
Not every pane needs marking. Approved Document K shows that narrow door-height panes, less than 400mm wide between frames, do not need manifestation, and the requirement does not apply to dwellings. The rules in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are set out in their own guidance, so a shopfitter working outside England should check the local requirement before ordering vinyl or etched glass.
Do I need planning permission for a new shopfront?
Often, yes. In England and Wales, works that materially affect the external appearance of a building count as development, so replacing or altering a shopfront usually needs planning permission, while like-for-like repairs that do not change the appearance may not. In Scotland and Northern Ireland, ask the council's planning service before you start. Some councils publish shopfront design guides.
In a conservation area, councils pay close attention to shopfront materials, proportions and signs, and Article 4 directions can remove rights that would otherwise apply. If the building is listed, changes that affect its character need listed building consent, and carrying out unauthorised works to a listed building is a criminal offence.
Building regulations apply too. Government guidance lists competent person schemes for replacement windows and doors in buildings other than dwellings, but those schemes exclude load-bearing structural glass, glazed curtain walling and revolving doors. Larger or structural shopfront work may need building control approval in England and Wales, a building warrant in Scotland, or district council building control in Northern Ireland.
Do shop signs need advertisement consent?
In England, outdoor signs are controlled by a separate advertisement consent system, assessed only for amenity and public safety. Some signs need no consent, some have deemed consent if they meet the conditions for their class, and others need express consent from the local planning authority. Illumination, size and position all affect which category a sign falls into.
Councils can make areas of special control with tighter limits, and listed building consent may also be needed for signs on a listed building. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own advertisement rules, so check with the council before ordering lettering, illuminated fascias or projecting signs alongside new glazing.
Signs and glazing are often planned together, because lettering on the glass, a new fascia and the shopfront frame all affect each other. If you are changing the shopfront and the signs at the same time, the council may expect both applications together, and it helps to show drawings of the whole frontage. Ask the council how lettering applied to the glass is treated compared with fascia and projecting signs.
Shutters or security glass: which is better for my shop?
Neither is right for every shop. External roller shutters give a physical barrier and protect the glass itself, but solid shutters hide the window display out of hours and can change the look of the street, so councils may control them, especially in conservation areas. Ask the council whether planning permission is needed before fitting external shutters.
Security glazing keeps the shop visible and the display on show, and it can be combined with internal grilles or open-lattice shutters behind the glass. A mix of the two is also possible, guided by the insurer and the local crime risk. We can quote for shopfront glazing across the UK; every job starts with a survey, and the written quote fixes the price for the specification shown.
Frequently asked questions
Can I replace a broken shopfront pane like for like?
You can replace the glass in an existing frame, but the new glass should meet current safety rules for its location, so ordinary annealed glass in a door or low panel should be replaced with safety glass. Check whether your insurer requires laminated or security glass. A like-for-like glass repair does not usually need planning permission, but changes to the frame, layout or signs might.
Is laminated glass harder to break into than toughened glass?
Laminated glass usually takes longer to get through, because even when it cracks the interlayer holds the pieces together and keeps the pane in the frame. Toughened glass is harder to crack, but once it breaks it shatters and leaves an opening. For security, laminated glass tested to a class of BS EN 356 gives a stated level of resistance to manual attack.
How wide does a shop door need to be?
In England, Approved Document M volume 2 gives a minimum effective clear width of 1000mm for external doors used by the general public in new buildings, and 775mm in existing buildings. The threshold should be level, or no more than 15mm high if unavoidable. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own guidance, and service providers also have duties under equality law.
Do I need planning permission for roller shutters?
External roller shutters change the appearance of a shopfront, so in many cases they need planning permission, and councils may have design guidance on shutter types, especially in conservation areas. Requirements vary between councils and between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Ask the local planning authority before ordering, and check whether the building is listed, which brings in listed building consent.
What is manifestation on shop glass?
Manifestation is marking on clear glass, such as dots, bands, logos or etched patterns, that makes it visible so people do not walk into it. In England, Approved Document K places it at two heights, around 850mm to 1000mm and 1400mm to 1600mm above the floor, and requires it to contrast with the background. It can be designed to carry the shop's name or branding.
Sources
- Approved Document K: protection from falling, collision and impact (GOV.UK)
- Approved Document M: access to and use of buildings (GOV.UK)
- BS EN 356 Glass in building. Security glazing (BSI)
- Advertisements: planning guidance (GOV.UK)
- Town and Country Planning Act 1990, section 55 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Equality Act 2010, section 20 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Competent person schemes: current schemes (GOV.UK)
- Living in a conservation area (Historic England)
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