Construction glossary · Envelope and finishes

What is storefrontin construction?

Storefront is the non-residential, ground-floor aluminum framing and glass system used on retail and commercial entries, typically set in a punched or continuous opening up to about 10 ft tall. It carries the entrance doors and fixed glazing at the building face. Estimators measure it by glazed square foot of system and by count of door openings.

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Updated August 2026 · Reviewed by the Ruh construction team

Installed cost $45 to $75 / sfFrame depth 2 in to 4-1/2 inMax height Up to ~10 ftSystem Center / front-set glazed

Storefront framing layout at grade

The definition

Storefront, explained.

Storefront is a center-set or offset aluminum framing system (commonly 2 in by 4.5 in tube) glazed with 1 in insulated units and used at grade for retail fronts, lobbies, and commercial entries. It differs from curtain wall in that it is non-load-bearing for the floors above, spans floor to head rather than slab to slab, and is rated for lower wind and structural loads. On the estimate it splits into framed system area, entrance doors (single or pair, with closers, pivots or butt hinges, panic or push-pull), and any transoms or sidelites. The takeoff drives glass, framing lineal footage, anchors, sealant, and labor. A senior estimator separates the storefront line from curtain wall and from punched window units because the unit costs, glazing thickness, and crew rates differ. Door openings are priced as assemblies, not by area, since hardware and operation drive their cost more than glass.

How it is measured

Measured in glazed square feet of system (opening width times head height) and in count of door openings by type. Take frontage lineal feet off the floor plan and exterior elevations, multiply by head height from the section or elevation to get gross system sf, then list each entrance opening separately by leaf count and width. Read the storefront elevation and the door schedule for door size, swing, and hardware. Confirm head and sill heights against the wall section, and pull anchor and sill flashing conditions from the jamb and sill details. Framing lineal footage (heads, sills, jambs, intermediate mullions) comes off the same elevations for the framing and sealant lines.

Worked example

A worked storefront example.

Worked example

A retail frontage runs 80 lf at a 10 ft head height, giving 80 ft x 10 ft = 800 sf of gross storefront system. The elevation shows three entrance leaves at 3 ft by 7 ft, so door openings consume 3 x (3 ft x 7 ft) = 63 sf, leaving about 800 - 63 = 737 sf of fixed glazed area. Price the full framed system at an illustrative 95 dollars/sf installed: 800 sf x 95 dollars = 76,000 dollars for the framed and glazed wall. The three door leaves carry hardware sets priced as separate assemblies, not by area, so they are added on top of the system line. Carry sill flashing and perimeter sealant as separate lineal items off the jamb and sill details rather than rolling them into the per-sf rate.

How Ruh handles it

How Ruh handles storefront.

Ruh reads the storefront elevations and door schedule, runs the takeoff in glazed system sf and door-opening counts, and pulls framing and sealant lineal footage off the same drawings. It prices the framed system and door assemblies on the contractor's own price book, keeping storefront separate from curtain wall and punched windows. The estimator reviews the openings, hardware split, and unit rates, then signs off.

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Storefront: frequently asked questions

How is storefront different from curtain wall on the estimate?+

Storefront is non-load-bearing, spans floor to head, and is rated for lower loads, so it carries thinner framing and lower unit costs. Curtain wall spans slab to slab and prices higher per sf. Keep them on separate lines.

Do you price storefront doors by square foot?+

No. Door openings are priced as assemblies because hardware, operation, and closers drive their cost more than glass area. Glazed system area is priced by sf; doors are counted and priced per leaf.

What height defines a storefront versus a punched window?+

Storefront is a continuous ground-floor system, commonly up to about 10 ft head height, set in a wide opening. Punched windows are individual units in a wall and are taken off the window schedule by count.

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Related terms

Curtain wall Glazing Facade Window sill

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