We quote slim aluminium frame glass partitions at about ₹850 for each square foot in Bengaluru. That price is fitted, before GST. In a framed system the glass sits inside a thin aluminium channel. It is not held by clamps at the corners. That channel is the whole reason to pick it. It lets you use thinner glass. It takes up walls that are not fully straight. And you can take it down and put it back up somewhere else.
What a framed system is
A U-shaped aluminium channel runs around the opening, along the floor, the top and both sides. The glass sits inside it on packers and rubber gaskets. On a long run, upright posts join one panel to the next. Doors either hang in their own frame with a closer, or on a floor spring if they are heavy.
The channel takes some of the weight. So the glass can usually be 8mm or 10mm. A frameless build needs thicker panels.
That saves real money on the glass. But some of it goes back into the cost of the channel. That is why the two systems end up closer in price than most people expect.
Who should choose a frame over frameless
Anyone fitting into an older building where the walls are clearly not straight and the floor is not level. The channel takes up a few millimetres of gap at every edge. Frameless has nowhere to put that gap.
Also anyone who needs the partition to move. Co-working spaces changing suites. Landlords fitting empty offices. Teams on a short lease. You can unbolt a framed partition and put it up again in a new opening. Frameless toughened glass only fits an opening of exactly the same size.
And anyone who wants a colour. Aluminium can be powder coated in black, bronze, white or anything else. This is how the black-framed look is really built.
Where a frame costs less, and where it does not
It costs less on the glass. Thinner glass saves real money per square foot. Framed jobs also need fewer holes and cut-outs. This is because the channel carries the weight, not a bolt through the pane.
It costs more on the metal and on the labour. We charge for the channel by the running foot. So a partition made of several small panes has a lot of edge for its area. It costs more than two large panes. Powder coating adds cost and a few days.
So a framed system costs a little less than frameless on a simple straight run. On a hard one it costs a little more.
What the common setups cost
We have not priced a framed build on its own yet. So we price it against the frameless one: about ₹850 per sq ft for a run with a door.
In real jobs a framed system usually comes out a little below that on a simple straight run. The frame lets us use thinner glass and needs less cutting. On a partition split into several small panes it can come out above. This is because we charge for the frame by the running foot.
The channel is included in the rate. On its own, for a repair or an add-on, it is about ₹680 per running foot, fitted.
We price both systems side by side. So you can see the difference for your own opening. The written price after we measure is the one that counts.
How the job runs and how long it takes
We measure on site, give you a written price, and take an advance once you approve it.
Framed jobs have two waits running side by side. The glass is at the factory for about three to five working days. The aluminium is cut in the same time. If you have chosen a colour, powder coating adds another two to three days.
Fitting is usually quicker and cleaner than frameless. The channel goes up first and is levelled. Then the glass drops into it. One cabin is normally one day.
We fix the channel before the glass arrives. So a framed job also works better on a site that is not quite finished.
What it is made of
Aluminium U-channel and upright posts. Plain finish, anodised, or powder coated to your colour.
8mm or 10mm clear toughened glass. Toughened glass is safety glass. Frosted and tinted are also available.
Gaskets and packers at every glass edge. These stop the rattle that badly built framed partitions are known for. Ask about them in any quote you compare.
Doors come in two kinds. Either a framed leaf on hinges with a closer on top. Or a glass leaf on a floor spring, where the door is heavy or used all day. Locks, handles and seals to match.
What we look after
The whole job. This includes the part that most often goes wrong on framed work. That is getting the channel fully level and straight before a single pane arrives.
Glass ordered against a badly set channel will not fit. Putting that right costs days, not minutes.
We measure, we make, we deal with your building's access rules, and we fit with our own team. We give a warranty on our fitting work. The parts carry the maker's warranty.
What happens after you get in touch
Send the opening sizes, a photo, and the colour if you have one in mind. We call back the same day with a range. We also give an honest view on whether a framed or a frameless system suits your site.
If we visit, you get a written price. The glass, the aluminium, the fittings and the fitting work are on separate lines.
Asking costs nothing. There is no pressure once you have the price.