Pricing
The numbers, before you ask for them
Most switchable glass is quoted privately, which makes it impossible to budget and easy to be surprised. These are the ranges PriWatt works within, per square foot, as the manufacturer. A quote against your drawings will land somewhere inside them.
Self-adhesive film, applied to glass already in place
| Product | Per sq ft | Where it is specified |
|---|---|---|
| PDLC film — frosted unpowered | $55 – $95 | Interior partitions, clinics, bathrooms, retrofits |
| PNLC reverse film — clear unpowered | $70 – $115 | Boardrooms and rooms transparent most of the day |
| DLC film — tinted to dark | $75 – $120 | Exterior storefronts and glare control |
Film is the cheaper route and usually the only one available on a retrofit: it goes onto the pane that is already there, so nothing is reglazed and the floor stays in use.
Laminated switchable glass, made to size
| Product | Per sq ft | Where it is specified |
|---|---|---|
| PDLC laminated glass | $115 – $185 | New work and replacement glazing, interior |
| PNLC reverse laminated glass | $140 – $225 | Premium interiors, storefronts, railings |
| DLC laminated glass | $150 – $230 | Facades, where solar gain matters as much as privacy |
| PDLC insulated unit (IGU) | $140 – $230 | Exterior glazing, replacing a shading system |
Laminated glass costs more because it is glass: the switchable layer sits between two panes of architectural safety glass, with the wiring designed into the edge rather than added to it. On an exterior wall an insulated unit replaces the shading system that would otherwise be specified alongside the glass, which is the comparison worth making rather than the one against plain glazing.
Five things move the number
How much of it
The largest single factor. Price per square foot falls as area rises; a small order sits at the top of the range because the setup is the same whether the run is forty square feet or four hundred.
The size of each panel
Panels are made to size — 165 in tall at most, and 57 to 72 in wide depending on the product. Many small pieces cost more per square foot than a few large ones — the same area, more edges, more connections.
Shapes and cut-outs
Curves, notches and holes for hardware are made rather than ordered from a list. A rectangle is the cheapest thing a plant can make.
The glass itself
For laminated products the glass specification is part of the price: thickness, low-iron, heat-treated or fully tempered, and whatever the opening requires.
How it is switched
A wall switch is not a building management integration. The transformer and control are sized to the run and quoted with it.
In the square-foot price
- The panel, made to your dimensions and shape
- The busbar, anchored by the patented method
- Cut-outs, notches and holes for hardware
- Technical review and shop drawings before anything is made
- UL file E514182 and SGCC 9894 certification
Quoted separately
- Isolation transformers and controls, sized to the circuit
- Crating and freight, which depend on panel size and destination
- Installation, through a certified partner or your own glazier
- Site survey where the existing glazing has to be measured
Supplied, or supplied and installed
PriWatt is the manufacturer. The prices above are for the product, made and delivered.
Installed pricing comes from the installer, and it varies more than the product does — access, height, wiring runs and the state of the existing glass all decide it. We work through certified installation partners and can put a project in touch with the one covering it; a contractor or glazing team that would rather fit it themselves can buy supply-only and we will provide the shop drawings and the low-voltage detail.
On the quote that comes in lower
Switchable film can be bought for a great deal less than the figures on this page. A large share of what is sold is cut and assembled outside controlled manufacturing conditions, and it looks identical on a sample board.
The difference shows up at the edge. The busbar that distributes power across the panel is where switchable film fails — patchy switching first, then none — and it is decided when the panel is made, not when it is fitted. Replacing a failed panel costs the price of the panel again plus the installation twice.
Two questions separate the quotes: what is your UL file number, and how is the busbar anchored. A certified manufacturer answers both in a sentence.
Smart film without UL
What the certification covers, and how to check a file number yourself in two minutes.
The patented busbar anchoring system
How the connection is secured inside the film, and why the edge decides the lifespan.
Patents and certifications
UL file E514182, SGCC 9894, and the patents behind the anchoring method.
A number against your drawings
Send dimensions, or the drawings, or a description of the room. A quote comes back with the panel schedule, the transformer and the lead time — not a figure per square foot. Pompano Beach, Florida; (833) 333-8556.