Step #1: Decide the size of your shelf.
Step #2: Call 3 neighborhood glass companies and, speaking in a clear contractor-style voice, ask as follows:-
"I want a price for a glass shelf: (take a breath - the phone operator may have to call a salesperson) ..... 3/8 inch clear annealed, 9 inches by 24 inches with flat polished edges".
"3/8 inch" (thick) glass is the best choice for most shelves. Choose 1/2" for a more expensive, architectural, look.
"Flat polished" (right) is glass-speak for a machine-polished, perfectly flat finish with "arrissed" or chamfered edges.
"Annealed" means regular, non-tempered glass.
If you would like to economise, and if the back or sides of the shelves will not be visible, you can ask that one long side is polished and the other sides seamed (right). This means that the glass is not polished, but the sharpness is knocked off by sanding or seaming.
The finish is not perfect but you can save money on edgework. In this case, your "Glass-speak" script goes as follows:-
"I want a price for a glass shelf:- (...pause) ..... 3/8 inch thick clear annealed, 9 inches by 24 inches with one long side polished, and the other three sides seamed" .
Want to know what you should be paying for glass?
Click this link for target pricing on glass shelving.
