For a standard white uPVC front door of 1,000 by 2,200 millimetres, you can expect a supply cost of between £425 to £600. With labour fees of between £150 to £250 and an estimated installation time of between two to five hours, you can expect total estimated costs of between £575 to £1,100.
External doors are essential for both home security and personal comfort. They form a vital barrier against the elements and help to save on energy bills.
Whilst there are many types of doors available, uPVC doors win hands down when it comes to value for money: they’re often the cheapest but still offer reasonable durability and compared to the classic wooden door, they come with vastly increased weather resistance with less upkeep.
In this article, we’ll be looking at:
How much uPVC front doors cost
What affects the cost of uPVC front door installation
How to save money on a uPVC front door
How to know if a uPVC front door is right for your home
How to find and hire a joiner
If your current front door has seen better days and you think it’s high time for a replacement, keep reading to find out if a uPVC front door is the right choice for you and your home.
How Much Does a uPVC Front Door Cost?
To help with budgeting, let’s take a look at the costs associated with new uPVC doors in the first instance.
Type of Door Estimated Supply Cost Estimated Labour Cost Estimated Total Cost Time Required White uPVC (unglazed) £425 to £600 £150 to £500 £575 to £1,100 2 to 5 hours White uPVC (one sheet, half glazed) £475 to £700 £150 to £500 £625 to £1,200 2 to 5 hours White uPVC (two sheets, half glazed) £480 to £700 £150 to £500 £630 to £1,200 2 to 5 hours White uPVC diamond lead half glazed £400 to £600+ £150 to £500 £550 to £1,100 2 to 5 hours White uPVC coloured half glaze £500 to £650+ £150 to £500 £650 to £1,150 2 to 5 hours White uPVC coloured bevel half glazed £500 to £700+ £150 to £500 £650 to £1,200 2 to 5 hours White uPVC resin sandblast glazed £500 to £750+ £150 to £500 £650 to £1,250 2 to 5 hours Rosewood uPVC (unglazed) £500+ £150 to £500 £650+ 2 to 5 hours Grey uPVC (unglazed) £550+ £150 to £500 £700+ 2 to 5 hours Rosewood uPVC (half glazed) £520 to £600 £150 to £500 £670 to £850 2 to 5 hours Grey uPVC (half glazed) £620+ £150 to £500 £770+ 2 to 5 hours
For a standard white uPVC front door of 1,000 by 2,200 millimetres, you can expect a supply cost of between £425 to £600. With labour fees of between £150 to £250 and an estimated installation time of between two to five hours, you can expect total estimated costs of between £575 to £1,100.
If you want to have a front door with one portion of double-glazing in it, a white uPVC model of this variety will cost you between £475 to £700 for a 1,000 by 2,200-millimetre size. The labour time is the same for this type of door, giving a total of between £625 to £1,200 depending on how long it takes your installer.
Perhaps you want a white uPVC door with two sections of glazing – this will cost you between £480 to £700, giving a total cost of around £630 to £1,200. This can either be set out as two thin strips in the middle of the door, or as two smaller shapes at the top of the door to allow light into your home without compromising your privacy.
A white uPVC door with a section of diamond lead design glazing is estimated to cost between £400 to £600, with the cost rising when sourced from high-end retailers. This type of glazing can add extra security to your home as it can be harder to break, while also maintaining a pleasant aesthetic.
Perhaps you’d like a white uPVC door, but want a coloured glaze pattern in a window – this can come in plenty of designs, but the most commonly used are floral patterns. These can cost between £500 to £650, with a final price of around £650 to £1,150 for supply and fit.
You may want a design on your uPVC door but with no additional colour – that’s where a bevel glaze can be of interest. This gives a neutral pattern to your glazing, costing between £500 and upwards of £700 for more complex designs.
To have your white uPVC door treated with a sandblast glaze, you can expect costs of £500 to over £750. This gives an etched glass look, reminiscent of frost on windows, and also maintains your privacy.
Next up, let’s discuss a rosewood uPVC front door, also of 1,000 by 2,200-millimetre size. This is slightly more expensive than the white, costing over £500, and with the same labour costs of between £150 to £500 – a job that takes between two to five hours will total over £650.
For something a little more subtle, a grey uPVC front door can cost upwards of £550 for a 1,000 by 2,200-millimetre size. This gives a total estimated cost of over £700 for the supply and fitting of the door, with the same £150 to £500 labour charge for a job duration of between two to five hours.
For a rosewood uPVC door with half glazing, the cost rises to £520 to £600 for the supply cost alone, with an additional £150 to £500 in labour fees. This will total out to between £670 to £850 for the final estimated cost for installation and purchase.
Finally, a grey uPVC front door with a half-glazed section will cost over £620. With the same labour charges, you can expect a total estimated cost, including installation, to cost over £770.
Keep in mind that there may be additional charges to these base costs such as minimum fees, costs to remove old doors or additional costs for sealants and trims. In all instances, it’s best to get a written quote before proceeding with any work.
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What Affects the Cost of Installing a uPVC Front Door?
Various factors will have an impact on the final costs of installing a uPVC front door.
It’s important to note that if you live in a listed building, you may be required to conform to certain regulations and standards for your front door – it generally won’t be permitted for you to choose a uPVC front door. Before getting started on any work, it’s best to check with your local building authority if you are under any doubt about what you can and cannot do.
Typically, the final prices for uPVC doors will depend on the following factors:
The Size and Type of the Front Door You Need
Custom-made doors or doors with additional security features are likely to be more expensive than more basic uPVC door options. A plain white uPVC door costs between £425 to £600, while a grey uPVC door with half glazing costs over £620.
The Colour Choice
White is usually the standard choice with uPVC doors, but there is a wide variety of colour options – even wood imitations such as rosewood and golden oak are available. As we can see from the price comparison table above, choosing a colour can add almost £100 to your final door price, with a white uPVC door starting at £425, and rosewood and grey colourways starting at £500+.
Any Glass Inserts and Panels
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uPVC door prices will rise depending on your choice of glass. Across the range of clear, tinted, decorative and safety, expect the additional costs to creep up by an extra £100 to £200.
For example, a standard grey uPVC door starts at £550, while the same size and colour but with half glazing starts at £620. While it is nice to have a little extra light in the entrance to your home and hallway, it isn’t an essential feature, so if you’re looking to keep costs low, perhaps navigate away from glazing panels.
Any Door Grids
Having Georgian bars and other decorative grids will push prices towards the higher end of the scale. For example, a grey uPVC door with Georgian glazing grids can cost over £700 – far higher than the starting price of £550 for a solid grey uPVC door.
Your Choice of Accessories and Door Furniture
The costs don’t end with the door being fitted – any additional accessories will need to be added to the total price for your door. Examples of these items can include:
Letter plates – £10 to £20
Door knockers – £15
Spyhole – £10
Custom sills – £10
Cylinder pulls – £15
Door handles – £15
Letterboxes – £15
Doorbells – wired £10 to £15, wireless £15 to £30
Video Door Entry System – £600 to £800
Additional insulation within your door may cost around £20. You may choose to take it further with sealing tape for an additional £5, or warm edge spacing bars for £10.
Your Location
Finally, as with all home renovations, your geographical location plays a key part in determining the price you’ll pay for your job. Those in capital cities will see higher costs, whereas those in towns or villages will likely see lower costs due to the levels of demand.
How Can I Save Money on a uPVC Front Door?
Comparing quotes is a great way to potentially reduce the cost of your front door replacement. HouseholdQuotes can help you get quotes from multiple joiners near you, so that you can find someone that suits your budget.
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Now we know how uPVC front doors can rise in price, let’s take a look at some of the cost-saving initiatives you can employ to make sure your project comes in on budget.
By choosing a door with a basic style and limited additional features such as plain glass or glazing, you can trim your costs down considerably. What’s more, without a glass pane you won’t need to consider any extra fees for window cleaning, and where necessary, blinds or shutters for the door to keep prying eyes out when necessary.
Another factor to consider is that external doors are a controlled fitting, which means any work will require consent from your local building authority. If workers are not FENSA registered, you will need to pay for an inspection – and if you cannot obtain a certificate of compliance, you may encounter a problem when trying to sell.
Fitting new external doors is often best left to professional carpenters or joiners. It’s a fiddly job that requires several tools, joinery equipment, patience and experience.
While you can easily install some features yourself – from your door number to a new door knocker or wall plaque – it’s best to leave the actual installation of your door to the professionals to ensure the safety of your home isn’t compromised, and that you adhere to the building trade guidelines so that nothing is hindering your ability to sell up when the time comes.
To prevent future headaches, you should consider hiring professional tradesmen who are FENSA registered to fit your door.
Is a uPVC Front Door the Right Choice for My Home?
Let’s take a look at the main advantages and disadvantages of having a uPVC front door installed in your home.
The main advantage for a uPVC front door is the affordable price. It is a cheap and cheerful addition to any home, coming in a range of colours, styles and glazing options to suit most homeowners’ wants and needs.
However, uPVC doors aren’t as traditional as timber styles, for example, and some councils may reject the installation of a uPVC door if you’re in a protected area with restrictive covenants or are part of a listed building.
uPVC doors can expand and retract in excessively hot or cold conditions, which can lead to heat loss or a poor opening and closing mechanism. This isn’t the case with composite doors, for example, which can be a better choice if you live in a particularly harsh environment.
You can easily design and alter a uPVC door, and if well-maintained, you can expect it to last you between 25 to 30 years. This isn’t the longest lifespan when it comes to front doors, however, and if you want something ultra long-lasting, you should opt for timber or aluminium – but expect a far higher price point.
What’s Involved in Installing a uPVC Front Door?
Before we begin, it’s important to note that fitting a single door is a two-person job. It may only take half a day to fit the new door, yet you should allow a full day for removing and disposing of the existing door and frame – and your labour costs can be doubled due to the two-person installation and removal.
The first step your joiner will take is to precisely measure your space. This will be most likely done with three vertical measurements and three horizontal measurements, taking the smallest values to ensure the door fits within the frame.
Your joiner will most likely deduct one centimetre from the smallest value to allow for fitting tolerances. The next step is then to order a new door or frame for your home.
When your new uPVC front door or frame arrives, it’s important that you check it thoroughly before fitting. In particular, pay attention to the swing of the door and where the hinges are, and if the door handle is on the right side as per your order.
Your joiner will then begin to remove your existing door. To do this, they’ll use a hammer, chisel and pry bar to extract the old frame from the wall, being careful not to damage any existing brickwork.
The old silicone and mastic will be cleaned away from the surface, and, if required, the sill will be fitted, with the installer making sure that it has been positioned correctly by using a spirit level. The sill will then be aligned with packing and shims, then secured in place with silicone.
Next, the fixings will be attached to the new door. In order to make this easier, your installer may remove the new door from the frame, take it to one side, and fit the handles and cylinders.
The door will then be positioned in the opening. At this point, your installer will check that the bottom is level, and swing open the door.
Holes will be drilled down through the frame and brickwork, and the frame will be secured with anchors and bolts, all the while checking to ensure that the door is still level. Your joiner will then drill and secure each side, with the hinged side first, then the lock side, checking to see if the door still closes parallel.
The door will then be adjusted if anything is catching. The plastic packers will be positioned, with the hinged side requiring one vertically and one horizontally from the bottom, and the locking side requiring one vertically and one horizontally from the top.
Your joiner will then check that the door closes and locks. Once this is certain, they will move on to fill in beads and tap down using a soft hammer.
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Now it’s time for any final adjustments. The joiner will likely use a screwdriver to adjust the door latch to remove play, and adjust the hinges until they provide smooth operation as required.
Lastly, the final seal will be laid. The joiner will then clean the frame and seal it to the brickwork using waterproof silicone sealant to complete the job.
How Do I Find and Hire a Joiner?
Finding the right joiner can be challenging. At HouseholdQuotes, we can connect you to joiners in your area.
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One of the best routes to take when looking for a joiner for your project is to simply seek recommendations from family, friends, and neighbours. If they have had similar work completed in their home, it’s a great way to find reputable leads and it saves you time that would otherwise be spent looking for a suitable trader.
If this isn’t possible, consulting FENSA will help you to find a trusted trader. This is especially important as installing a front door is considered a controlled fitting, meaning that the installation needs to be signed off by a certified trade body.
Ensuring the Professional Is the Right Fit
Before agreeing to work with a joiner, you’ll want to check your chosen tradesperson is competent and qualified before you agree to work with them. This can take a few forms; from looking at their experience and previous jobs, as well as any customer references, to looking at photos or videos of their past work to see if the finish is what you are looking for.
It’s important to double-check they have the relevant insurance in place before any work begins to keep both parties safe, and you should settle on a written quote before any work starts to ensure there are no surprises with hidden fees come completion.
Final Checklist
When it comes to home security, nothing is better than having a brand-new front door installed. Let’s take a look at our final checklist to make sure everything is taken care of when it comes to your project:
Ensure you can have a uPVC door fitted – do you live in a protected area or own a listed building? This could hinder your uPVC door installation, and it’s always best to check with the local building authority before going ahead with any work to save you from wasting both your time and your money
Find which style is right for you – do you want something simple and cost-effective, such as a white uPVC door, or do you want something more ornate like a coloured uPVC door with Georgian bars and glazing?
Consider your budget and pick a style that fits your wants and your wallet
Find a trader and ensure they are FENSA registered as doors are a controlled fitting which needs to be signed off and certified by a trade body
Get and agree upon a written quote before any work begins
Choose your extras such as a video doorbell or security system, and enjoy your newly-secure home!
Use HouseholdQuotes to find local joiners and potentially save money on your front-door project.
Comparing Quotes Could Save You Up To 40%:
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Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the Difference Between a uPVC Door and a Composite Door? While a uPVC door will be made purely from plastic, a composite door will be made from a combination of materials which are bonded together under high pressure to create a new material. Due to the manufacturing methods, composite doors are typically more hardwearing than uPVC, withstanding more robust conditions, making them better choices for homeowners in more extreme climate environments.
What’s the Best Material for a Front Door? The best material for a front door can only be decided on a case-by-case basis, as what is ‘best’ for one homeowner might not be right for the next. For example, those in harsher weather climates might favour a composite door for durability and robustness, while those in more temperate conditions could favour a uPVC door because there are fewer extreme events to contend with. For more information on external front doors and their associated costs, as well as their pros and cons, take a look at our dedicated page.
How Much Do Locksmiths Charge to Change a Lock? Locksmiths will typically charge between £125 and £140 to replace a standard mortice and rim lock. Prices can be higher for emergency call-outs, which should be kept in mind – for more information on locksmiths and their associated costs, take a look at our lock changing guide.
How Long Do uPVC Doors Last? With multi-point locking systems for security, the average life expectancy of a uPVC door is up to 25 years, and what’s more, 10-year manufacturer’s warranties are commonplace. This means that any safety or insulating properties can last this long, making replacement doors a sound investment from a safety and energy efficiency point of view.
Are uPVC Doors Cheaper Than Composite Doors? While an unglazed uPVC door can cost in the region of £250 to £500 for supply costs, composite doors can cost between £500 to £700 for the same glazing type. The cost difference is due to the composite door being made up of more than one material, thus giving greater durability. For more information on composite doors, take a look at our dedicated page on external door costs.
How Much Do Composite or Timber Doors Cost? Composite doors can cost between £500 to £700 for unglazed options, and between £600 to £1,100 for glazed, while timber can cost between £500 to £1,300 for unglazed, and £300 to £1,800 for glazed options. There are differences in price depending on the exact material you choose – timber doors can vary from hardwood types – and for more information, you can take a look at our dedicated page.
Can uPVC Doors Crack? Yes, uPVC doors can crack, but the good news is that they’re relatively easy to repair if this does happen. Due to the material cracks shouldn’t be too common, but they can happen over a door’s lifetime.
Are uPVC Doors Prone to Swelling or Expanding in the Heat or Sun? Despite uPVC doors having a galvanised iron frame, the uPVC sections can expand and retract in different weather conditions, leading to warping. If you have a black uPVC door, for instance, and have it in a position that makes it in the sun’s path during summer, you can expect an amount of expansion during the hotter months.
Can uPVC Doors Fade in the Sun? Yes, as with most other door materials, uPVC doors will fade in the sun. While it’s not possible to re-paint in the same way you would a timber door, for example, there are heat-resistant treatments you can add to the door to preserve the colour over the years.
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Photo: Marcelo Chagas
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