If you live in an old property, it is worth upgrading your windows and doors. Fitting energy-efficient windows in your property can reduce energy costs by up to 15% annually. Upgrading doors to doors that let light and air in a room also can reduce energy costs.

A conservatory will add value to any property as well as give your family an extra room to use as a dining room, living room, or even a play area for the children. You can be as creative as you like when it comes to using the extra space.

What does a windows, doors and conservatory fitter do?

If you are planning to build your dream house or upgrading your property, and in need of someone who specialises in installing windows, doors, conservatories and glazed curtain walls, then you will need the skills of a window fitter.

A window fitter will;

  • Remove old windows, doors and conservatories
  • Measure the space needed for new doors and windows
  • Build conservatories, glasshouses or orangeries
  • Fit new doors and windows, making sure they are weathertight and improve the homes overall energy efficiency 

A window fitter will work with different types of window and door material, like wood, metal, uPVC and aluminium fittings.

Which is better; wood, metal, uPVC or aluminium windows?

For those wanting a house with a reduced carbon footprint, aluminium is far more environmentally friendly than uPVC. Although uPVC windows have a better energy efficiency rating than the older aluminium window frames. New aluminium frames have improved their thermal insulation.  When it comes to which material will last longer without needing to be replaced soonest, again aluminium beats uPVC with 50 years lifespan rather than uPVC 30 years. If this is your forever home, then the longer lifespan of the window frames and door frames make up for the higher cost of aluminium versus uPVC. A regular casement aluminium window starts from £500 as opposed to the same window in uPVC starting from £200. 

Aluminium suits a more contemporary home. Out of the different materials, the least characteristic is uPVC. Wood offers more character appeal and looks better in older homes, especially a Victorian or Edwardian home, but has more maintenance requirements needing to be treated, weatherproofed and painted every few years to avoid wood rot. uPVC plastic frames and aluminium frames at least only require a wipe down now and then, when washing windows and doors, to keep them looking like new.

uPVC windows do block out more sound than aluminium so if you live on a busy street, it may be worth your while to go for uPVC for a quieter home experience. Both uPVC and aluminium are stronger and more durable than wood, so if you are not certain about your neighbourhood, go for a more secure frame and of course a frame that allows window locks. They both also come with the option to double glaze or even triple glaze for additional insulation.

How much will it cost to fit windows and doors?

Fitting a new external door can take a window and door fitter about two hours of labour as they need to first remove the old door, inspect the overall health of the frame and then hang the new door. 

If replacing the frame or casing as well as the door, this will be another two hours of labour. The door fitter will need to cut around the casing and then pull it out of the wall. A touch up of plaster and paint might need to be added to the wall, the fitter will usually be able to do this for you to avoid you having to still get a painter afterwards.

If the window fitter is just installing a new window without having to remove an old window, this usually takes about 30 minutes. Allow an hour per window to remove an old window, replacing it with a new window. Upgrading frames from rotten wood frames and replacing it with uPVC is completely do-able and the window fitter will just need a few more hours labour, as after cutting out the frames from the walls, there might need to be some work repairing the walls making the walls sturdy and ready for the new frames to be fitted.

Cost to fit windows and doors

Per

Average total labour cost

Replacing an external door with frame

Per day

£200

Putting in a new external door only

Per day

£110

Fitting 3 new windows with upgraded frames

Per day

£150

Fitting new patio doors

Per day

£180

Upgrading patio sliding door for a bi-fold door

Per day

£210

What to consider when getting a new external door?

If replacing your external door and the size of the door is the same as your previous door, a door fitter will examine the condition of the door frame and most likely be able to fit the door to the existing frame. The door frame might need a repair to ensure it is in the best condition, thermal and secure wise. This might be a hole that needs to be filled in or a bit of wood rot that needs to be treated.

Most doorways are set sizes but it is not the case that one door fits all. The door fitter will need to correctly measure and size up the door. Hardwood doors can be shaved to allow for the perfect fit whereas uPVC doors cannot be cut to size.

When choosing a new front door, consider the style of the door and ensure it suits the overall look of the property. If the front door opens to a dark hallway, you might want to choose a door that allows light through with one or two windows.

You will want a door that is rust and rot resistant and does not require too much on-going maintenance. A wipe down of the door is better than having to constantly repaint it year on year.

The biggest issue when fitting a new door is that it is not well fitted to the frame therefore not well insulated or waterproof, a professional door fitter should hang the door correctly.

If you are thinking of upgrading outside French patio doors, one of the best face-lifts to a property is to replace old-fashioned patio doors with modern bi-folding doors. This is a relatively easy upgrade for the door fitter to accomplish.

How much will it cost to fit a conservatory?

Having a conservatory fitter fit a conservatory for you is a lot cheaper than getting involved in a house extension. The conservatory will need a foundation and if the conservatory is a replacement, the existing foundation may need to be strengthened or maintained before the new conservatory is built. Once you have chosen your style and shape of a conservatory, having the parts built off site can take about 2 months and then once the conservatory is ready to install, the installation fitting process can be 3-4 weeks of labour time.

The different stages of labour needed during building a conservatory is;

  • Building the base
  • Building the walls
  • Building the roof
  • Fitting conservatory windows
  • Fitting conservatory doors
  • Fitting conservatory lights and wiring up the electrics
  • Fitting conservatory radiators and piping it to the main central heating or electrics

Different types of conservatories require different time scales adding or reducing the overall labour cost;

Victorian

3-4 weeks

Edwardian

2-3 weeks

Lean-to

2-3 weeks

P-shaped

3-4 weeks

L-shaped

3-4 weeks

T-shaped

3-4 weeks

Orangery

4-5 weeks

Sunroom

2-3 weeks

Glass room

1-2 weeks

 

Cost to install a conservatory

Per

Average total labour cost

Installing a conservatory, including building a foundation and taking 3-4 weeks to fit

Per day

£3,325

Installing an orangery, including building a foundation and taking 3 weeks to fit

Per day

£3,000

Replacing only the roof on a conservatory

Per day

£540

Removing an old conservatory

Per day

£600

What to consider when getting a conservatory?

If you are looking for a conservatory fitter to build an extension on your home of a conservatory (a mostly glass extension with a pitched roof) or an orangery (brick structure with large windows similar to a conservatory but often with a flat roof) consider the reason for wanting one built. Will it be a new office, living room or dining room? Having the pre-thought of what the use will be, will help determine the size and layout of the conservatory.

Before finding the perfect conservatory fitter for your home, also consider the position of the property and where would be the best location of the conservatory. As it is mostly glass, you will want it to look out, maximising on views, and not to be north facing where it will be freezing and unpleasant to be in during the winter months, and not fully facing south as it may be too hot to enjoy in the summer months. 

The structure of the conservatory needs to compliment the property, so a more ornate style home with a steep roof might suit a more gothic style conservatory and a contemporary modern home will want a conservatory mirroring the style. The builder can discuss which material (aluminium, hardwood or uPVC) will best suit the style home to compliment the character of your house as well as meet your needs with thermal insulation and security.


Estimates for common builder jobs;

Job Estimate
Cost to fit windows, doors and conservatories £160
Cost to build a side return extension £61000
Cost to repoint or repair brickwork £405
Cost to remove a chimney breast £800
New fitted kitchen cost £19500
Cost to lay a new driveway £3400
Cost to fit a new bathroom £8000
Cost of a loft conversion £49900
Cost of home insurance £20.00 per month
Cost of contents insurance £12.00 per month
Cost of building insurance £10.00 per month
Cost to build a retaining wall £320
Basement conversion cost £43000

Rates for other trades

Fit windows, doors and conservatories cost in the UK
Fit windows, doors and conservatories cost in the UK (excluding VAT or callout charges)
Location in UKFit windows, doors and conservatories cost
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Aberdeen£260
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Amber Valley£214
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Angus£205
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Arun£227
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Ashfield£218
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Aylesbury Vale£225
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Barnsley£243
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Basildon£231
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Basingstoke & Deane£234
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Bassetlaw£216
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Bath & North East Somerset£229
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Bedford£252
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Belfast£142
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Birmingham£204
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Blackburn£203
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Blackpool£188
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Bolton£203
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Bournemouth£231
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Bracknell Forest£248
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Bradford£209
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Braintree£223
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Breckland£188
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Bridgend£191
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Brighton£225
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Bristol£228
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Broadland£181
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Broxtowe£214
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Bury£209
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Caerphilly£196
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Calderdale£198
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Cambridge£239
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Canterbury£199
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Cardiff£196
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Carmarthenshire£189
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Charnwood£191
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Chelmsford£227
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Cheltenham£230
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Cherwell£232
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Chester£199
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Colchester£218
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Conway£189
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Coventry£200
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Crewe & Nantwich£222
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Dacorum£242
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Derby£214
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Doncaster£215
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Dover£199
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Dudley£203
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Dumfries & Galloway£170
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Dundee£214
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near East Ayrshire£198
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near East Devon£174
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near East Dunbartonshire£224
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near East Hampshire£230
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near East Hertfordshire£248
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near East Lindsey£205
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near East Riding£216
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Eastleigh£230
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Edinburgh£242
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Elmbridge£246
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Epping Forest£240
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Erewash£212
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Exeter£173
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Falkirk£211
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Fife£230
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Flintshire£203
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Gateshead£224
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Gedling£215
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Glasgow£246
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Gloucester£216
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Guildford£254
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Gwynedd£163
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Halton£197
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Harrogate£201
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Havant & Waterloo£225
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Highland£200
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Horsham£232
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Huntingdonshire£251
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Ipswich£203
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Isle of Wight£227
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Kings Lynn & West Norfolk£191
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Kingston-upon-Hull£206
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Kirklees£212
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Knowsley£189
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Lancaster£204
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Leeds£207
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Leicester£185
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Lisburn£143
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Liverpool£192
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near London£242
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Luton£236
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Macclesfield£212
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Maidstone£239
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Manchester£208
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Mid Bedfordshire£247
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Mid Sussex£225
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Middlesbrough£213
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Milton Keynes£241
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Neath Port Talbot£195
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near New Forest£235
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Newbury£231
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Newcastle-under-Lyme£203
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Newcastle-upon-Tyne£226
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Newport£206
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near North Ayrshire£218
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near North East Lincolnshire£216
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near North Hertfordshire£247
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near North Lanarkshire£217
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near North Lincolnshire£189
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near North Somerset£228
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near North Tyneside£231
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near North Wiltshire£217
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Northampton£226
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Norwich£184
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Nottingham£216
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Nuneaton & Bedworth£201
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Oldham£211
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Oxford£237
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Pembrokeshire£150
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Perth & Kinross£222
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Peterborough£246
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Plymouth£214
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Poole£234
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Portsmouth£224
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Powys£200
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Preston£203
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Reading£247
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Redcar & Cleveland£216
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Reigate & Banstead£247
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Renfrewshire£256
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Rhondda, Cynon, Taff£195
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Rochdale£208
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Rotherham£240
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Salford£206
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Salisbury£283
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Sandwell£202
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Scarborough£203
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Scottish Borders£262
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Sefton£194
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Sevenoaks£240
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Sheffield£247
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Slough£250
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Solihull£200
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near South Ayrshire£203
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near South Bedfordshire£252
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near South Cambridgeshire£244
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near South Gloucestershire£226
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near South Kesteven£196
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near South Lanarkshire£191
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near South Oxfordshire£240
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near South Somerset£259
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near South Tyneside£228
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Southampton£229
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Southend-on-Sea£220
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near St Albans£244
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near St Helens£190
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Stafford£212
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Stockport£213
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Stockton-on-Tees£215
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Stoke-on-Trent£204
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Stratford-on-Avon£204
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Stroud£215
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Suffolk Coastal£194
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Sunderland£223
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Swale£217
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Swansea£209
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Tameside£213
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Teignbridge£197
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Tendring£209
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Test Valley£218
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Thamesdown£217
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Thanet£181
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near The Wrekin£229
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Thurrock£234
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Torbay£214
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Trafford£211
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Vale of Glamorgan£203
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Vale of White Horse£230
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Vale Royal£207
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Wakefield£210
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Walsall£203
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Warrington£208
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Warwick£202
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Waveney£205
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Waverley£254
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Wealden£221
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near West Lancashire£192
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near West Lothian£234
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near West Wiltshire£217
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Wigan£198
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Windsor & Maidenhead£250
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Wirral£193
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Wokingham£246
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Wolverhampton£203
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Wrexham Maelor£215
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Wychavon£206
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near Wycombe£244
Fit windows, doors and conservatories near York£196