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Cost of French Doors

By Melissa

Last updated 2nd July 2024 - Reading time: 18 mins

At a glance

Average cost to install French doors is £1200
It will take roughly 2 days to complete

In this article, you'll find the following:

A breakdown of pricing information for different types of French doors
How long the job will take and a general overview of what the job entails
How to find and hire a French door installer
Any additional or hidden costs

Do you want to find out how much French doors cost to install?

In the following price guide, we’ll break down the average cost of French doors.

This guide will also delve into relevant topics such as upvc French patio doors, double glazed French doors, additional costs, and labour fees and timeframes.

Looking for a French doors installation quote from a tradesperson?

Well, we've got you covered there too! Take a look at our local French door installers who will be happy to give you a free quote!

For more information, take a look below!

Average Cost to Install French Doors:

Depending on the complexity of the job, it usually takes:  1-2 Days

£1200

How Much Are French Doors?
- French Door Prices
Supply Only Costs
Additional Costs
Labour Costs and Timescales
Cost Factors of Installing French Doors
What's Involved in Installing French Doors?
Can I Install French Doors?
Choosing French Doors
Benefits of French Doors
Hiring Contractors to Install French Doors Checklist
FAQs
Sources

How Much Are French Doors?

Let's dive straight in...

It costs about £1765 to £2165 to replace existing French doors. However, if you’d like to turn an existing window into new uPVC French doors, expect a total cost of £2365 to £2665.

What about creating an entirely new opening?

To create a new opening and install these types of doors would set you back roughly £3100 to £3400.

What about the cost of different types of French doors?

For stationary French patio doors, they would cost about £1000 to £1700 to fit. Sliding patio French doors would probably cost between £1440 and £1600 to install.

Let's look at the different materials and glazing costs...

In general, the cost to fit French doors that are made of uPVC will land about £1000 to £1200. If you’d like to have aluminium French doors installed, expect to pay around £1300 to £1500.

The French door installation costs land about £2100 to £2400 for solid oak laminate French doors and £1350 to £1750 for softwood French doors.

Should you wish for them to be triple glazed, expect an installation cost of about £1500 to £1700.

A big cost factor is the size of the doors.

Depending on the material chosen, installing 1200 x 2100 French doors will probably cost between £1000 and £1500. The cost would rise to approximately £1000 to 1600 for 1500 x 2100 French doors or £1100 to £1700 for 1800 x 2100 French doors.

What other cost factors can affect the overall price?

Additional cost factors are the type of door opening, the state of the installation area, ease of access and where your property is located (as door fitters charge different rates across the UK).

What's the best type of lock for French doors that open outwards?

"Hi Assuming you have upvc/plastic doors, then the previous answer is correct. If you have timber doors without multi point lock (lift handle to lock), then you might need a 5 lever sash/dead lock. It is important to measure the centre of the leading edge of the door (lock location).

These can range from 2 to 3 inches, taking the rebate into consideration if it has it. If it has, then a rebate kit to suit will be required. If you have a period building, then a French lock might be preferable (bolt that runs the full length of the door located in the top frame and bottom threshold). If you Google my terminology, then you will get a better picture.

Good luck"

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French Door Prices

Here are a few tables that indicate the prices of French doors by material, size and number of doors:

French Door Installation Prices by Type/Material

Type/Material	Labour Costs	Supply Costs	Total Cost
Standard	£400 to £700	£1300 to £1700	£1700 to £2400
Sliding	£840 to £900	£600 to £700	£1440 to £1600
uPVC	£250 to £350	£700 to £900	£950 to £1250
Solid Oak Laminate	£400 to £500	£1700 to £1900	£2100 to £2400
Aluminium	£200 to £300	£1000 to £1100	£1300 to £1500
Softwood	£250 to £350	£1000 to £1400	£1350 to £1750

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French Door Installation Prices by Size

Size	Labour Costs	Supply Costs	Total Cost
1200 x 2100	£750 to £1250	£250	£1000 to £1500
1500 x 2100	£750 to £1350	£250	£1000 to £1600
1800 x 2100	£800 to £1400	£300	£1100 to £1700

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French Door Installation Prices by Number of Doors

Number of Doors	Labour Costs	Supply Costs	Total Cost
2 Doors	£300 to £600	£1465 to £1665	£1765 to £2165
4 Doors	£300 to £600	£3230 to £3730	£3530 to £4330
6 Doors	£300 to £600	£4295 to £5895	£5295 to £6495
8 Doors	£300 to £600	£6760 to £8060	£7060 to £8660

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Supply Only Costs

Let's look at supply costs next!

Supply costs are the price of materials and excluding labour fees. So, if you're considering installing French doors yourself - these estimations are for you!

Standard French doors generally cost somewhere in the range of £1300 to £1700 to buy.
Sliding patio French doors generally cost about £600 to £700.
uPVC French doors tend to cost about £700 to £900 or £1250 to £1400 if you’d like them to be triple glazed.
To buy solid oak laminate French doors would set you back between £1700 and £1900 in most cases.
The average cost lands around £1000 to £1100 for aluminium French doors and £1000 to £1400 for softwood French doors.
As for the door sizes, it costs about £700 to £1300 to buy 1200 x 2100 French doors, £750 to £1350 for 1500 x 2100 French doors and £800 to £1400 for 1800 x 2100 French doors.

Additional Costs

Upon having new French doors added, you may find that it’s a good chance to get some other work out of the way. In this section, we’ll take a closer look at some relevant additional jobs which you may choose to pay for.

New Front Door

To have your front door replaced will cost about £1000 and take about 2-5 hours. Front doors act as the first sight new visitors get when they arrive at your home. To make the best first impression, you may decide that it’s time to get a new front door.

Though a standard front door installation will likely cost between £500 and £2500, to have a custom-made door fitted would cost around £2000 to £4500.

Triple Glazed Windows

Another job you may wish to have undertaken is to supply and fit triple glazed windows.

This can be an expensive job with the cost generally landing between £3000 and £5800. As you may have guessed, triple glazing involves the use of three glass panes within a sealed frame.

Labour Costs and Timescales

In general, the labour cost to have French doors installed will land between £250 and £450 though in some cases, additional work or labour may be required, bringing the total labour cost to about £600 to £800. A second labourer might be needed, for instance, if heavy-lifting is required.

A single tradesperson might charge £150 to £200 per day with two labourers costing £300 to £400 each day. Window fitters generally charge £14 an hour though it will depend on the region.

The labour cost will be included in your overall bill alongside the cost of the doors, and if any waste removal expenses are necessitated. It will probably take an hour or less to remove the old window, door, or wall section, and it will take up to one working day or two to fit the new French doors.

In most cases, it will take 2-8 hours in total. The labour costs and timescales may vary depending on the state of the installation area, ease of access and the weather. Adverse weather, for instance, could prolong/postpone the work.

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Cost Factors of Installing French Doors

We’ll now break down the cost factors for fitting French doors in more detail.

Type of French Doors

One of the key cost factors is the type of French doors you’d like to have installed. As shown in the supply only costs section, sliding patio doors are generally the cheapest, costing about £600 to £700 but standard French doors may cost between £1300 and £1700.

You can expect the cost to land between £1000 and £1500 if you’d prefer to go with sliding French doors.

Size of French Doors

The supply costs section also showed how the size of the doors impacts the price. To recap, it would be as little as £700 for 1200 x 2100 doors but as much as £1400 to have 1800 x 2100 French doors installed.

Number of Doors

Of course, the more doors you’d like to have installed, the higher your supply expenses will be, and thus the more the final bill will be.

Materials Used

The supply costs are also affected by the material from which the doors are made of. uPVC is the cheapest material with uPVC French doors costing about £700 to £900.

On the other hand, solid oak laminate French doors cost almost £2000 on average. Aluminium and softwood French doors fall in the middle of the price range.

Location of Property

Window fitters charge about £14 an hour. However, their rates vary depending on where you live. In London and the southeast in general, labour rates tend to be higher than the rest of the country. In fact, window fitters in these regions charge about 20% more than in the most rural areas of the UK.

On the contrary, the cost of hiring a window fitter is generally lower in Scotland, the north of England, and Northern Ireland.

Ease of Access

How accessible the area is could also play a role in the total cost of this work. This relates to the fact that the easier it is for a labourer the work, generally the quicker the work will be, and this would mean a lower labour cost.

Though this might not be the case if, for example, a company/contractor charges a set labour rate for a job regardless of how long it takes.

What's Involved in Installing French Doors?

1. Hiring a Contractor and Choosing the Doors

Firstly, you’ll need to decide what design, size, and type of French doors you’d like, as well as the materials. By deciding on a budget, you can narrow down your choices and go from there.

You may decide to hire a contractor to supply and fit the doors for you. However, if you decide to source the doors yourself, to start your search, you could try Googling ‘buy French doors near me’.

2. Remove the Existing Structure

On the day of the installation work, the first practical step will be to remove what is currently present. This might mean removing existing doors, an existing window, or making a new opening by knocking down part of a wall.

Assuming that, more than likely, existing doors are being removed, this will start with the removal of the hinges. Next, the frame should be removed before the opening is checked to ensure that it is clean and smooth.

If it’s not, then some old elements like rotting timber should be replaced.

3. Install the New Doors

Regardless of the type and size of the door and what materials it’s made from, each set of doors will come with its own instructions.

Can I Install French Doors?

You should only fit French doors yourself if you have a very clear idea of what the job entails and have previous joinery experience. If you’re not particularly familiar with this type of work, then it is best to hire professionals, however. You will need a building regulations compliance certificate.

If you fit them DIY, you should contact your local council in order to arrange for a professional to come by and sign it off. It is best to inform your local council before the work is undertaken.

As with any DIY job, there are a range of risks and hazards involved. The most obvious issue is that you could make a mistake. At best, this will prove a waste of time, and you’ll need to start from scratch (and at this point you’d probably choose to hire a professional anyway).

At worst, you could damage the doors and possibly beyond repair, which would, of course, be a very expensive error.

When working with sharp and heavy tools and heavy materials, you also risk injury to yourself. If you decide to fit French doors DIY, proceed with caution.

Choosing French Doors

We’ll now look more closely at the different types of French doors based on their design/style and the materials used.

Standard French Doors Cost

Regular French doors simply open outwards. In some cases, they can open inwards or even both, but this is not especially common. If they are external French doors as is usually the case, they lead outside and generally into a garden.

Standard French doors will feature large glass panels designed to allow plenty of natural light into the home to brighten it up. This will prove particularly beneficial if the doors lead into your kitchen as it will really add an extra flair to the room and bring it to life. Most standard French doors cost about £1300 to £1700.

Pros

✔ Generally easier to install
✔ Let in lots of light

Cons

✖ May not be considered as stylish
✖ Do not use space as effectively as sliding French doors
✖ More expensive than sliding French doors

Sliding French Doors Cost

A cheaper alternative to standard French doors are those that slide across on tracks. The classic style of these doors is appealing for some homeowners. The main advantage of sliding French doors is that they use up less space since they do not protrude outwards.

Unlike sliding patio doors, in most cases, neither door is fixed. Sliding patio French doors usually cost between £600 and £700.

Pros

✔ Cheap
✔ Uses the space more effectively

Cons

✖ May be more difficult to install

uPVC French Doors Cost

Unplasticised Polyvinyl Chloride or uPVC tends to be the cheapest option when it comes to French doors with an average supply cost of £700 to £900. uPVC French doors are still a great way of insulating your home.

uPVC is a durable and long-lasting material, and if you already have plenty of uPVC windows throughout your home, uPVC French doors would be a good fit. That said, they lack some of the aesthetic qualities that other materials can offer.

Pros

✔ Cheapest material for French doors
✔ Durable
✔ Long-lasting
✔ Fits well with uPVC windows

Cons

✖ Not the most aesthetically pleasing

Solid Oak Laminate French Doors Cost

One material worth considering is solid oak laminate and specifically with clear glazing. This material is more durable and resistant to scratches and moisture than timber. However, any laminate material is still prone to water damage in the long-run and is at risk of losing its shape over time.

Solid oak laminate also lacks the aesthetic quality of real wood. The main drawback of solid oak laminate French doors is that they cost about £1700 to £1900, making them particularly expensive.

Pros

✔ Durable
✔ Resistant to scratches
✔ Resistant to moisture (up to a point)

Cons

✖ Costly
✖ Can misshapen

Aluminium French Doors Cost

A less common but notable choice are aluminium French doors. With an average cost of £1000 to £1100, these doors are actually one of the cheapest options, alongside timber. However, plenty of aluminium doors will be significantly more expensive than the average price range. Among the benefits of these doors are their strength, durability, and stability.

However, aluminium French doors are susceptible to water staining. Since the UK is prone to rain and some areas more so than others, aluminium doors may not be the most suitable option for homeowners here.

Pros

✔ Not overly expensive
✔ Strong
✔ Durable
✔ Stable

Cons

✖ Prone to water staining
✖ Not the most suitable option for UK homeowners

Timber French Doors Cost

Softwood French doors are very common, although hardwood French doors also exist. The key advantage of timber French doors is how they look. They are the most popular choice among homeowners, and most would lay this down to their rustic and traditional appearance.

They can also be painted to match the exterior of your if you’d like. On the other hand, timber is prone to rot and moisture damage. They do require quite a lot of maintenance compared with other materials, and they are not as durable. Most timber doors cost about £1000 to £1400.

Pros

✔ Relatively cheap
✔ Commonplace
✔ Rustic and traditional aesthetic

Cons

✖ At risk of rot and water damage
✖ Not as durable as most
✖ Requires a lot of maintenance

Benefits of French Doors

Let’s explore some of the advantages of French doors in general, regardless of the type, size, or material used.

Added Natural Light

Perhaps the best advantage of French doors is the amount of natural light they let into a home. With added natural light inside, such as in a kitchen, it can create the illusion of there being more space.

They also more effectively integrate your home’s interior with the patio, deck, or garden or with one room and another in the case of internal French doors.

Functional

These doors can also bring functional benefits as they can open up space between one room and the next. French doors are particularly advantageous when they slide along a track as this helps you make better use of the space.

Secure

French door security helps to keep the risk of a break into a minimum. Generally, the higher the quality of the door, the more secure it will be.

Hiring Contractors to Install French Doors Checklist

Here is the checklist you’ll need to find the right contractor to fit French doors:

Experience - The most important thing to consider is how experienced the labourer(s) are. After all, if you’re choosing not to fit the doors yourself due to a lack of experience, you’ll want to hire someone who has a good background in door fitting.
References - You should ask for references when hiring a door fitter. This is to ensure that their previous work was rated well by customers.
Accreditation and Qualifications - You might also want to ask about any accreditation and qualifications that they have. However, a door fitter does not need a qualification to be an experienced and skilled professional. Qualifications are more relevant to contractors like electricians and heat engineers.

FAQs

How secure are French doors?

French doors are generally more than sufficient when it comes to security though it will depend on the quality of the build, glazing, and locks.

Can you adjust French doors?

To adjust a French, you need to turn the corner bearing adjusting screw. In order to do this, you’ll need to check the distance between the frame and leaf of the French doors before removing the plastic covering that is on the corner bearings. The exact approach required will vary depending on the design of the doors.

How long do French doors last?

On average, about 30 years.

How to clean French patio doors?

One approach is to use warm and soapy water. Use a damp sponge and run this mixture along the frame. Ensure that you wipe off any leftover moisture. A soft brush can be used to get rid of any particularly dirty parts of the doors.

What are the best French doors in terms of material?

Timber is arguably the best with all things being considered. Though they may not offer the same durability, steps can be taken to maintain them over decades, and it is their rustic, traditional aesthetic that gives them the edge for most buyers.