Cost of French Doors

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!

How Much Are French Doors?

Let's dive straight in...

It costs about £1,765 to £2,165 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 £3,100 to £3,400.

What about the cost of different types of French doors?

For stationary French patio doors, they would cost about £1,000 to £1,700 to fit. Sliding patio French doors would probably cost between £1,440 and £1,600 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 £1,000 to £1,200. If you’d like to have aluminium French doors installed, expect to pay around £1,300 to £1,500.

The French door installation costs land about £2,100 to £2,400 for solid oak laminate French doors and £1,350 to £1,750 for softwood French doors.

Should you wish for them to be triple glazed, expect an installation cost of about £1,500 to £1,700.

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 £1,000 and £1,500. The cost would rise to approximately £1,000 to £1,600 for 1500 x 2100 French doors or £1,100 to £1,700 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).

French Door Prices

Let's take a closer look at some French doors prices, sorted by material, size, and number of doors:

French Door Installation Prices by Type/Material

French Door Installation Prices by Size

Let's take a closer look at the prices for different sizes, from narrow French doors to the standard French door size:

French Door Installation Prices by Number of Doors

In this table, we'll detail costs for different numbers of doors, including double French doors:

Supply Only Costs

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

• Standard French door sizes generally cost in the range of £1,300 to £1,700.
• Sliding patio French doors generally cost about £600 to £700.
• uPVC French doors tend to cost about £700 to £900, or £1,250 to £1,400 if you’d like them to be triple glazed.
• To buy solid oak laminate French doors would set you back between £1,700 and £1,900 in most cases.
• The average cost for aluminium French doors is around £1,000 to £1,100, and £1,000 to £1,400 for softwood French doors.
• As for the door sizes, it costs about £700 to £1,300 to buy 1,200 x 2,100 French doors, £750 to £1,350 for 1,500 x 2,100 French doors, and £800 to £1,400 for 1,800 x 2,100 French doors.

Find Tradespeople, compare up to 3 quotes!

It's FREE and there are no obligations

Get started

Additional Costs

When you're 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 you may want to get done at the same time:

Front Door Replacement Cost

If you have French doors installed inside your home, you may want to upgrade your home's external doors, too. Replacing your front door costs around £1,000 and will take about 2 to 5 hours to fit.

Though a standard front door installation will likely cost between £500 and £2,500, a custom-made door will cost closer to £2,000 and £4,500.

Window Replacement Cost

Your property's windows can also leak a lot of heat - especially if they're broken, damaged, or single-glazed. If you want to upgrade your windows to double glazing from single glazing, you can expect to pay £4,500 for the cost of fitting double glazed windows, with an individual small uPVC window costing £100.

If you live on a particularly loud road or are living by the sea with harsh elements, you may want to switch out your existing frames for triple glazing, where three glass panes are set within a sealed frame. Installing triple glazing costs around £4,000 on average.

Window Repair Cost

However, if just one of your home's windows has been damaged, you can simply get this replaced at a much lower cost than an entirely new set. Replacing a blown window costs £70, with higher costs associated with larger panes of glass.

Skip Hire Cost

You'll need a way of getting rid of all your project's debris. Skip hire costs depend entirely on the size of the skip and the waste you're removing, but are generally around £220.

It's important to ask your trader if the cost of hiring a skip is included in their quote, or if it's something extra you'll need to account for, as this can come as an unexpected expense.

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 closer you are to a larger city, such as London or Manchester, the higher your daily rates will be due to the increased demand and higher cost of living.

The labour cost will be included in your overall bill alongside the cost of the doors, and any waste removal expenses. It will probably take an hour or less to remove the old window, door, or wall section, and it will take up to 1 working day or 2 to fit the new French doors.

In most cases, it will take 2 to 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.

Ask a Trade

Got a question that only a tradesperson can answer? We have thousands of trades ready to answer any question you may have.

Ask your question

What Impacts French Door Installation Costs?

Let's break down the cost factors for fitting French doors in more detail to help you budget for your project:

Type of French Doors

One of the key cost factors is the type of French doors you’d like to have installed.

Sliding patio doors are generally the cheapest, costing about £600 to £700, but standard French doors may cost between £1,300 and £1,700.

If you’d prefer to go with sliding French doors, you can expect costs of between £1,000 and £1,500.

To keep your French door costs down, opt for simple mechanisms.

Size of French Doors

As with most home renovation jobs, the larger the size, the higher the price - and the same is true with French door installation costs.

While it can be as little as £700 for 1,200 x 2,100 doors, it can be as much as £1,400 to have 1,800 x 2,100 French doors installed.

Opting for standard French door sizes can help to keep your costs down instead of getting custom French doors made to order.

Number of Doors

As you'd expect, the more doors you’d like to have installed, the higher your supply expenses will be - and the more the final bill will be.

Materials Used

French door materials also impact your overall costs. 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 £2,000 on average. Aluminium and softwood French doors fall in the middle of the price range.

If you want a higher-quality French door material, consider having the doors as a smaller feature in your home to keep your overall costs down.

Location of Property

Door fitters charge about £14 an hour, but 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.

The cost of hiring a door fitter is generally lower in Scotland, the north of England, and Northern Ireland due to the lower cost of living.

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?

To give you an idea of the French door installation process, here are the steps:

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 material. 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 or an existing window or making a new opening by knocking down part of a wall.

Assuming that 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 the materials it’s made from, each set of doors will come with its own instructions.

Can I Install French Doors Myself?

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 be a costly 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

To help you make a decision, 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. Sometimes, they can open inwards or even both, but this is uncommon. 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 to brighten the home. This will prove particularly beneficial if the doors lead into your kitchen, adding an extra flair to the room and bringing it to life. Most standard French doors cost about £1,300 to £1,700.

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 to 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, 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 £1,700 to £1,900, 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 is aluminium French doors. With an average cost of £1,000 to £1,100, 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 £1,000 to £1,400.

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 use the space better.

Secure

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

Checklist: Hiring Contractors to Install French Doors

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 with 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.

Sources

https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/doors-and-windows/building-regulations