For a like-for-like replacement, most UK homeowners should expect to pay roughly £1,100 to £2,500 for French doors supplied and fitted, depending on material, size and glazing. If you are cutting a brand new opening in a wall, the bill is a different animal: with a lintel and making good, £1,900 to £3,500 is a sensible range to plan around. This guide breaks the price down by material, labour, structural work and extras, then shows how to line up quotes so you compare like with like.
TL;DR
- A standard uPVC pair, fitted in an existing opening, typically costs £1,100 to £1,800, according to Costwise's 2026 pricing. Aluminium and composite cost more.
- Cutting a new opening for French doors usually pushes the total to £1,900 to £3,500 once the lintel and brickwork are included.
- Extras such as decorative glass, coloured finishes, scaffolding and triple glazing can add hundreds of pounds, so check what each quote leaves out.
- Quotes for the same specification can differ a lot between installers. Collect at least three and compare the scope line by line.
Table of Contents
- What French doors cost to install in the UK
- Cost by frame material
- Labour and fitting costs
- When you need a new opening
- Extras that change the final bill
- Rules, certification and why installer registration matters
- How to compare French door quotes properly
- Our perspective
- Get French door quotes without the legwork
- Ways to keep the cost down
- A worked example
- FAQ
- Sources
What French doors cost to install in the UK
The price you see depends on what you are buying and what the installer must do on the day. Three jobs get lumped together under "French door installation", and they sit at very different price points:
- Replacing an existing pair in the same opening. The simplest and cheapest job.
- Converting a window or widening a doorway into French doors. This needs structural work.
- Creating a completely new opening in an external wall. This is a small building project.
For the first scenario, Costwise puts uPVC French doors at £1,100 to £1,800 supplied and fitted, and adds that a decorative glazing pattern or a coloured finish adds £150 to £400. At the budget end, TradeCalculator shows white uPVC French patio doors starting at around £750 installed, or £390 if you only buy the doors.
Treat those as guide prices. Your own figure will move with your region, the size of the opening and the specification you choose, which is exactly why side-by-side quotes matter.
Cost by frame material
The frame is usually the biggest single lever on price. Here is how the main options compare when supplied and fitted in an existing opening.
| Material | Typical fitted price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| uPVC | £1,100 to £1,800 | Lowest cost, low maintenance, wide choice of finishes |
| Composite | £1,500 to £2,500 | Stronger, more insulated feel, more premium look |
| Aluminium | £2,000 to £4,000 | Slim sightlines, very strong, modern appearance |
| Timber | Varies by wood and finish | Traditional look, suits period homes, needs repainting or staining |
The uPVC range comes from Costwise. The composite and aluminium ranges are from WindowCost's French doors guide, which also notes that triple glazing can push aluminium to between £3,000 and £4,000 fitted.
uPVC
uPVC is the volume choice for good reason: it keeps the price down and needs little upkeep. It suits most suburban houses, extensions and rear garden doors. Decorative glass or a woodgrain or coloured foil adds to the base price, so decide early whether you want white or something else.
Composite and aluminium
Composite and aluminium cost more because the frames are stronger and can carry larger panes with slimmer profiles. If your opening is wide, or you want a very slim frame to maximise light, price these alongside uPVC rather than assuming they are out of reach.
Timber
Timber French doors are the natural choice for period properties and conservation areas, where appearance matters. Expect the price to rise with the quality of the wood, and budget for painting or staining on top, since a factory finish is not always included.
Labour and fitting costs
Most fitted prices bundle labour in, but it helps to know what you are paying for. A standard replacement involves taking out the old doors and frame, fitting the new frame level and plumb, glazing and hanging the leaves, adjusting locks and hinges, sealing and making good around the frame.
Labour varies by region. London and the South East generally cost more than the North or rural areas, and awkward access (upper floors, no side passage, a long carry through the house) lengthens the job. If you only want to price fitting, ask for a labour figure separately from the doors so you can see the split.
For internal French doors, the picture is different. CheckYourPrice gives an average of around £120 per pair to install a set including glazing and architrave. It also lists £90 per brick cut-out and £150 per new lintel as individual labour items. Internal pairs are lighter, need no weatherproofing, and rarely involve structural work unless you are opening up a wall between rooms.
When you need a new opening
If there is no door there today, the cost jumps. The wall above needs support, which means propping, cutting the brickwork, fitting a lintel, then making good inside and out before the doors go in.
TradeCalculator puts a patio door installation involving cutting into brickwork and fitting a lintel at £1,900 to £3,500. Other items that can appear on top include:
- A structural engineer's calculation for the lintel size, particularly on larger spans or load-bearing walls.
- Building control sign-off, where the work is not self-certified by a registered installer.
- Making good to plaster, decorating and external render or brick.
- A new threshold or step if the floor levels inside and outside do not match.
Because these items change from house to house, an installer should survey before quoting. Be wary of any price for a new opening given without someone looking at the wall.
Extras that change the final bill
Two quotes can look miles apart simply because one includes things the other does not. These are the usual add-ons to ask about:
- Glazing upgrades: triple glazing, laminated or decorative glass, Georgian bars.
- Finish: coloured or woodgrain foils, painted timber, bespoke RAL colours on aluminium.
- Security and hardware: multipoint locking, upgraded handles, hinge specification. Heavy leaves need enough hinges to stay square, so ask what is being fitted.
- Sidelights: fixed glass panels either side of the doors for a wider, brighter opening.
- Access: scaffolding for upper-floor installs or tight sites.
- Thresholds: low-profile or ramped thresholds for step-free access.
Costwise's figure of £150 to £400 for decorative glazing or colour is a useful anchor when you see an extras line on a quote, and you can read more on pricing the whole job in our guide to replacement patio doors.
Rules, certification and why installer registration matters
New and replacement external doors in England and Wales fall under Building Regulations, which cover thermal performance, safety glazing in doors and, where walls are altered, structural integrity. A glazing installer registered with a competent person scheme such as FENSA or CERTASS can certify the work themselves, which saves you separate local authority paperwork and the fees that come with it.
That is why we only include installers certified with FENSA and/or CERTASS on our platform. For you, it means the certificate you need for a future house sale usually arrives with the job rather than becoming a separate chase. If your project involves a new opening, ask the installer who handles the structural sign-off, and ask for the paperwork when the job finishes.
If you live in a flat, leasehold rules may also need freeholder consent. Our guide to replacement windows for flats explains how that process works, and the same logic applies to external doors.
How to compare French door quotes properly
The cheapest figure on paper is rarely the cheapest job. To compare fairly, give every installer the same brief: the same material, glazing, colour, hardware and opening size. Then check each quote for the following.
- Full scope of work. Does it cover removal and disposal of the old doors and frame?
- Specification. Frame make and profile, glass type, hinges, locks, handles and threshold.
- Making good. Is plastering, decorating or external finishing included, or left to you?
- VAT. Is the price inclusive or exclusive?
- Certification. Will a FENSA or CERTASS certificate be issued?
- Guarantees. Length of the product guarantee and the installer's workmanship cover.
- Payment schedule and timescale. Deposit, balance and expected duration.
- Exclusions. Scaffolding, structural engineer's fees, building control charges and skip costs are common ones.
Get at least three quotes. Prices for identical work often differ noticeably between installers, and the only way to see where your local market sits is to ask several. Reading the exclusions is as important as reading the total.
For a deeper walk-through of the process, our guide to window installation quotes applies equally to doors.
Our perspective
Most homeowners we speak to are not worried about the cost of French doors so much as not knowing whether the price in front of them is fair. A single quote tells you very little. It only becomes useful when you can set it next to two or three others for the same job.
That is why we built a free comparison service that only includes local installers certified with FENSA and/or CERTASS. You describe the doors you want once, and instead of ringing round and repeating yourself, you get quotes to compare side by side. There is no obligation to accept any of them.
Our advice is simple: decide your material and glazing first, ask every installer to quote the same specification, and read the inclusions and exclusions before the total. Done that way, the comparison does the negotiating for you, and we have seen it help homeowners avoid paying more than they need to.
James
Get French door quotes without the legwork
If you are ready to put real numbers on your project, our free comparison service takes a few minutes. Tell us what you need, we match you with vetted local installers certified with FENSA and/or CERTASS, and you compare their quotes side by side. It costs you nothing and carries no obligation.
You can start your free comparison here, or see whether we cover your area on our locations page.
Ways to keep the cost down
You do not need to compromise on quality to trim the bill. A few choices make a real difference:
- Keep the existing opening. Replacing like for like avoids lintels, brickwork and building control.
- Choose standard sizes. Made-to-measure is normal, but unusual dimensions and heavy glass raise the price.
- Stay with white uPVC if appearance allows. Colour and decorative glass are the easiest extras to cut.
- Skip upgrades you will not use. Triple glazing can be worthwhile in a very exposed or noisy position, but a good double-glazed unit meets most needs.
- Time it sensibly. Installers are often busiest in spring and summer, so ask whether a quieter period suits your schedule.
- Bundle jobs. If you also need windows, a patio door or a conservatory repair, ask for them to be quoted together. Our guide on conservatory window replacement shows what that can involve.
If the doors are for a front entrance rather than the garden, see our guide to front door styles before you set the budget.
A worked example
Suppose you have a pair of tired timber French doors at the back of a 1990s semi and want white uPVC replacements.
- You ask three installers to quote the same specification: white uPVC, double glazing, multipoint locking, standard threshold, old doors removed.
- Using the Costwise range of £1,100 to £1,800, you would expect your quotes to land broadly inside it, with higher figures for premium hardware or awkward access.
- One quote comes in lower but leaves out disposal and making good. Once you add those, it is no longer the cheapest.
- Another includes a FENSA certificate and a clear workmanship guarantee, which tells you the scope is complete.
Now change the brief: you want to turn a window into French doors. The same three quotes now need a lintel, brickwork and making good, so the range moves towards the £1,900 to £3,500 figure for new brickwork openings. The comparison method does not change, but the exclusions section becomes even more important.
FAQ
How much does it cost to install French doors in the UK?
For a like-for-like uPVC replacement, expect roughly £1,100 to £1,800 supplied and fitted. Composite and aluminium cost more, and a new opening with a lintel typically costs £1,900 to £3,500. Your own figure depends on size, glazing and location.
Is installing French doors cheaper than patio doors?
They are often similar in price for the same size and material, because the frame, glass and fitting drive the cost more than the style. French doors can look more traditional, while sliding patio doors suit wider openings. Compare quotes for both if you are undecided, and see our replacement patio doors guide.
How much does it cost to fit internal French doors?
Internal sets are cheaper to fit because there is no weatherproofing. CheckYourPrice gives an average of around £120 per pair for installation including glazing and architrave, with extra for any brick cut-out or lintel. Door prices come on top.
Do I need Building Regulations approval for French doors?
Replacement external doors in England and Wales must comply with Building Regulations. A FENSA or CERTASS registered installer can self-certify the work, and altering a wall may also need structural sign-off. Ask your installer who is responsible for each certificate.
How many quotes should I get?
Aim for at least three, all based on the same written specification. That gives you a fair picture of local prices and makes gaps in scope easy to spot. Our free service can match you with several vetted installers at once.
Sources
- uPVC door cost calculator UK 2026, Costwise
- How Much Do Patio Doors Cost? UK Guide, TradeCalculator
- French Doors UK: Composite vs Aluminium, WindowCost
- Door Installation and Fitting Cost Calculator, CheckYourPrice