Last updated 14th May, 2025
Curious about the cost to replace your front door and frame in the UK?
This article outlines the expenses involved in installing a new front door, covering various options like composite doors and uPVC front doors.
Typically, the cost of a new front door installed can vary from £500 to £2,500.
For detailed insights, keep reading below!
Why are front doors important?
Your entrance door offers visitors the first impression of your house and it's the first thing you see when you get home from work. If your entrance door isn't working properly or it’s beginning to look shabby, then it’s time to consider replacing it.
What will the overall front door cost depend on?
The cost of replacing your front door is going to depend on the material used but you should expect to pay between £500-£2500 for a standard door and up to £4000 to have one custom-made.
If your front door is looking faded and grimy, then it may not be necessary to replace it unless you are looking to change your home style, a fresh coat of paint can sometimes be enough to transform a wooden door, but a discoloured uPVC door can’t be painted.
If you’re having trouble opening and closing the door and/or there are large gaps between the frame and the door, then a good joiner can solve these problems, but if the door is warped; it will need changing sooner rather than later.
A trader will typically charge around £130-£200 per day depending on your location.
Door Type | Avg. Door & Installation Cost |
---|---|
uPVC | £400-£650 |
Composite | £670-£2,700 |
Oak | £450-£2,000 |
Mahogany | £450-£1,650 |
Pine | £270-£1,300 |
Custom-made | £1,075-£4,100 |
If you want to purchase the door only, and either DIY or have a friend or family member replace it for you, you’ll only need to budget for the supply cost. How much you’ll pay depends on what type of door you want.
Below are some costs for front doors for supply only.
Door Type | Avg. Door Cost |
---|---|
uPVC | £250-£450 |
Composite | £520-£2,500 |
Oak | £300-£1,800 |
Mahogany | £300-£1,450 |
Pine | £120-£1,100 |
Custom-made | £1,000-£3,900 |
The prices below are additional costs you may find when replacing a door.
Additional Cost | Avg. Price |
---|---|
Extra finishes (e.g. woodgrain) | £150 |
Double glazing | £50 |
Triple glazing | £100 |
Side panels | £200 |
Door handle | £25 |
Letterbox | £20 |
When you replace your front door, you may want to add an external light, front door canopy or even a porch to update your exterior space.
External lights can range between £6 and £200 depending on the complexity and quality. For example, the cost of outside security lights starts at around £80.
If you’re just replacing an old external light, you could DIY, but it’s recommended you hire an electrician for safety. If you need a full installation (connecting new wires to mains etc.) then you’ll definitely need to hire an electrician to complete this.
Electricians typically charge £150 to £200 per day.
Remember, too, that if new wires need to be installed, you may have to re-plaster and redecorate.
If you want to purchase and install a canopy for the front door, it’ll cost between £25 and £800 for the canopy itself.
Most door canopies can be installed yourself and are relatively easy. If you wish to hire a tradesman or handyman to complete this, expect to pay £80 to £150 for labour.
You can add a porch to the front door, for extra space or for added protection against the elements.
Getting a porch built from scratch costs around £3,000 to £5,000. You won’t need planning permission unless it exceeds 3m² or is too close to the public highway.
You can purchase made-to-measure, DIY uPVC porches if you want to fit it yourself. They can cost around £1,800 to £3,000. Second-hand porches can also be bought from various auction and second-hand websites.
Average cost to supply and fit a uPVC front door: £500
The cost of fitting a new front door will generally be between £130 and £200 per day, depending on where you are in the UK.
Even if the job takes less than a day, you'll likely be charged for a full day's work or there will be a minimum fee.
It will usually take around half a day to fit a new front door.
However, every job is different, so you may find it takes longer depending on factors including:
These factors can increase the time it takes to fit a door, plus there may be unexpected difficulties during the fitting process.
Door Type | Duration |
---|---|
uPVC | 2-5 hours |
Composite | 2-5 hours |
Oak | 2-5 hours |
Mahogany | 2-5 hours |
Pine | 2-5 hours |
Custom-made | 2-5 hours |
Your new front door cost will be affected by factors including:
Bear in mind, too, that some door replacement quotes won't include the costs of waste removal. Be clear with your tradesmen about what's included in the front door replacement cost and what's extra.
If getting a new timber door, then you will likely need to paint or varnish the door.
You can expect to pay between £10 and £30 for varnish, so budget for the cost of paint or varnish, plus the cost of a decorator if not planning on doing this yourself.
Tradesmen costs may be between £40 and £75 to paint or varnish a front door.
At the same time as having your front door replaced, there may be extra jobs to consider.
For example, if your front door needs replacing due to weather damage and rot, then the chances are that your windows will need replacing too. The average cost to replace a window is between £375 and £450 including labour.
You should also check the condition of all external woodwork before hiring a joiner to replace your door.
In addition, though having a brand new freshly painted front door will improve the appeal of your house, if the interior hallway has not been decorated for some time this could ruin the effect.
The condition of the render around the front door will also have an impact. If the render or brickwork is grimy and crumbling, a new door will not be enough to make the exterior look good.
So, if you're replacing a front door at least partly due to the aesthetics, then you should also consider freshening up the exterior walls (especially at the front of the house) plus the interior hallway.
The type of material you choose will be a major part of your door replacement cost.
uPVC front doors are cheap as standard and cost between £250 and £450.
External solid hardwood doors, made from oak or mahogany, can range from £300 to £1,800. Pine external doors are slightly cheaper and are priced around £120 - £1,100.
If you’d like a modern front door, composite doors are a great choice.
The cheaper composite costs around £670, whereas, the best composite doors cost about £2,700.
If you don’t like any of the front doors available, or you need a door that isn’t a standard size, you can purchase a custom-made door instead. With custom-made doors, you can choose a variety of options and create a bespoke front door.
You can choose the:
Some choices and options are more expensive than others, so custom-made door cost can vary between £1,075 to £4,100 depending on what you choose.
To give you an idea of the accessories available and their average cost, see the table below:
Accessory | Avg. Extra Cost |
---|---|
Clear glass | £30 |
Double glazing | £60 |
Patterned glass | £65 |
Etched glass | £85 |
Brass bell | £10 |
Chrome bell | £17 |
Brass knocker | £15 |
Chrome knocker | £20 |
Door viewer | £5 |
Security chain | £6 |
Pewter handle | £70 |
Black pull handle | £5 |
Brass letterbox | £14 |
Chrome letterbox | £20 |
Deadlock | £23 |
Rim lock | £36 |
Aluminium draught excluder | £25 |
Gold anodised aluminium draught excluder | £70 |
Front door replacement is not usually a complicated job for a joiner or even a handyman.
The first step in replacing an external door is deciding whether you are going to change the door and frame as a set, or just use the existing frame to fit a new door into.
Once this decision has been made, assuming just a new door is required, then the door opening has to be measured accurately before ordering a new door. Hopefully, the opening is close to a standard door size so a replacement can be bought off the shelf, otherwise, a new door will have to be made to order which will be very expensive.
The new door can then be trimmed to fit the opening and the recesses for the hinges can be chiselled out before screwing the hinges to the door. Then the hinges will be fitted to the frame and the door locks and furniture can be fitted.
All locks used on exterior doors should carry a kite mark and be passed to British Standard BS3621 (many insurance companies will insist on this). External front doors should really have two locks, but if only one lock is fitted, make sure it is an automatically dead-locking night latch type.
The entire job should be completed in less than a day by a joiner, but perhaps around a full day as a DIY project.
Replacing a front door is a job which can be carried out on a DIY basis, but it may take longer than employing a carpenter or joiner to complete it. Before beginning any work, you need to know that replacing a front door or frame is a ‘controlled fitting’ under Building Regulations, so you’re required to notify Building Control.
If you choose to DIY, it may be easier to purchase a door set. A door set comes with a frame with a front door already hung inside. Before ordering anything, double-check the measurements for both the frame and the door.
Below is an external door standard size guide. These sizes are more than likely available and won’t need to be made to measure:
Metric (mm) | Imperial (inches) |
---|---|
1981mm X 686mm | 78" X 30" |
1981mm X 762mm | 78" X 30" |
1981mm X 838mm | 78" X 33" |
1981mm X 915mm | 78" X 36" |
2032mm X 831mm | 80" X 32" |
2040mm X 762mm | 80.3" X 28.6" |
2040mm X 826mm | 80.3" X 32.5" |
2040mm X 926mm | 80.3" X 36.5" |
2083mm X 864mm | 82" X 34" |
2134mm X 915mm | 84" X 36" |
The five most used external door sizes are:
Most doors are usually 44mm to 54mm thick.
Wooden doors can be trimmed with an electric plane if the door needs to be smaller. Remember to trim from both sides and from top to bottom. The ideal gap around the door within its frame is 2mm. Regarding the gap at the bottom of the door, you need to consider the flooring thickness.
If you don’t purchase a door set, and you have to hang the door yourself, hinges need to be either brass (brass is best for hardwood doors) or steel. To fix the hinges correctly on the door, place one 125.5 – 150mm from the top and 175 – 230mm from the bottom, you’ll also need to place a hinge directly in the middle. You can then fit the hinges in the same place on the frame.
When choosing a lock for an external door, ensure that it carries a kite mark and is British Standard BS3621.
Although this is a job which can be carried out as a DIY project, a carpenter or joiner will be more familiar with the Building Regulations and will do a better job of fitting modern locks properly. A bodge DIY job can end up costing you a lot more money in the long run if you ever sell the house or if you’re burgled, the insurance company can refuse to pay out.
If your door frame is damaged, rotten, warped or cracked; it’ll certainly need replacing. It may become hard to open or close the door correctly. It could also expose your home to the outside weather, and create damp or a draft.
To replace a frame, you’ll need to contact Building Control, as it’s classified as a ‘controlled fitting’ under Building regulations.
A hardwood door frame can cost anywhere between £60 - £800, depending on the size you require. If you have, or want, a uPVC door you’ll need a uPVC door frame to match and usually comes included in the overall cost.
It’s recommended that you hire a joiner for this task, but if you want to DIY, buy a frame kit as it’ll often have the joints pre-cut for ease.
If your door can’t be salvaged and sold second-hand, you can dispose of it at your local recycling centre, or you can pay for it to be collected.
Most local authorities will be able to collect the door for a fee. It’s usually a one-time payment for five items to be collected and can cost from £40 - £65.
To help choose what door is best for you and your home, here are some pros and cons for each:
uPVC doors typically cost between £250-£450.
Composite doors typically cost between £520-£2,500.
Oak doors typically cost between £300-£1,800.
Mahogany doors typically cost between £300-£1,450.
Pine doors typically cost between £120-£1,100.
Security is important to consider when purchasing and replacing a front door. To purchase a ‘door of enhanced security’ check your door choice is classified as British Standard (BS) Kitemark PAS 24-1. This means that the door has been security tested and has passed.
This security test only covers composite, sliding and bi-folding doors. So, if security is your priority, wooden doors may not be a good choice.
Composite and uPVC offer the most security because they’re weather-resistant and waterproof, which they won’t deteriorate over time and become weakened.
But composite is superior to uPVC because of the material it’s manufactured from, the door and frame are extremely strong. Most composite doors contain laminated glass too, which works like safety glass, when broken it doesn’t shatter everywhere and stays in place.
Buying a new door may seem expensive to replace, but there are more benefits than drawbacks to having one fitted.
If you haven’t replaced your front door for a long time, you may not realise you’re letting in the outside elements. Fitting a new door may get rid of damp and drafts.
Installing a new door will make your home more energy efficient by keeping the heat in your home. In time, the energy savings you make will pay for the cost of the door.
Depending on what material your old door is made from, over time, some doors can become warped and damaged, which can weaken them. Replacing your old door with a more secure option will make your home safer.
Having a new door can make your home appear fresh and revived. It can also create a great first impression of your home as it’s the first thing visitors see.
Entry doors are mistreated by the weather a lot, but it doesn’t mean that it’ll need replacing, it may just need repairing. Here are some common faults and fixes:
With time, hinges will begin to rust. If you’re struggling to open or close the door properly, this may be a reason why. First, try to spray WD-40 lubricant onto the hinges, a can of WD-40 costs around £3. If that doesn’t work, you can replace the hinges, which can cost between £4 to £20.
If you own a wooden door, sometimes the panels may split. This can be because the wood has dried out, or the door is slammed frequently.
If your door is painted, use wood filler and fill the crack. Once it’s hardened, sand it down and repaint it. You can expect to pay £2 - £18 for wood filler, depending on size and quality.
If your door has a varnish or natural finish, wood filler isn’t recommended as it would be visible. Instead, you will need to force the panel back together using dowels and use PVA wood glue to close the crack. PVA wood glue costs roughly £5.
If you have a wooden frame, it may become loose from the wall due to consistent slamming.
This can be easy to fix with a pack of door frame plugs & screws, which you drill through the frame to make it more secure. A pack of ten can cost £2 - £6.
If your wooden door hasn’t been treated annually, it may have begun to rot. If there’s only a small patch or rot, you can repair it rather than replacing the whole door.
Use a chisel to cut away all of the rotten wood, until you get to the ‘good’ wood. You can then use a hairdryer or hot-air gun to dry out the area. After the patch is dry, use wood hardener (costs £7 - £32) on the area. Once this is dried, use wood filler to pack the space. You can then sand and paint the door when it hardens.
You can hire a trader to do any of these repairs for you but expect to pay £130 - £200 per day.
It’s important to maintain your front door so that you get a longer life span out of it. Different types of doors need different upkeep, so here’s a list of all the different doors and what you need to do to keep them new:
You’ll have to wash a uPVC door twice a year with warm, soapy water and a cloth to keep it clean. Try to keep away from any cleaners that are abrasive or have ammonia in them, and this may damage the uPVC.
Keep hinges clean and rust-free by spraying WD-40 on them once or twice a year.
Composite doors need very little maintenance and only need an annual clean with a soft cloth and warm soapy water to remove any built-up grime.
Because oak is a natural material, it can rot and warp if it’s not treated properly. You’ll need to keep the door clean regularly with a damp cloth and soapy water. If that hasn’t don’t the trick, try a wax furniture polish.
To protect your door from the elements, you’ll need to sand and treat it every two years with oil, varnish or paint. You can also protect it from sun damage with a varnish that protects it from UV light.
Mahogany is a hardy, resilient wood, but it still needs upkeep to prevent it from becoming weather-beaten. When cleaning, only use a damp cloth with vinegar as a natural cleaner rather than soap.
You’ll need to refinish it when it begins to look dull or has a few scratches and dents. You can lightly sand it down and re-apply oil or varnish. A UV protectant is best to use with mahogany, so it doesn’t discolour.
As pine is a softwood, this type of door will need more maintenance than most. It’s more likely to gain scratches and dents, and is more vulnerable to the weather. Because of this, it’ll need to be treated once a year.
When you sand the door down, with pine it’s recommended you sand before and after the treatment to achieve a better finish.
There are a variety of locks to choose from depending on which door you’re fitting it to. Here are the most popular (and safe) door locks:
The safest locks are BS (British Standard) registered and will have BS3621 engraved on them. They may be more expensive, but they have been theft and safety tested, so are far better quality.
The cost of installation may vary on which lock you choose:
Lock Type | Installation Cost | Duration |
---|---|---|
Deadlock | £150 | 10-30 mins |
Multi-point | £130 | 10-30 mins |
Deadlatch & Key lock | £150 | 10-30 mins |
Cylinder | £100 | 10-30 mins |
Yale Lock | £125 | 10-30 mins |
FENSA are a government-approved body in England and Wales that assesses installers to ensure that they’re conforming to building regulations, are energy efficient, and are registered with the local council.
If an installer is registered with FENSA and you hire them to replace your door, you’ll receive a FENSA certificate to prove it’s been installed correctly and adhering to building regulations.
FENSA installers are evaluated frequently so that they’re always up-to-date with building regulations. They also do the same for window installation.
If you want your door to meet your house insurance requirements, it’ll definitely need an ‘insurance approved’ lock.
Locks that have the BS3621 British Standard Kitemark engraved on them are accepted by most insurers. But, it’s important to check with your particular insurer, as not all companies and policies are the same. The crime statistics in your area can have an impact on your insurance policy too.
Doors also need to comply with building regulations. There are thermal requirements that have to follow Document L-1B which concerns how much heat escapes from your front door. If your door has glass or glazing, it’ll need to comply with Document K, which states that safety glazing must be used within any glazed door up to 1500mm from floor level.
If your home was built in 1999 or after, make sure when you replace your front door that the threshold stays level. If it doesn’t, it won’t comply with building regulations allowing people (including people with disabilities) to have entry into the home.
If your front door is in an inconvenient location, you might want to relocate it elsewhere.
Firstly, you’ll need to remove the existing door and brick up the remaining space. You’ll then need to create a new space for your front door to go. As you’ll need brickwork replaced, re-plaster, redecorate and maybe move electrics, you’re going to hire more than one trader to complete the job. Traders cost per day on average £150.
Including materials, labour and waste disposal, the entire job will cost £1,900 on average. If you’re purchasing a brand-new door, this will add to the overall cost. For a more detailed breakdown of moving an external door click here.
https://www.vistapanels.co.uk/the-top-pros-cons-of-composite-doors/
https://www.diy-extra.co.uk/how-to-repair-a-door.html
https://www.weekand.com/home-garden/article/restore-mahogany-wood-front-door-18019293.php
https://www.fensa.org.uk/about-fensa
https://www.gov.wales/building-regulations-doors-and-windows