New Front Door Cost: Price Guide 2021

Replacing your front door is, on the long list of home renovation options, probably not one you’ve considered. You’ll likely look at a new kitchen, extra bedrooms or a loft conversion before changing anything on the exterior. However, you may be missing out on an incredibly affordable option. This 2024 price guide is designed to give you a comprehensive answer to the question: how much does a new front door cost?

This will give you a general idea of how much a new replacement front door costs. More detailed information about how the price of different kinds of doors differ can also be found throughout.

Contents

  1. What types of front doors are there?
    1. Wooden doors
    2. Composite doors
    3. uPVC doors
    4. Aluminium doors
  2. How can my front door add value to my home?
    1. Sellability
    2. Kerb appeal
  3. How much does a new front door cost to buy in 2024?
    1. Wooden doors
    2. Composite doors
    3. uPVC doors
    4. Aluminium doors
  4. What other factors contribute to higher new front door costs?
    1. Window glazing and insulation
    2. Colour
    3. Decorations
    4. Accessories
    5. Building regulations and certification
    6. Security features
  5. Types of door locks
  6. How much does a new front door installation cost?
  7. How long does it take to install a new front door?
  8. Ways of maintaining your front door
  9. How much does it cost to repair a front door?
    1. Split panels
    2. Rust
    3. Rotten wood
    4. Loose frames
  10. What regulations are there when installing front doors?

What type of front doors are there?

new front door cost

When it comes to figuring out what the cost of a new front door might be, you should first decide what kind of door you want. There is a long list of materials to choose from, each with their own innate strengths and weaknesses.

Try and bear in mind what it is you want out of a front door. While it might sound a silly thing to say, once you know your price range and your home’s needs, you can make the most informed decision. Do you want to pay premium prices for the best grade materials, or are you content with a mid-range option? Would you prefer something that does what it says on the tin, without any of the frills? Do you want something that can bring added benefits to your heating bill, or provide an extra layer of security?

In this section, we’ll be covering four of the main options: wood, composite, uPVC and aluminium.

Wooden doors

Despite not being a metal, or an artificially produced compound material, wooden doors are some of the most expensive. This is less to do with the upfront cost, although at their highest end they can rank far above uPVC in price. Rather, it is the lifetime costs brought on by the necessary maintenance. Cheaper wooden doors are some of the most fragile when it comes to resisting forced entry and the weather.

That being said, they are also an incredibly popular choice. Not only are they widely available, but they’re also visually appealing. Their natural aesthetic helps give the front of your house an authentic look. This is especially important if you have an older, even period property. A Georgian townhouse, for example, might not look right with a modern uPVC door installed. You can also apply a variety of oils, paints and varnishes to them to alter their colour. This makes them incredibly (and easily) customisable.

Of course, given that they’re made of natural materials, the upkeep is high. Be prepared to deal with regular weather damage, as well as the potential for rot. This can require a range of treatments, but a yearly sanding and varnishing is a minimum.

Composite doors

Another popular choice among homeowners, composite front doors are stylish, modern alternative. They come in a wide range of colours, making them ideal for a statement piece or an added bit of flair. They’re also affordable too.

The combination of these factors makes them an excellent choice if you plan on selling your home. An inexpensive way of increasing your home’s kerb appeal, composite doors can be a wise investment. For more on kerb appeal and how it affects your home, check out how your front door can add value to your home.

Furthermore, composite doors have greater thermal efficiency than their wooden alternatives. This is because part of the composite doors make-up includes glass-reinforced plastic (GRP), which has excellent insulation properties. If you’re looking to keep your heating bills down, composite doors are a good supplementary measure for your home.

Other benefits include excellent strength and durability, which lend well to wider security applications. The price of composite doors can also encompass top-grade locks. While this might increase your initial new front door cost, the peace of mind it will provide is priceless.

Composite doors and uPVC can, depending on the make, look very similar. The difference between them is in the materials. uPVC is plastic, while composite uses uPVC in conjunction with other materials such as timber and GRP. These materials are then bonded together under extreme pressure.

uPVC doors

If you’ve ever lived in a rental property, then you’re probably familiar with uPVC doors. Due to their low maintenance and general durability, they’re typically installed by people who want to pay one fee and not have to think about it again for many years. The average uPVC door lasts for around 15 years. Moreover, if they do need to be repaired, the cost of repairs tends to be low.

These doors are far and away the cheapest of the lot. If you’re on a tight budget or are moving and don’t want to waste too much money, uPVC is ideal. Aside from their cheapness though, uPVC is also relatively durable. You can also install high security lock mechanisms for added protection.

On an aesthetic level, it’s easy to criticise uPVC doors for looking “basic” or cheap. However, if you’re willing to spend a little extra money, you can alter the appearance of them dramatically. You can buy different coloured uPVC or change the style of glass used in the windowpane. You can even add a fake-wood finish to get the visual benefits of wood without the premium price. Suppliers usually offer both light and dark types of wood finishes, leaving you with lots of options. For a small increase in your total new front door cost, you can greatly alter its functionality and kerb appeal.

Aluminium doors

At the other end of the spectrum we have aluminium doors. A more expensive option, but not without reason, aluminium doors are a new but increasingly adopted choice. They take very little time to install. They also come in a wide range of styles that make them appropriate for any home.

Aluminium doors are the most durable option of the four, being the hardest to break into. More than wood, composite or uPVC, aluminium doors are the most likely to pass the European standard EN1627-1630 test. This is a gold standard for home security. In addition, aluminium is also highly durable when it comes to the adverse effects of weather. It cannot rust and it is unlikely to scratch or dent very easily.

As with most of these options, the visual qualities are customisable. Certain makes have excellent thermal efficiency (although for others it is quite poor), and they’re all highly sustainable. Aluminium doors are renewable, so any that reach the end of their lifespan can be recycled into new aluminium products.

For a more in-depth exploration of their strengths and weaknesses, check out our article on aluminium front doors.

How can my front door add value to my home?

Adding a new front door can bring many practical benefits, but it can also bring aesthetic ones too. A nice front door, with a solid finish and competent installation can impact your home’s kerb appeal.

Kerb appeal

First, what is ‘kerb appeal’?

Kerb appeal is a term that refers to the attractiveness of a property and its surrounding elements. Specifically, it’s focused on how attractive a house would be to a first-time viewer from the street. Therefore, a high kerb appeal directly equates to potential buyers being more interested in your property. This increases the likelihood it will sell. It also correlates to increased property value.

Managing your home’s kerb appeal is key if you’re looking to sell or are considering it in the near future. Think about if the colouring is strong, if the door looks well maintained, and if it fits in with others in the neighbourhood. Most buyers want a home with personality, but not one that distances itself from other houses in the local community.

Sellability

As kerb appeal affects sellability – and revolves around making a strong first impression – the role of the front door is even more important. Given it’s the entryway to the home, you want to make sure the cost of a new front door accounts for a great first impression. If the entryway is off-putting you can discourage potential buyers before the even get inside. It doesn’t matter how much you spend renovating the interior if no one wants to go inside, after all.

How much does a new front door cost?

The answer to this question is more complicated than you might think, but we’re on hand to make it simple! First off, you need to decide if you want to pay just for the door, or also for installation. These choices will be referred to as ‘supply only’ and ‘fully fitted’ throughout.

As a very general guide, you can expect to pay anywhere from £400 to £2000 to purchase most kinds of doors. The average cost for labour and installation should come in at around £100 to £250.

Below is a table that lists out, in very general terms, the upper and lower bounds for new front door prices. That said, if you would like a more detailed breakdown of any of these options, check out the subsections underneath this table.

Door type Supply-only cost Fully fitted cost
Wooden £150 – £1900 £400 – £2150
Composite £500 – £2500 £700 – £2700
uPVC £250 – £470 £500 – £700
Aluminium £1200 – £2000 £1400 – £2300

Wooden front door cost

The prices of wooden front doors have some of the widest variance out of all available options. That’s because “wooden doors” is something of an umbrella term – we’re including pine, mahogany and oak.

Pine wood doors are the cheapest of the three. It’s also the cheapest when compared to uPVC, composite and aluminium doors. At their cheapest pine doors can be bought for £120, while their most premium prices rank at £1200.

Mahogany is the mid-range option, with a lower bound of £300 and an upper bound of £1450.

Oak doors are similarly costed, but their upper bounds are higher based on the quality of the material. Like mahogany, the cheapest you can get oak doors for is around £300. However, you could expect to pay near £1800 to £2000 for the highest quality brands.

Composite front door cost

Composite doors are similarly costed to uPVC on account of the similar materials, thermal efficiency and more. The slightly higher upper estimate of their prices, however, comes from their stronger aesthetic qualities.

uPVC front door cost

uPVC doors incur a naturally lower new front door cost due to the cheapness of the base materials. If you’re buying on a budget, or anticipate higher labour costs, then uPVC is an excellent option. Without any additional costs, the average price of a uPVC door should be around £250 to £400. However, there are additions that can increase the final price, including special finishes (up to £150) or double-glazed panes (£40 to £55).

Aluminium front door cost

Aluminium front doors are by far the most sustainable and durable option, and therefore are the most expensive. There’s no doubt that, if the cheapest versions are £1200, that they are the premium option. But it is worth bearing in mind that you save on maintenance costs, as unlike wooden doors they don’t have to be sanded and re-varnished yearly.

What other factors contribute to higher new front door costs?

You might think that material is all that affects the price of a new front door, but it’s not. When you’re budgeting, you also need to take into consideration an assortment of other factors that can influence cost.

Window glazing and insulation

Lots of front doors have the option to come with a windowpane. To add some extra insulation, you can install double glazed windowpanes to improve the door’s thermal efficiency. You could even go so far as to purchase triple glazing, although that will obviously cost more. The increase to cost will depend on the size of pane you buy too.

On top of that, you can add warm edge spacing bars or sealing tape to compound the insulating effect. This will add up to £10 to the overall new front door cost.

Colour

Depending on your front door’s material, the method through which you can colour it will differ. Wooden doors must be painted, as do their aluminium counterparts. uPVC doors, on the other hand, come pre-coloured and have a wide range of options to choose from. White uPVC doors are the cheapest, with other finishes getting progressively more expensive.

Decorations

If you’re looking to spruce up your door and make it look unique, you can invest in some decorative elements. Georgian bars, effects on glass panes and special panels are all popular options. Altering the type of glass you have installed can add extra value to your home. Frosted glass is good for privacy, allowing sunlight in but obscuring someone’s ability to look into your home. Bevelled glass is also ideal for adding an extra bit of style. The more complicated the visual effect you’re looking for, the more expensive the price will be.

Accessories

One of the largest increases to your new front door cost can come in the form of accessories. This is less because of the cost of any accessories, and more due to the quantity you can have. Typical examples include:

  • Animal flaps
  • Doorbells
  • Door knockers
  • Letterboxes
  • Chain locks
  • Door numbers / name plaques

Adding to expenses are the potential varieties within each of these options. For instance, would you like a chain in gold, silver or bronze? What about the door knocker, which can also come in blacks and chrome?

Each one of these components has a different price, but as a rule each one you add should cost you an extra £10 – £30.

Building Regulations and certification

As it’s not a large extension, you may not realise that you need permission to build. But, because a front door is an external feature, you do need to make sure you are following any and all Building Regulations that apply. Specifically, you need to ensure that both the door is regulation-compliant, and the installation is certified too. Hiring a registered installer – one who has a Certass or FENSA certification – can reduce costs dramatically.

Security features

Most of the time, when you buy a door the cost of the lock will be included in the total price. That said, you can always replace the pre-installed lock with one more to your liking – although this will cost extra. This will account for the new lock and any labour costs for the replacement process.

In addition to the lock types listed below, you can also invest in other security technology such as keypads.

Types of door locks

new front door lock

Having a strong lock on your door is essential. This is both for ease of access and security. But when it comes to fitting your front door with a lock, there are more options than you might expect. Each lock has its own qualities. These include which door type it works with, whether it’s fitted onto or into the door, lock type and price. Here is a list of some of the most used door locks, with everything you need to know about them.

Yale door locks

Yale are one of the most widely used brands around. They’re known for producing high quality mechanisms that don’t jam or stiffen easily. Their locks are also known for being reasonably difficult to break and provide a solid level of home security.

Door locks produced by Yale are also plentiful. Because of their size in the market, they can afford to make a wide range of options. This way, you’re able to buy a lock more specialised to your needs without straying from a trusted brand.

Cost: £20 – £60

Euro cylinder lock

Euro cylinder locks are incredibly easy to operate and are found in many properties. They’re a simple, key based lock that allows your door to be opened from inside or outside. Should your current door lock break, a locksmith would likely use one of these to replace it.

If you have a wooden door however, you may find it difficult to find a make of euro cylinder lock that works for you. These locks are installed most commonly on uPVC and composite doors.

Cost: £5 – £80

Multi-point locking system

These types of lock are slightly pricier and are produced by various brands. Because of this, while they’re very effective, you need to figure out if the multi-point lock you want to buy is British Standard BS3621 registered. If so, this means two things. The first is they’re likely to be more effective at protecting your home, but second, they’ll be more expensive.

Multi-point locking systems use a euro-cylinder lock and are key operated (unlike others further down the list). Importantly they’re fixed into the door as opposed to be grafted onto it – adding to the security factor.

Given that a euro cylinder lock is involved in the mechanism, expect multi-point locks to also be best suited to uPVC and composite front doors.

Cost: £16 – £95

5 lever mortice deadlock

Known for the safety it provides and the effectiveness of its locking mechanism, the deadlock is as secure as the name suggests. Not only is the lock itself strong, but the system is installed within the door rather than fastened onto it. Unlike the options above, mortice deadlocks are most often fitted in wooden doors.

Cost: £10 – £50

Automatic deadlatch (affixed with key locking handle)

Like the deadlock, the automatic deadlatch is another high-security option. It achieves this by being comprised of a slightly more complicated, but safer, system. Primarily installed on wooden doors, this system fixes a key lock on the outside and a deadlatch on the inside. This doubles the layers of security without increasing your new front door cost too much.

Cost: £15 – £70

Door lock type Cost Door material it can be installed on/in
Yale door lock £20 – £60 Versatile
Euro cylinder lock £5 – £80 uPVC / composite
Multi-point locking system £16 – £95 uPVC / composite
5 lever mortice deadlock £10 – £50 Wooden
Automatic deadlatch £15 – £75 Wooden

How much does a new front door installation cost?

This figure fluctuates depending on various factors. Both the nature of the replacement and the number of doors is chief among them. The typical cost, therefore, of hiring a tradesperson to install a new front door is between £80 to £500.

But what is actually included in your “installation cost”? Not only does this cover fitting your new door, it also includes removing and dealing with your old one. You don’t need to worry about having to drive your unwanted door down to a nearby recycling centre.

Installation prices are charged by the hour and shouldn’t take more than a day. However, if your door doesn’t follow standard dimensions this may take longer – and thereby cost more. This is because the tradesperson will need to allow for custom cutting and fitting of the frame.

Common hourly rates from installation labour sit at around £20 to £30. It’s important to note though that this can shift depending on the type of door being installed and their experience with that.

How long does it take to install a new front door?

You’ll be hard pressed to find a tradesperson that can’t conduct a new front door installation within a day. That said, most pros can fix a door to your home entrance within a matter of hours. Obviously, you won’t want to be missing a front door overnight, so most installations take place early morning or afternoon.

Most jobs only require one installer, but your new front door cost may increase if the installation is more complex. This is because the more complex jobs may require multiple tradespeople, and therefore labour costs will increase.

It’s highly unlikely that fittings will take more than a day. In the rare cases that they do, there would have to be considerable unforeseen complications.

Ways of maintaining your front door

While a new front door will often last for many years, it doesn’t hurt to take good care of it. The quality of your installation can degrade from a variety of causes, including severe weather, physical damage, water damage and more.

Listed below are multiple ways to maintain each individual type of front door. There may be some overlap, but each material also has unique treatments that can be performed to increase its lifespan.

Wood

Wooden doors can be complicated to maintain. The array of different woods you can see leads to an equally wide range of treatment methods. Here are a few of the most common woods used in the production of front doors:

1.    Pine

One of the more maintenance intensive woods, due to its natural softness. Not only is it more vulnerable to weather than other woods, but it will suffer physical blemishes more easily too. Yearly treatments with oil, paint or a wood varnish are necessary to prevent long term damage.

Additionally, as with all woods, its natural quality mean it can suffer from rot and warping. Treatment for this includes sanding it down and reapplying varnishes every year or so. Importantly though, unlike other woods, when you sand pine down you should also sand it down after it has been re-treated.

2.    Oak

A lot of the treatment methods for oak are very similar to pine. Cleaning your door with warm soapy water and a cloth will eliminate most grime. An additional wax polish is an effective way of maintaining a clean finish. Sanding down the door’s surface every two years, followed by reapplication of varnishes, is needed too.

If you’re worried about UV damage from the sun, you can also invest in certain varnishes that block ultraviolet rays.

3.    Mahogany

Of all three options presented here, mahogany is by far the most resistant to damage of all kinds. Rather than using soapy water, a wet cloth and vinegar should be enough to clean the surface of dirt. This has the added benefit of using something natural to clean wood, which is even better for it long term.

Over time mahogany is going to dull slightly, perhaps even take on a few dents. A reapplication of varnish or oil, after you’ve sanded it lightly, should help rebuff it. Also, you might be worried about discolouration from constant exposure to the sun (or “sun bleaching”). If that’s the case, then there are UV protectants you can coat the door in to prevent this.

Composite

One of the better options when it comes to resisting the need for maintenance. Composite doors excel at fending off severe weather conditions and similar causes of wear and tear. All that’s really needed is a wash with warm water and soap once a year, just to remove any dirt.

uPVC

Slightly less resilient than its composite counterpart, uPVC requires twice the washing per year. At the same time, remember to treat the hinges with WD-40 on a likewise biyearly basis. This is to keep them free from any rust or deeply ingrained dirt.

Additionally, when trying to maintain your uPVC doors keep an eye on which cleaning solutions you use. Anything with ammonia in it, or that can be abrasive when placed on a surface, causes poor reactions with uPVC.

Aluminium

Balancing out their usefulness, aluminium front doors require a high level of upkeep. Firstly, you can encounter problems with the door getting stiffer over time and jamming when you try to open it. This is due to pieces of the door rubbing against each other as time goes on. Preventing this requires you to oil the various moving parts, and to do so regularly.

Second, aluminium can scratch fairly easily. Smaller marks can be remove using products like paraffin cleaner, but larger blemishes can be problematic. Painting over it is often the best bet, but even then indentations will still likely show.

How much does it cost to repair a front door?

The difference between maintaining and repairing a front door comes down to the level of damage you’re dealing with. Maintenance is concerned with managing the adverse effects of weather, dents, scuff and chips. More substantial damage, by contrast, is anything that compromises the doors ability to function, rather than just its aesthetic value. In these instances, you’ll need to take bigger steps to fix your front door (if you don’t want to replace it again).

Here are a few of the most common causes of significant structural damage, and how they can be fixed:

Split panels

A problem for wooden doors specifically, over time the wood panels that constitute your door can split. Reasons for this include repeatedly slamming the door closed as well as the wood drying out over time. In order to fix this, you need to work out what kind of finish your wood panelling has first.

If your front door has a varnished finish, or even a natural one, then the solution is simple. With a set of dowels and some PVA glue you can repair it in no time. Press the panel back into place by using your dowels, and then apply the PVA glue to the crack to seal it. This solution costs very little – only around £5.

Alternatively, if your front door is painted then the fix is a little more involved. For somewhere between £4 and £20 you can buy some wood filler. With that, you can inject it into the crack and, after it has hardened, can then be sanded down. Don’t forget to repaint it after this step.

Rust

No matter which kind of front door installation you go for, all of them have metal hinges. After a few years, these hinges will likely start to rust. Common signs that this is the case is a difficulty to open the door, or a new noise when the hinge moves.

To solve this issue, invest in some WD-40 so that you can lubricate the rusty areas. Each tin of WD-40 should cost around £3. However, this may not fix every case of rust damage. In more severe instances, your existing hinges may be unsalvageable. If this is the case, new hinges are your best bet. This can cost you anywhere from £5 to £25 depending on the quality of the hinges. With some patience, screws and a screwdriver, new hinges can be installed by yourself in less than half an hour.

Rotten wood

new front door rot

Sustained water damage can, over the course of years, lead to wooden doors suffering from rot. Depending on the size of the rot, you’ll either be able to repair the door or you’ll have to replace it completely. Smaller patches can be treated, but if the rot goes all the way throughout the door, you’ll have to buy a new one.

For small patches: take out a chisel and start taking away the sodden wood. Eventually you’ll hit wood that hasn’t rotted, at which point you can stop chiselling. Once that’s done, take a hairdryer to the wood to make sure there’s no more moisture trapped in it. You can also use a hot air gun if you have one.

After that, ensure the patch has no dampness and then apply wood hardener. This will increase your new front door cost by anything from £9 to £35. Then apply wood filler to fill any gaps before you sand and repaint once more.

Alternatively, if this seems a bit too complicated or time consuming, you can hire tradespeople to do this instead. Average prices for this type of work lands around £130 to £200.

Loose frames

Over time, wooden frames can become loose from the walls they’re attached to because of consistent use. You can remedy this simply, however. Buy a pack of door frame plugs and screws, and then you can fix the frame to the wall again. Most packs of plugs and screws come in sets of ten, and cost roughly £5.

For a quick view of all the potential solutions (and their costs), see this handy table below:

Damage Solution Cost to repair DIY or professional help?
Split panel PVA Around £5 DIY
Wood filler £4 to £20 DIY
Rust WD-40 £3 DIY
New hinges £5 to £25 DIY
Rotten wood Wood hardener £9 to £35 DIY
Tradesperson £130 to £200 Professional
Loose frame New screws Around £5 DIY

 

What regulations are there when installing front doors?

You may not expect there to be regulated standards that a front door has to meet. But, like any significant renovations you can make to your home, replacing your front door involves a series of checks.

The first set of standards that must be met are the Building Regulations. Front doors must comply with two documents from these regulations in particular:

  1. Document L-1B: This is a thermal focused regulation. Meeting these standards means ensuring your new front door has a reasonable level of thermal efficiency. If your door lets too much heat escape, then it won’t be judged as in accordance with Document L-1B.
  2. Document K: These regulations are focused on glass. In short, if you install a door with safety glazing, make sure it’s at least 1500mm from ground level.

After that, you need to ensure your door’s specifications also meet any requirements for your home insurance. Make sure to check the exact guidelines set out by your insurance provider first, however, as strong locks are important. To be ‘insurance approved’ new locks must be granted the BS3621 British Standard Kitemark. Without this you may be denied coverage (bear in mind local crime statistics can also factor into this decision).

By now you should have everything you need to answer the question: “how much does a new front door cost?”.

Once you decide which type of door to buy, and what kind of accessories to get with it, then you need to consider hiring a professional to install it. That’s where Quotatis can help! Fill out the form below and we’ll put you in touch with a selection of local tradespeople. From there, they’ll help you replace your old front door and boost the value of your home.