For homeowners wishing to bring the outdoors indoors, installing new patio doors at the rear of their property is a high priority. Not only do they provide convenient access to your garden with great security, but they also open up the room to natural light and a garden view, making an appealing living space for you and prospective buyers when you come to sell up.
The term patio door is often for any kind of door that opens onto a patio, terrace or garden area. Traditionally it referred exclusively to sliding doors, but now it often includes bi-folding and French doors, too, each with its features and benefits for different applications.
In this article, we’ll be looking at:
- How much it costs to install patio doors
- What affects the cost of patio door installation
- How to save money on patio door installation
- Which type of patio door is right for your property
- How to find and hire an installer
If you’re dreaming of a light and bright kitchen or lounge with doors opening out onto your garden, keep reading to find out the best tips and tricks from purchase to installation.
How Much Does It Cost to Install Patio Doors?
Patio door prices can spike up and down depending on their design, material and dimensions. In this section, we’ll be looking at the most common materials and door types to give you an idea of costs.
| MATERIAL OF DOOR | ESTIMATED SUPPLY COST | ESTIMATED LABOUR COST | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timber | £300 to £1,000 | £40 to £80 per hour | |
| uPVC | £500 to £1,250 | £40 to £80 per hour | |
| Aluminium | £700 to £3,000 | £40 to £80 per hour |
For homeowners looking at a timber-framed patio door, you can expect estimated supply costs of around £300 to £1,000, determined by the dimensions and door type. For installation, you’ll be looking at between £40 to £80 per hour.
Looking next at uPVC types, the estimated supply cost will range from £500 to £1,250, again depending on the dimensions and door style. Labour costs will again be between £40 to £80 for the installation period.
Finally, we’ll look at aluminium-framed patio doors, which are the most expensive of our three coming in at between £700 to £3,000 for the more premium designs. This will also carry an extra fee of between £40 and £80 per hour for installation and labour.
| TYPE OF DOOR | ESTIMATED SUPPLY COST |
|---|---|
| Sliding | £500 to £2,500 |
| French | £500 to £1,500 |
| Bifold | £3,000 to £3,500 |
Next, we’ll take a look at the different types of doors and see how these designs influence the price you will pay for your patio doors.
A sleek sliding patio door will come in at between £500 to £2,500
The traditional French patio door style falls between £500 to £1,500
A modern bifold patio door is the most expensive option, commanding between £3,000 to £3,500
These prices should be considered the bare minimum, for standard sizes off the rack. Larger dimensions and more expensive materials/finishing will increase the cost considerably, and you can expect these prices to double or even triple in these cases.
If you are confident in your ability, installing patio doors yourself can save a considerable amount of labour. However, if you want to ensure the job is done properly, it’s always best to hire a professional joiner to complete the work for you.
What Affects the Cost of Patio Door Installation?
Now that we know some price estimates for patio doors, let’s take a deeper dive and look at how patio door installation can be impacted by other factors, important to keep in mind if you’re working to a strict budget.
Type of Door Material
As we can see from the price comparison table above, the type of door material has a huge impact on the price you will end up paying for your patio doors.
Wooden Patio Doors
While softwood prices can be very low, starting from as little as £300, the material is very high maintenance and will need regular cleaning, treatments and potential replacement or repairs. They are also vulnerable to tougher weather conditions, making them unsuitable choices for some homeowners living in harsher environments.
If the wooden style is what you’re after, however, there are other wood options available which will require less upkeep. As a trade-off for this, these types will end up being more expensive, such as engineered oak, which can tip the other end of the price spectrum at £1,000 and above.
uPVC
uPVC is a common choice when it comes to patio doors owing to the material’s durability and universal finish that matches most properties. Depending on the dimensions you are working to, and the number of doors you want, prices can range between £500 to £1,250, but unlike softwood timber, even the uPVC doors at the lower end of the price range will be much more durable in harsh weather conditions if that is something you need to consider for your property.
Aluminium
The most premium option out of our three materials is aluminium, offering durability, good heat distribution and a stylish finish. Because of these accolades, you can expect the highest prices, starting at £700 and ending at £3,000 and beyond.
With all patio doors, you will see a return on investment when it comes to selling your property as the feature is something homebuyers will be looking for in their next home.
Type of Door
Tying in closely with the patio door material is the type of door you opt for. We’ll be looking at the main three: French doors, sliding doors, and bifold doors.
French Doors
French doors are best suited to smaller openings where there perhaps isn’t enough room for a full bi-folding door or sliding door. Their design resembles a set of double doors and typically opens outwards into your outdoor garden space.
uPVC French doors are the most common, usually fitted with additional side or top lights to fill the entire opening, while other materials such as aluminium can be manufactured wider and taller to negate their need. At an increased cost, you can have less material and more glass within a French door design, which can give you the illusion of a bifold or sliding door but at a much lower price.
The security of French doors is regarded highly due to multi-lock systems, with many having passed the rigorous PAS024 security testing.
The key advantage of French doors is the option to open a single door for access – when weather conditions are less favourable, this is a great feature as you can quickly nip in and out to collect the washing from the line, for example. Yet, when the sun is out, both doors can be opened out wide to invite the outdoors inside.
Sliding Patio Doors
By design, sliding patio doors are opened by sliding along horizontal tracks. If space outside is restricted – meaning there isn’t enough swing room to have a French door, for example – this is highly beneficial, and for smaller patio or garden areas, sliding patio doors beat both French and bi-folding doors.
Another benefit of their design is the fact that they cannot be blown shut, as can swing-operated doors, which is a great benefit for those breezier but still hot days.
Sliding doors can easily fit within wider building openings. Again, aluminium allows for even greater sizes, more glass and less material, where up to five metres wide or three metres high is achievable, and high-quality rollers can be used to make heavy doors easier to slide.
Door technology has progressed from single tracks up to three, and designs now commonly use multiple doors that slide independently, providing the greatest flexibility for operation. You will usually find two to four-pane sliding doors, and more can be seen in bespoke designs.
When it comes to security, sliding doors have built-in multipoint locks where the panels overlap, providing excellent security.
Bifold Doors
When it comes to truly opening up your home – even at the corners! – bifold doors are a top choice. For those looking to break down the barrier between the inside and the outside, the other patio door styles can’t compete.
Bifold doors’ greatest advantage is their fully-opening operation, covering even the widest building openings. Different designs will provide varying degrees of flexibility, but as a whole, bifold doors are best suited to the greatest opening – for small openings of two metres, you won’t receive more opening than French doors, and you will also lose the ability to open a single door, limiting your flexibility.
To this end, you may want to consider adding a single swing-opening door. This additional door on one side can provide access to your garden without having to completely open up your home.
Bifolding doors are far most costly, best suited to large openings and without outside space limitations, coming in at anywhere between £3,000 to £3,500.
Ease of Access
Patio doors aren’t the easiest of items to navigate around a property, so during the installation period, you want to be aware of any access restrictions your installers might face. With labour fees ranging from between £40 to £80 an hour, any hold-ups in the process can end up costing you greatly.
It’s best to discuss this with your labourer before the day of installation so they can mitigate any potential issues, and work around smaller apertures or rear garden access issues to make the process as smooth and as efficient as possible.
Waste Removal
With patio doors being added, the existing wall or window will need to be taken away, generating a lot of industrial waste. You will likely need to hire a skip for this debris, but in some cases, this skip hire will be rolled into your installation fee if you discuss this with your installer beforehand.
On average, skip hires can range from £130 per week for a mini skip, all the way to £390 per week for a large skip. For more information on skip hire and the associated costs, take a look at our dedicated page.
Remember, if you’re modifying or creating an opening for patio doors to be fitted, you may need a load-bearing lintel installed – when comparing quotes between professional builders, make sure this additional work is included. In some cases, a structural engineer may need consulting, for which you can expect an additional cost of around £100.
Your Location
Finally, another non-negotiable and possibly the most annoying factor that can raise your installation costs is simply your geographical location. You will typically pay more in capital cities for the same work than you would in more rural locations and towns, so it’s good to bear that in mind depending on where you live, and perhaps set aside more money where necessary.
How Can I Save Money on Patio Door Installation Costs?
If you’re looking to have your patio doors installed on a budget, make sure you take note of our cost-cutting options.
Choose the right design for your home. While bifold doors might seem like the best choice, they carry the highest price – and although they will attract future buyers to your property, if you don’t have enough space outside to cater for the doors when they’re open, you might be better off with a simple French door instead to save a lot of money.
Carefully pick your material. Aluminium frames are expensive and give a luxury feel to patio doors, but the material isn’t essential when it comes to opening up the exterior of your house.
uPVC is cheaper and comparable in durability, giving greater protection from the elements than softwood variants, but at a fraction of the price of aluminium.
Which Type of Patio Door Is Right for My Home?
We’ve taken a closer look at the advantages and disadvantages of different types of patio doors – those made of softwood, engineered wood, uPVC and aluminium.
| TYPE OF MATERIAL | ADVANTAGES | DISADVANTAGES |
|---|---|---|
| Softwood | By far the cheapest option for patio door material, good for smaller budgets | Not durable to harsh elements, requiring significant upkeep compared to other materials |
| Engineered Wood | Gives a countryside look and feel with more durability than softwood variants | Expensive, and still require some level of upkeep to stay in good condition |
| uPVC | Cheap and effective, with good durability and little to no maintenance | Not the prettiest to look at, might look out of place on period properties |
| Aluminium | The most luxury material available for patio doors, offering great durability and heat distribution | By for the most expensive option |
The advantages of softwood is that it’s by far the cheapest option for patio door material and works really well for those operating to smaller budgets. Unfortunately, softwood is not durable to harsh elements, requiring significant upkeep compared to other materials.
Engineered wood gives a countryside look and feel and has more durability than softwood variants. However, purchasing engineered wood is expensive, and will still require some level of upkeep to stay in good condition.
uPVC is a cheap and effective patio door material, with good durability and little to no maintenance required. Bear in mind that it’s not the most attractive of all the options and might look out of place on period properties.
Finally, aluminium is the most luxury material available for patio doors, offering great durability and heat distribution. It is, however, by for the most expensive option and might not be suitable for smaller budgets.
What’s Involved in Installing Patio Doors?
When your installer comes to fit your new patio doors, you can expect your old patio doors to be removed, or if you are having completely new ones installed, your builder will take away the existing wall or window, adding a lintel where necessary to carry the load of the property.
The doors will be removed first, then the glass panels, and then the frame will be eased out of position. Old adhesive will then be removed where necessary in the opening, preparing the space for the new patio doors.
A spirit level will be used to check the base is flat and straight, before the adhesive is added to prep the space for the new frame. The new frame will then be lifted into position, filled on the sides and then fixed into place with concrete fixings.
Glass panes will then be added in and secured in place and the door will be checked for function. Edges will have mastic added to finish off the job.
How Do I Find and Hire an Installer?
It’s important to note that whoever carries out your patio door installation must be part of a Competent Person Scheme, where FENSA and CERTASS are the most common. Without doing this, you will have to pay a £200 fee to your local building control to certify the completed work.
If you have friends, family or neighbours who have had patio doors installed recently, it’s worth asking to see if they’d recommend their trader to you. This will save you from searching yourself, and usually, give you a competent lead to get your work done efficiently and effectively.
You can also use HouseholdQuotes to find your trader, which in some cases can help to save you up to 40% on your project’s fee. Finally, you can choose to consult CERTASS or FENSA to find reputable traders in your area.
Ensuring the Professional Is the Right Fit
With a job like fitting patio doors, you must get a competent trader as not doing so will compromise your property’s security. It’s important to check your trader’s credentials before agreeing to work with them, looking at their previous work and any recommendations or references they have received to see what their work and work ethic is like.
It’s important to get a written quote agreed on before accepting the work offer so that there are no nasty surprises when it comes to settling the bill. You should take a look at any available photos or videos of their past work to make sure the finished product is the kind of thing you’re looking for, too.
As we’ve already mentioned, you’ll want to check if they are members of relevant memberships to validate their work and double-check they have insurance to cover themselves and you in the event of anything going wrong.
Final Checklist
If you’re longing to let the outdoors in, opening up your house with patio doors is a great way to go to improve your quality of life as well as add value to your home. Here’s our final checklist to make sure everything is taken care of during your project.
- Find out what door is right for you – do you have a small garden, or a large space to fill? Sliding doors are best for small spaces, while bifold doors are great for larger openings
- Choose your material based on your environmental surroundings and your budget, bearing in mind aluminium and engineered wood carry higher prices than uPVC
- Find a reputable trader using HouseholdQuotes to save up to 40% on your project’s fee
- Get a written quote agreed, and make sure the trader is part of a reputable trade body and carries insurance
- Enjoy your newly opened up home!
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are the Benefits of a Patio Door?
The main benefits of patio doors are their ability to open up your home to the outside, giving more natural light than a standard window. Patio doors add value to homes, and bifold doors can entice buyers due to the high buy-in price.
Will I Need Planning Permission to Install a Patio Door?
Typically, no, this will fall under permitted development. The rules change when considering listed or protected properties where the guidelines may be different, in which case it’s best to consult your local planning office for clarity.
Can I Replace My Patio Door?
Yes, it’s possible to replace patio doors for newer models and is recommended if your frame has deteriorated considerably or is outdated as this can compromise your home’s security.
Should Sliding Doors Be on the Inside or Outside?
Sliding doors should slide on the inside of your home, as this protects the tracks from external debris like dust, leaves and other outdoor elements.
How Much Does a Bifold Door Cost?
If you’re wanting to install a bifold door, you can expect fees of between £3,000 to £3,500. For full information on bifold doors and what they can do for your property, take a look at our dedicated page.
