I’m hoping the Singletrack collective can help prevent me being taken for a ride (sorry bad pun) on double glazing.

I’ve been given a quote for 10 new windows and a back door of £6900 inc Vat. With a new front door being an additional £1250. Having heard the horror stories of sales tactics I was expecting an initial quote of £20k etc…. So this doesn’t seem horrendous however I presume there’s room for a bit of a discount on this…

what should I be paying for this?

We recently had 8 windows, back door and composite front door fitted for 3.5k. Shop around, check out your local established firms rather than national companies.

Size of windows? No. of openings?

£627 fitted per unit doesn’t seem to bad. Lots of variables though.

Type of glass?
Window Construction?
Is the door multi-point locking etc?
Does it include all the making good on the inside? (and will this be plastered, or just have trim fitted?)

3 windows 880 decent sizes too 4 quotes all around same price

Thanks for the quick replies. The windows are pretty big, with some 170 x 95cm with 3 openings, others a little smaller but still two openings. I’ve been told the bedroom windows need fire escape hinges. windows 8point locking. Doors multi point lock. Toughened glass where needed.

28mm pilkington k glass

Wouldn’t do business with that company regardless after that quote. Those window sizes are not big, you should be in the same ballpark as lambchop suggests. Get quotes from local guys

Toughened glass is required by law, in doors, but laminated is stronger and better, 1250 is well over the top for a plastic front door, try a few local suppliers, and ask to see the sort of windows they make, buy in, visit the factory etc, most if not all doors are multipoint locking,have a look on th companies house web site for how long they have been established etc.

The firm is local and they did a friends windows, so I believe they will do a good install, however I don’t want to get fleeced. If I have a reasonable ball park figure in mind, that’s what I can aim for when negotiating.

So do I say 4k for the lot and see how far I get?

i am a self employed double glazing installer and i would say thats too much jesus that price for the front door if just pvc is well over the top. you can get a top composite for less than that…

you need quotes off other comapnies to compare like with like.

go for hardwood rail & stile timber doors. way cheaper than plastic & much nicer too. More secure as well. Take the doors out of the quote & see where you’re at.

OK you have to paint or varnish them every so often, but still…

The front door quote is for a composite door with all the door furniture and two glass panels if that helps?

Sounds like a bargain but then we had 12 wooden sash windows to replace!

Try and find a good local firm, ask to see some of the last jobs they’ve done. We got a quote from Everest that would have bought a 1 bed flat. But got them for a fraction of that by going to an independent carpenter through our builder.

well over the top for composite,and as for 2 glazed pannels, dont have them one above the other in toughened as theyre easy to smash and leave a nice big hole to climb in through,

Last composite door I did was a RockDoor in mahogany, bronze furniture and a large fanlight combi frame, £1050 fitted and made good inside.

is the company safe styles?

project i dont understand your comment on toughened glass its strong enough to have a house brick bounce off the face. toughened is weakest on the edge. Even if someone wanted to break in they would have to make a hell of a noise then they have to smash the float glass and climb through the stuff which is razor sharp. smashing a toughened unit would wake half the street.

Laminated glass is crap ok it stays in place if broken but its easy to break in the first place and if you know what you are doing simple to get past the soppy plastic centre…

Not Safestyle. A local company with a big (expensive?) showroom.

Yesterday I had installed two windows (tilt and turn). Both 1700×950 for £850.

B-rated, U-value = 1.8 (so not bad but not the best) but well fitted, sealed and finished.

From a local installer with good reputation.