UPVC windows quote - price reasonable?

nin9abadga · 12 Sep 2014 at 13:16

Hello everyone, just after a bit of context for the quote we've had from Everest for replacement windows. It came to 11k it total for our 3 bed semi. There are the bits in the quote:

bay window (2 openings)
front door with leaded glass
small window by front door with privacy glass (no opening)
aluminium bi-fold patio door
kitchen window (1 opening)
landing with privacy glass (no opening)
bedroom 1 (1 opening)
bedroom 2 (1 opening)
bedroom 3 (1 opening)

I know everest are considered expensive, but is that extra price worth it? any thoughts / guidance / opinions? i've never done windows before so i literally have no understanding of what is good or bad so i'm turning to you good folks for advice!

any input you got would be great.

bradUK · 12 Sep 2014 at 13:24

That's absolutely ridiculous mate.

I worked for Anglian then Everest before starting up myself. The prices they charge are ridiculous, it should be closer to half of that even with the bi-fold.

Also, people think they are getting a superior product when using these companies. They aren't.

The profile they use is utter dog****. Really, they all geared up to make their own frames in the 80's and they still churn out the same crap - it's far too expensive to change the toolings.

Use a local independent firm with good reviews, I promise you the product will be superior and you'll save a fortune.

Adam · 12 Sep 2014 at 13:41

I just had my everything in my 4 bedroom detatched house replaced, including front door, back door and french doors for £5800. This was "C" rated (the guy said it was a waste of time upgrading to "A" even though I was happy to) with upgraded chrome handles. The company were local, had fantastic reviews and make all of their windows inhouse themselves.

v0n · 12 Sep 2014 at 14:09

Measure the windows yourself (roughly). Go to any of hundreds of websites that offer UPVC windows for self installation. Chose the best looking windows they have and add them all to the basket. Add 10% on top of the final sum. Imagine sum of money you would want to be paid per year if you were a door and windows installer, divide by 12 (months), divide by 20 (working days in a month), multiply that by two (there will be two installers), add 10% to that. Now add both sums (your basket and your daily pay) - that's the absolute maximum you should be quoted for your windows. That's the maximum price even if your installer sourced windows from retail outlet, with no wholesale prices and was paying their installers more than they actually earn (the money you would want to earn) and got solid commission on top of all that.

nin9abadga · 12 Sep 2014 at 14:15

awesome thanks for the input. as i've considered it more during the day and spoken to more people i've been coming to the same conclusions - far too expensive. i've got some details of local suppliers and will focus on those.

thanks for the advice, and for saving me a packet

cheers

Adam · 12 Sep 2014 at 14:21

Start with local recommendations and then go for well reviewed firms on trustatrader. It's a very competitive market, get a few local firms around and you can negotiate.

My mrs ruined my negotiations on the windows and doors above as she couldn't keep her mouth shut during a long uncomfortable pause (classic sales training, you wait for them to speak first), so I'm sure I could have negotiated that down further too.

Maccapacca · 12 Sep 2014 at 20:21

v0n said:
Measure the windows yourself (roughly). Go to any of hundreds of websites that offer UPVC windows for self installation. Chose the best looking windows they have and add them all to the basket. Add 10% on top of the final sum. Imagine sum of money you would want to be paid per year if you were a door and windows installer, divide by 12 (months), divide by 20 (working days in a month), multiply that by two (there will be two installers), add 10% to that. Now add both sums (your basket and your daily pay) - that's the absolute maximum you should be quoted for your windows. That's the maximum price even if your installer sourced windows from retail outlet, with no wholesale prices and was paying their installers more than they actually earn (the money you would want to earn) and got solid commission on top of all that.

What a load of tosh :rolleyes:

I love it when people expect others to work for nothing, you might, I wouldn't.

If you're going to use the pub method of pricing then add

Fixings
Mastic
Foam filler
Various trimmer pieces
Glues
Transport
Protection
Removal of old windows
Skip for old windows
Cills if not with window
Cavity closers
Insurance
Office overheads
Tools
Vans
Access equipment
Weather protection
Internal finishing

Yeah mate just add a bit of labour to the basic material price innit

Maccapacca · 12 Sep 2014 at 20:22

Circa £150 - £200 a sqm for basic plastic windows with standard dgu's

Mark A · 12 Sep 2014 at 20:58

If it's any help I have worked for about 6 different firms and the going rate for fitters around here in lancashire was:

£50 per window- more if there are arches above to scribe trims to and an extra £10 for any rendering/plastering etc.

£65 for a door - £85 for a door with fanlight above

£50 per segment of a bay window

£120 for a pair of doors/ bi-fold

You'd probably use a box of silicone on a job that size, so £25 for silicone
Maybe a bottle of foam - £4
Fixings, again a box of 120mm concrete bolts and half a box of screws - £15
Cost for dumping a jobs worth of waste was around £50-£80, but the last place we worked for recycled the glass and pvcu, so they actually got paid for that.

Prices are pretty grim for the fitters, which is why they will go as fast as possible to make it worth it. Although the prices will be higher the further south you go obviously.

DannyW · 12 Sep 2014 at 21:00

No idea how much a bi-fold door is however 2 months ago I payed £3300 for 7 windows and a composite door (all A-rated). That wasn't cash in hard either have all the receipts and fensa documents

Mark A - Can't believe its only £50 per window seems a lot of trouble and work for £50, Im a sparky and charge around £40 for a extra socket in a room which takes an hour

Mark A · 12 Sep 2014 at 21:06

DannyW said:
No idea how much a bi-fold door is however 2 months ago I payed £3300 for 7 windows and a composite door (all A-rated). That wasn't cash in hard either have all the receipts and fensa documents

Mark A - Can't believe its only £50 per window seems a lot of trouble and work for £50, Im a sparky and charge around £40 for a extra socket in a room which takes an hour

I can install 4 on a good day, but it is a lot of work. If it's a newish house and the window is between the brick then it is easy. I work for myself now doing mainly joinery and kitchens etc. Had enough of fitting windows after 10 years.

bradUK · 12 Sep 2014 at 21:41

Mark A said:
I can install 4 on a good day, but it is a lot of work. If it's a newish house and the window is between the brick then it is easy. I work for myself now doing mainly joinery and kitchens etc. Had enough of fitting windows after 10 years.

Ah, brick to brick!

You know you're going home early that day :-D

mattyg · 12 Sep 2014 at 21:45

I budget £200 per window in an avg 3 bed semi. Plus £60-80 fitting. Composite door fitting £120.

Its the openings that cost the money

Find a manufacturer in the area and ask them they'll know a fitter

Conanius · 13 Sep 2014 at 08:37

Your bay window(s) and bifold door are pushing up the cost. Without steels, budget £1k per meter for bifolds. Bay windows are also silly expensive.

The best quote we had on our 1930's semi with a rated glass was just over 7k fitted. Included:
Dining room window removal and install French doors
Two big bay windows
Kitchen window
Landing window
2x bathroom windows with privacy glass
Study/box bedroom window
2nd bedroom window

Quotes vary wildly on frames and glass. Highest was 18k for triple glazed r9 windows (google, they are wood look and superb quality) mid range was 11k for Rehau windows.

The prices reflect quality .... Usually. Look at window thickness and frame quality. Some uPVC glazing looks awful and it ruins the property.

We couldn't justify the expenditure we needed for the quality we wanted, so are getting our wood double glazing re-lifed to give us time.

DannyW · 13 Sep 2014 at 18:02

Mark A said:
I can install 4 on a good day, but it is a lot of work. If it's a newish house and the window is between the brick then it is easy. I work for myself now doing mainly joinery and kitchens etc. Had enough of fitting windows after 10 years.

I saw my window fitter this morning he said your prices are still true now!

GSXRMovistar · 13 Sep 2014 at 21:24

Was going to post a similar thread so assuming the op doesn't object I'll join this one as all these quotes are relevant.

Looking to replace several windows in the house (and a side door) to match new ones recently gone into a new extension.

Quick/poor sketch up of what is being quoted for:-

bottom left is not part of the quote (my builder is paying for that one), F are frosted/obscured for the bathrooms).

Style of window:-

For supply/fit/making good/taking away old I've been quoted £4110 all in, is this reasonable?

Thanks.

Housey · 13 Sep 2014 at 22:08

Not all windows and doors are built the same and like most things in life you will get what you pay for, but in this industry you will also be confronted by wide boys who will quote what they feel they can get away with. I started my career in the industry back in the 80's, just as uPVC was taking over from Aluminium (thermal clad and thermal break as it was then) with timber frames. There were massive cost price differences on the stuff that went to make the windows, I know as I ran the computer systems and bought, installed and ran WindowMaker, the then go to application for the industry.

edscdk · 13 Sep 2014 at 22:16

4 bed house took 2 guys about a week.. id guess it was about 2.5k parts and 2.5k installation

front and back door
back doors (french but large double opening anyway)
large living room windows
2 other down stairs windows
kitchen window
bathroom
4 bed rooms
1 landing

£5000 (had it done about 3 years ago)

big boys quoted 11 to 20k... got it done by a small local firm...

good advice don't get fake wood coloured ones they split.. done a lot of leaflet posting after I was told the split I looked as I posted... and they do... (they are ok as long as they don't face towards the sun)

Housey · 13 Sep 2014 at 22:20

My windows are timber box sash, high quality and I have to replace like for like due to preservation orders and lease demands. They come in around 2.5K each. As I said all windows are not the same.

v0n · 13 Sep 2014 at 22:23

maccapacca said:
Yeah mate just add a bit of labour to the basic material price innit

Yes "innit" because - note - we are already calculating everything at retail prices. Few cans of foam and few tubes of mastic will not make a dent in guestimation done that way. We even added 10% for what did you call it - "transport and office overheads". We also do not expect you to work for nothing, we are calculating your labour at what we would be expecting to earn if we were doing your job, which is almost certainly way over what chains pay their installers. Doesn't get any more generous than that.

Seriously speaking though, it's solid calculation, I used it twice for windows and once for doors myself, installers had no problem bettering my figures. OP, also make sure to have few pdf catalogues/printouts from uPVC websites and cover notes from previous quotations prominently displayed on the table when the next guy comes along to do quotation, offer coffee and serve the mug right next to it, so the guy has a chance to see signs of "the competition" on the table, it puts a bit of pressure and lowers chance of your time being wasted with lofty sky high figures.

UPVC windows quote - price reasonable?

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