If you are pricing up replacement windows for a house in Dunstable, Houghton Regis or the surrounding villages, you will find plenty of vague answers online and very few actual figures. This guide gives you realistic supplied and fitted price ranges for uPVC windows, explains what moves the number, and shows you how to compare quotes fairly. Every home is different, so treat these as a sensible starting point rather than a promise.
For a standard white uPVC casement window, supplied and fitted with A rated double glazing, most Dunstable homeowners can expect to pay somewhere between £450 and £900 per window. A small bathroom or landing window sits at the bottom of that range, while a large front bay or a wide lounge window with several opening sashes sits at the top or above it.
Bay windows are a separate case because they involve more frames, structural support and often a new roof or lead work. A three section uPVC bay in a typical Dunstable semi usually falls between £1,800 and £3,500 fitted. Sash style uPVC windows, popular on the older terraces around the town centre and West Street, cost more than casements because of the sliding mechanism, so budget £900 to £1,600 each.
Most quotes are for the full property rather than a single window, so it helps to think in whole house terms. A two bedroom terrace with six or seven windows and a front and back door usually lands between £4,000 and £7,000. A three bedroom semi with eight to ten windows, a bay and two doors is more often £7,000 to £12,000. Larger detached homes in the newer estates off the A5 and around Lewsey Farm can go well beyond that once you add bifolds or a large patio door.
These figures assume like for like replacement into sound brickwork. If the installer finds rotten timber sub frames, crumbling lintels or previous installations foamed into place without proper fixings, there will be extra labour and materials to put right, which should always be discussed before work continues.
Colour is the biggest single factor after size. Plain white uPVC is the baseline. A foiled finish such as anthracite grey, Chartwell green or a woodgrain effect typically adds 15 to 30 per cent, and dual colour frames, white inside and coloured outside, sit at the upper end of that. Triple glazing adds roughly £80 to £150 per window over double glazing and is worth considering if you back onto the A505 or the busway, but for most homes A rated double glazing is perfectly adequate.
Hardware and glass options add up too. Georgian bars, leaded glass, obscure patterns, trickle vents, restrictors and upgraded locking all carry a cost. Access matters as well: windows above a conservatory or over a steep drive may need scaffolding or a tower, which can add a few hundred pounds. Finally, if your home is in one of Dunstable's conservation areas, the council may expect a particular style, which can rule out the cheapest options.
Two quotes for the same house can differ by thousands, and the cheaper one is not always the worse deal. Check that each quote states the profile brand, the glass specification including the energy rating, the number and position of opening sashes, trickle vents, and whether the price includes removing old frames, disposing of them and making good plaster and render inside and out. A quote that leaves out disposal and making good can quietly add several hundred pounds later.
Ask whether the installation will be registered with FENSA or CERTASS, since you will need that certificate when you sell the house. Ask for the guarantee period on both frames and workmanship and whether it is insurance backed. Be wary of very large discounts offered only if you sign on the day. A fair price in Dunstable rarely needs that kind of pressure, and a reputable installer will be happy for you to sleep on it.
Yes, in almost every case. Aluminium typically costs 30 to 50 per cent more than uPVC for the same opening, and painted timber can be double, so uPVC remains the most cost effective option for most Dunstable homes.
Usually not, as like for like replacements fall under permitted development. If you live in a conservation area or a listed building, or you want to change the style or opening layout significantly, check with Central Bedfordshire Council first.
A typical three bedroom home takes one to two days on site with two fitters. Lead time from survey to installation is usually four to eight weeks depending on the colour and any bespoke items such as bays or sash windows.
Tell us about your job and we will get back to you the same day to arrange a free, no-obligation survey.