How Much Should A Composite Door Cost?
Your Composite Door Questions Answered
How Much Should A Composite Door Cost?
Composite Door Prices are no great mystery like so many other complex multi choice products it’s a question of knowing what you want.
Around about the Millennium something changed in the UK door market and revolutionised the industry forever that change was the arrival of the Composite Door – pre-Composite front doors were timber /PVC or aluminium each of which had merits and demerits – that which made the Composite door different was that eliminated the de merits and enhanced the merits. More styles, more colours, more glazing options and an improved choice of accessories. It is this very availability of so many options that makes giving a precise price for a Composite Door so difficult and all have to be considered in the price structure –
First – there is the quality of the door – Composite Doors dependent upon manufacturer come with a CFC-free insulating polyurethane (PU) foam or laminated hardwood core the latter generally being more expensive than the former.
Second – style – as the manufacture of differing styles require amounts of work (setting up templates/ waste etc) many manufacturers will price differing styles at different prices – if one style is particularly popular and produced in large quantities it may well be discounted.
Third – colours – the majority of manufacturers do not adjust their price for choice of colours unless you require something non-standard that requires the colour bonding capabilities of a specialist company – an expensive choice.
Four – glazing – clearly there is a huge difference in price between a clear double-glazed panel and a coloured leaded glass double glazed panel and there are many variables between these two extremes.
Five – accessories – a minefield of choice with so many styles of handles, knockers, letterplates in a choice of at least four colours for most manufacturers
Six – locking systems – multi point locking systems are pretty standard but the choice and price and security of the lock cylinder can vary considerably.
Seven – geographical location, particularly if you are having your door installed – there are certain areas in the UK where attempting delivery or finding the correct tradesmen comes at a premium and is reflected in the price.
Eight – the choice of company and the service – it is a competitive market and some manufacturers /installers will offer discounts whereas others will stand by their reputations for quality product and service.
Nine – manufacturer marketing – some manufacturers spend a fortune (which the customer ultimately pays for) on advertising particularly on line but they do not always represent the best value and it pays to be thorough in your review of the various websites.
When all of the above is taken into consideration it is easy to see why it is impossible to say a Composite Door costs X £ pounds – the majority of on line manufacturers/installers web sites do try to make it somewhat easier for their customers by providing “door designers” where the prospective customer has the opportunity to design the door they want and where upon design completion they will be provided with either an instant or an “email” call back price.
As we said at the beginning its easier “if you know what you want” but when faced with so many options we all are prone to changing our mind which is why most “door designers” allow multiple opportunities of editing the chosen door until you are happy with all of the component parts.
There is one web site Composite Door Prices which goes the extra step to assist customers and is a very good place to start in your search for a new Composite Front door. It does not represent a single door manufacturer but comprises the doors of a number of manufacturers all of whom have been vetted by the company involved to ensure that they provide the quality and standard of product that through their years of experience they have found to be consistent and reliable for both supply and service and competitive in price. The site provides guide prices for a number of products and “door designers” to allow the customer to develop the door of their choice and each has a pricing/ quotation service either direct or mail back.
So how much should a composite door cost as a guide we would suggest that the range of prices would fall somewhere between the following –
For Supply only Composite Doors–
A budget price door with minimum cost accessories circa £550 – £600
A top range door maxed out on quality accessories circa £1200- £1400
For Fitted Composite Doors –
In most of areas of the country this should be achievable for circa £300-£400
For certain prominent post codes all of the above could be at least doubled.
How much should a Composite Door cost really comes down to two things – personal preference and budget and only the customer can control these items.
