How Much Does Triple Glazing Cost?
The average cost of fitting a semi-detached house with seven triple glazed windows is £3,520 to £4,080 or £4,650 to £5,250 should it have nine windows.
Energy efficiency is crucial. While double glazed windows are a great option, getting triple glazed windows fitted increases your energy efficiency dramatically.
Let's look at some other examples then...
Triple glazing for a two-bedroom flat with four windows would roughly £2,350 to £2,900, and the cost would be around £2,900 to £3,450 for a terraced house with five windows.
In the case of a detached house, you’ll need a budget of around £5,850 to £8,450 to install 12 triple glazed windows or £8,600 to £10,300 for 15 triple glazed windows.
Because of the potential costs differences, receiving and comparing multiple quotes is a great way to ensure you're getting the best deal for your budget.
Alright, so what else should be considered?
Other cost factors are the type and size of the window, the number of tradespeople on the job, ease of access and where your property is located.
Window fitters tend to charge higher rates in London and the southeast in general.
However, you’ll generally find cheaper labour costs in northern England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
Triple Glazing Prices
| Job Description | Labour Cost | Supply Costs | Total Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semi-detached House - 7 Windows | £520 to £580 | £3,000 to £3,500 | £3,520 to £4,080 |
| Semi-detached House - 9 Windows | £650 to £750 | £4,000 to £4,500 | £4,650 to £5,250 |
| 2 Bedroom Flat - 4 Windows | £350 to £400 | £2,000 to £2,500 | £2,350 to £2,900 |
| Terraced House - 5 Windows | £400 to £450 | £2,500 to £3,000 | £2,900 to £3,450 |
| Detached House - 12 Windows | £850 to £950 | £5,000 to £7,500 | £5,850 to £8,450 |
| Detached House - 15 Windows | £1,100 to £1,300 | £7,500 to £9,000 | £8,600 to £10,300 |
What are the Supply Costs of Triple Glazed Windows?
In this section, we’ll break down the triple glazing prices of the supplies involved in fitting a different number of triple glazed windows for various properties. We’ll also lay out the supply costs of various types of triple glazing windows.
In most cases, the materials cost of triple glazing will account for 70-85% of the overall cost, with the labour costs making up about 15-30% of the overall cost and between zero and 5% of the total being down to waste removal expenses.
The supply costs of triple glazing, a semi-detached house with seven windows is about £3,000 to £3,500, and for a semi with nine windows, roughly £4,000 to £4,500.
You can expect the supply costs to end up around £2,000 to £2,500 for a two-bedroom flat with four windows, £2,500 to £3,000 for a terraced property with five windows, £5,000 to £7,500 for a detached house with 12 windows, or £7,500 to £9,000 for a detached house with 15 windows.
As for the window types, casement windows tend to cost around £300 to £1,000 if the frame is made of uPVC, £1,000 to £3,000 if the frame is made of timber or £500 to £700 for one that has an aluminium-based frame.
Flush casement windows cost approximately £200 to £800 for a uPVC option, £600 to £1,500 if the frame is made of timber or £500 to £1,500 if the frame is aluminium.
Bay windows tend to be priced at about £500 to £2,000 for a uPVC framed product, £2,000 to £4,000 if with a timber-based frame, or £1,000 to £3,000 if aluminium-based.
Cottage triple glazed windows cost roughly £300 to £1,000 if the frame is made of uPVC, £2,000 to £3,000 if timber-based, or £500 to £2,000 if aluminium framed.
To buy a sash triple glazed window would cost about £300 to £2,000 with a uPVC frame, £700 to £3,000 with a timber frame, or £400 to £2,500 with an aluminium frame.
Lastly, if you go with tilt & turn windows, expect to pay £400 to £1,000 to buy one with a uPVC frame, £450 to £2,000 with a timber frame, or £1,000 to £2,000 with an aluminium frame.
Supply Costs of Triple Glazing
| Job Description | Supply Cost |
|---|---|
| Semi-detached House - 7 Windows | £3,000 to £3,500 |
| Semi-detached House - 9 Windows | £4,000 to £4,500 |
| 2 Bedroom Flat - 4 Windows | £2,000 to £2,500 |
| Terraced House - 5 Windows | £2,500 to £3,000 |
| Detached House - 12 Windows | £5,000 to £7,500 |
| Detached House - 15 Windows | £7,500 to £9,000 |
What are the Additional Costs of Triple Glazing?
There are several added expenses that you may incur when having triple glazed windows fitted. These costs may or may not apply depending on the nature of the job and the contractor you hire, among other factors.
Minimum Fee
Some contractors choose to set a minimum fee that will either exist as the primary labour charge (e.g. a daily fee that would apply even if the work took three-quarters of a working day) or as an added expense to your total bill.
Type of Window
As discussed in the previous section, window type can play a role in shaping the overall cost of a triple glazing installation. The price of windows (excluding labour and waste removal costs) may vary from £200 to £4,000.
A uPVC-framed casement window will likely fall in the lower end of this range, with a timber-framed bay window costing up to £1,000 or more.
Size of Property
The property size is relevant since it usually directly impacts the number of windows that will need to be installed.
This won’t always be the case, but even if you are looking to have just one or two triple-glazed windows fitted, a larger property will often necessitate larger windows than a smaller one.
Size of Window
The supply costs can also vary depending on window size. For example, a white uPVC window with dimensions of 1000mm x 500mm might cost about £190, while one a 1200mm x 1200mm wood grain uPVC window may set you back about £520.
Glass Type
Window prices are also shaped by the type of glass used. You can expect the cost to be approximately £40 to £60 per metre if consisting of clear annealed glass, £50 to £70 per metre if the glass is clear toughened, £40 to £70 per metre if obscure annealed, or £45 to £70 per metre if either obscure toughened or laminated clear.
The estimated price rises to £90 to £120 per metre with laminated obscure glass.
Number of Tradespeople
In the majority of cases, window fitters will work in teams of two to fit triple glazing. However, for particularly large or challenging work, a third set of hands may be required. In other cases, a single window fitter will take on the job.
The more labourers involved in a job, the higher the hourly labour will be. On the other hand, this would save time, so whether this will actually prove an overall added cost will depend on factors such as how well the team works together.
Duration
The time it takes to complete the installation of triple glazed windows is directly linked to the labour costs. The longer the work lasts, the more you’ll likely pay. An exception would be if fixed labour costs are set.
Tradesmen Costs for Installing Triple Glazed Windows
In this section, we’ll break down the labour expenses involved in having triple glazed windows installed. We will discuss the labour costs based on the various jobs looked at in the opening section and also touch on the hourly labour cost.
The labour costs of fitting seven triple glazed windows in a semi-detached house are around £520 to £580. For the same property type but to have nine windows installed would come with a labour fee of roughly £650 to £750.
You can expect a labour charge of about £350 to £400 for a two-bedroom flat with four windows, £400 to £450 for a terraced house with five windows, £850 to £950 for a detached house with 12 windows, or £1100 to £1300 for a detached house with 15 windows.
Window fitters charge about £10 per hour throughout the UK, but rates can vary significantly depending on where you live. For instance, in London, the rate may be around £11 to £12 an hour or more. Other factors that influence the labour costs include duration, ease of access, and the number of window fitters on the job.
How Long Does It Take to Fit Triple Glazing?
The time it takes to fit triple glazed windows may range from a single day’s work or less to as much as five working days.
If only one window fitter is performing the work, it could take about twice as long.
For a semi-detached house with seven windows, triple glazing should take about two days. For nine windows, it would take roughly two to three days.
The work timeframe will be about 1-2 days to fit four triple glazed windows in a two-bedroom flat or 1-2 days to fit five triple glazed windows in a terraced house.
If you have a detached property, it will take approximately 3-4 days to install 12 windows and 4-5 days to fit 15 windows.
The timeframe of triple glazing can also vary depending on the type of windows (to a certain extent), the number of tradespeople working, ease of access, and whether any additional work is required or if the process is particularly challenging at any stage (e.g. a window that proves particularly challenging to remove).
Removing Triple Glazed Windows Cost
You may choose to have triple-glazed windows removed because they are at the end of their lifespan (lasting roughly 20 years) or if you’d like to replace one or more triple glazed windows with another fitting like French doors.
The average cost of removing triple glazed windows will likely fall in the range of several hundred to several thousand pounds as it will depend heavily on what is replacing the windows.
For example, in most cases, to have a window converted to uPVC French doors would likely cost about £1400 to £1600.
FAQs
Q: How does triple glazing work?
A: Triple glazed windows have three panes of glass in total. Between these panes is room for insulating gas. These gases and the existence of three panes as opposed to one or two give triple glazing strong insulation qualities, meaning that triple glazing can better trap heat in your home.
Q: What is the difference between double glazing and triple glazing?
A: Simply put, double glazed windows have two panes, but triple glazing consists of three panes.
Q: How long do triple glazed windows last?
A: On average, about 20 years or more.
Q: Can I fit triple glazing by myself?
A: In general, it is best practice to hire a professional window fitter to install triple glazed windows. However, if you have the necessary skills and knowledge, you may fit triple glazing DIY. Please be aware of any planning permissions and building regulations that may apply.
Q: How much better can triple glazed windows insulate heat than double glazing?
A: Triple glazed windows can trap heat by a measure of roughly 30% more than double glazed windows, although it will depend on the quality of the windows.
Sources
- https://www.doubleglazingontheweb.co.uk/news/triple-glazing-cost/
- https://www.payscale.com/research/UK/Job=Window_and_Door_Installer/Hourly_Rate
- https://www.senatorwindows.ie/inspiration/double-vs-triple-glazing/
- https://www.anglianhome.co.uk/double-glazing-windows/faq/how-do-they-work
