A composite front door is one of the pricier door upgrades you can make, and quotes vary so much that it is hard to know what is fair. Most UK homeowners pay somewhere between £1,000 and £2,500 fully fitted, but the spread behind that figure is wide. Here is what actually drives the price, so you can judge a quote with confidence.
For a standard single composite front door, supplied and fitted, most people in the UK pay between £1,000 and £2,500. At the lower end you will find solid foam-core doors in a plain style with standard white frames and basic glazing. Mid-range doors with a timber core, a woodgrain finish in a colour such as anthracite grey or Chartwell green, and decorative glass tend to sit between £1,500 and £2,200.
Add side panels, and the price climbs. A door with one glazed side panel typically costs £1,800 to £3,000 fitted, while a door with two side panels or a top light can pass £3,500. Supply-only prices look tempting at £600 to £1,200, but fitting an external door properly, including making good around the frame, is not a job to cut corners on, particularly in older granite properties where openings are rarely square.
Two doors that look similar from the street can be hundreds of pounds apart, and the difference is usually in the specification rather than the badge on the brochure. Before comparing quotes, check that each one covers the same things.
In Aberdeen and along the coast, weather resistance is worth paying attention to. Wind-driven rain and salt air are hard on doors, so a proper weather-rated frame, quality seals and a durable skin matter more here than they might inland. A timber-core door is generally stiffer and heavier than a foam-core one, which some people prefer for the feel of it, though modern foam cores insulate well and cost less.
A uPVC front door typically costs £600 to £1,200 fitted, so composite is a clear step up in price. What you get for the extra money is a thicker slab, better thermal performance, a more convincing woodgrain appearance and a finish that does not discolour the way white uPVC can after years of coastal weather.
A quality timber door can cost £2,000 to £4,000 or more once painted and fitted, and it will need repainting every few years to stay watertight. Composite sits in the middle: most of the look of timber, none of the maintenance. For a north-east climate with long wet winters, that low-maintenance argument carries real weight, which is why composite has become the default choice for front doors here.
Always get the quote in writing with the specification itemised: core type, glazing, hardware, lock rating and whether disposal of the old door is included. A vague single-line price makes it impossible to compare like for like, and it gives the installer room to substitute cheaper components later.
Be wary of heavy discount sales tactics, where an inflated starting price is halved on the day if you sign immediately. A reputable installer will let a quote stand for at least 30 days. It is also worth asking what guarantee covers the door slab, the frame and the installation itself, as these are often three separate terms. Ten years on the door and frame is common; anything much shorter deserves a question. Finally, check the installer is registered with a scheme such as Certass or FENSA equivalent arrangements for Scotland, so the work is properly certified.
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