A composite front door is one of the more expensive doors you can put on a house, and prices online range from under a thousand pounds to well over three. The gap is real, and it comes down to the door construction, the glass and hardware, and whether fitting is included. Here is what homeowners around Dunstable and Bedfordshire should realistically expect to pay, and how to tell a fair quote from a padded one.
For a standard single composite door, supplied and fitted by a reputable installer, most homeowners in our area pay somewhere between £1,200 and £2,500. A plain solid-panel door in a white or standard colour with basic hardware sits at the lower end. A door with decorative glazing, a woodgrain colour on both sides and upgraded handles and locks sits nearer the top.
Add side panels or a top light and the price climbs, usually by £300 to £800 per glazed panel, because each one is effectively another frame, more glass and more fitting time. A full front entrance with two side lights can reach £3,000 to £4,000. Supply-only prices look tempting at £600 to £1,200, but fitting a composite door properly takes half a day to a day for two people, so the labour saving is smaller than it first appears.
The biggest single factor is the core. Cheaper composite doors use a foam core with a GRP (fibreglass) skin, which is light and perfectly adequate for most homes. Solid timber core doors, sometimes marketed as the premium option, are heavier, feel more substantial and typically add £300 to £600. Both should carry PAS 24 security certification if you are quoted for new-build or insurance-led work, so ask for it.
Colour matters more than people expect. White outside and white inside is the cheapest. A woodgrain finish such as anthracite grey, Chartwell green or black on the outside with white inside adds a modest amount, and having the colour on both faces adds more. Glass is the other big variable: a clear or obscure pane is cheap, but leaded, bevelled or decorative triple-glazed units can add £150 to £400 on their own.
Hardware is where quotes quietly diverge. A standard lever handle, cylinder and letterplate are usually included. Upgrading to a three-star rated anti-snap cylinder, a heavy-duty bar handle, a chrome or black finish, or a smart lock can add £100 to £400. Finally, the frame: if the door frame is rotten or the opening is out of square on an older Dunstable terrace, allow for extra making-good on the day.
Labour for removing an old door and fitting a new composite door typically runs £250 to £450 in Bedfordshire, often bundled into a single fitted price. A fair fitted quote should state that it includes removal and disposal of the old door, the frame and cill, sealing inside and out, any trims needed to tidy plaster or brickwork, and a FENSA or CERTASS certificate if the door is glazed, since Building Regulations apply to replacement doors with glass.
Check whether VAT is included, as some online figures are quoted net. Ask how long the guarantee is on the door slab, the colour finish and the hardware separately, because they are often different lengths. Ten years on the slab and colour is common; hardware is frequently shorter.
A decent uPVC front door can be fitted for £700 to £1,200, so composite is usually £400 to £1,000 more for a comparable size. What you get for that is a thicker, more rigid door that does not flex or warp in the summer sun, a more convincing timber look, better sound and heat insulation, and a finish that holds its colour longer, particularly for darker shades that fade or chalk on cheaper uPVC.
If the front door is on a north-facing side and you are happy with white, uPVC does a respectable job and the saving is meaningful. If the door faces south or west, you want a dark colour, or the house is older and the entrance is a focal point, composite tends to justify the extra over its 25 to 30 year life. Either way, get two or three fitted quotes on the same specification so you are comparing like with like.
Most doors are made to order, so expect two to six weeks from survey to installation depending on colour and glass. The fitting itself usually takes half a day to a full day.
Yes, most manufacturers offer a different colour on each face, with white inside being the most common. Having a colour both sides typically adds a small premium to the price.
If the new door contains glass, the installation must meet Building Regulations and you should receive a FENSA or CERTASS certificate from the installer. A fully solid door does not require the same certification, though it still needs to meet thermal standards.
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