From frame materials to glazing type, colour choices and hinging styles, there’s a lot that can affect the price of your windows. Here, we explore the key choices to help you set your budget

Windows represent a major cost on any home building project – potentially accounting for around 5%-10% of a typical self builder’s total construction budget. And of course, they’re likely to be a pretty permanent part of your finished scheme, so it pays to put time into researching good-quality options. “Generally the better-performing the window is in terms of insulation, airtightness and security, the more it will cost,” says Matt Higgs, managing director at Kloeber, whose aluminium windows start from £552 for a 700mm (W) x 1,200mm (H) aluminium double-glazed unit.

The size of window you go for will be a major factor in the price you pay. But what are the other key triggers that push costs up and down? For this article, we spoke to two wellrespected UK suppliers to break down the considerations in detail and help you better understand how much to budget for your windows. Of course, the information given here is intended as a guide only – but it will be a useful reference point when obtaining specific quotes for your project.

Frame options

The biggest differentiator when it comes to the price of windows is the material used for the frame. “In general, PVCu is the cheapest option, followed by aluminium, softwood, hardwoods and then aluclad and steel at the top end,” says Matt Higgs. In the past, engineered softwood was typically more costeffective than aluminium – but materials inflation has affected some products more than others.