Bespoke Front Doors
MADE TO MEASURE
Call: 020 8643 6421
Bespoke Front Doors
Call: 020 8643 6421
If you’ve started researching a new timber front door in London, you’ve probably noticed something straight away: prices vary a lot.
You might see one supplier quoting a few thousand pounds while another is significantly more expensive. At first glance, it can be confusing.
The reality is that timber front door prices vary because of materials, craftsmanship, what’s included in the quote, and the experience of the company installing the door.
If you’re replacing a Victorian, Georgian or Edwardian front door, understanding these factors will help you make a much better decision.
Below are the main reasons timber front door prices can vary so much
One of the biggest factors influencing price is the quality of the timber used to build the door.
Lower priced doors are often made from basic softwood or standard hardwoods like Sepele and the dreaded Meranti. While these materials can work, they will move, swell, or deteriorate faster when exposed to weather.
Our doors are made from Accoya timber, which is a modified wood specifically engineered for external joinery and comes with a 50 year wet rot guarantee.
Compared with traditional timbers, Accoya offers several advantages:
Because of the specialist treatment process used to produce Accoya, it costs more than standard timber. However, it is widely regarded as one of the best materials available for external doors and windows.
For a front door that is exposed to the elements year after year, this can make a major difference to long-term durability.
Another major factor that affects price is how the door is made.
Some lower-cost doors are produced in large factories with minimal customisation. These doors can be cheaper because they are mass produced.
Our doors are crafted in a local specialist joinery workshop, where each door is carefully constructed and finished to a high standard.
This approach allows for:
Naturally, skilled joinery takes more time and craftsmanship than factory production, which contributes to the overall cost.
However, the result is a door that looks right on a period property and performs reliably for many years.
Not all joinery companies specialise in front doors.
Front doors are very different from internal doors or other joinery items. They need to deal with weather exposure, security requirements, and structural stability.
We focus specifically on period style timber front doors, particularly for London homes built in the Victorian, Georgian and Edwardian eras.
This experience helps ensure the doors are designed and installed correctly, including:
A poorly designed or badly fitted front door can lead to problems such as draughts, binding, sticking doors, or water ingress.
Working with a specialist helps reduce these risks.
Another major reason prices vary is what is actually included in the quote.
Some quotes may initially appear cheaper because they only include the door itself.
In many cases, homeowners still need to organise several other elements separately.
Our doors are supplied as a complete front door system, including:
By providing a complete system, everything is designed and fitted to work together properly.
In contrast, some cheaper supply only doors may still require the homeowner to:
These additional steps can add time, problems and cost later on.
If you see a significantly lower price for a timber front door, it is usually because of differences such as:
While these options may reduce the upfront cost, they often require more work later and may not provide the same long term durability.
For many homeowners replacing a period front door, the goal is usually to install something that will last for decades and complement the character of the property.
For a professionally supplied and installed Accoya timber front door, most homeowners in London typically invest between:
£5,800 – £7,500
This usually includes:
The final price can vary depending on several factors, including:
London has one of the highest concentrations of Victorian, Georgian and Edwardian homes anywhere in the UK.
Many of these properties were originally built with traditional timber entrance doors that played an important role in the appearance of the building.
When replacing a front door on a period property, it’s important that the new door:
This is why many homeowners across South West London, Chelsea, Fulham, PutneyClapham, Richmond and Wimbledon choose high quality timber doors rather than cheaper alternatives.
A well-made timber front door can last for many decades when built with the right materials and installed correctly.
In addition to durability, a quality timber door can:
For many homeowners in period properties, a properly designed timber door simply looks more appropriate than modern alternatives.
If you’re considering replacing a Victorian, Georgian or Edwardian front door, understanding what influences the price will help you choose the right option for your home.
A well-made timber door should not only improve security and energy performance, but also enhance the character of your property’s entrance for many years to come.
Most professionally supplied and installed timber front doors in London typically cost between £5,800 and £7,500, depending on the design, glazing, hardware and installation requirements.
Many high-end timber doors are made from Accoya, a modified wood designed to resist rot, swelling and movement. This makes it particularly well suited for external joinery such as front doors and windows.
Composite doors can be practical for modern homes, but timber doors are often preferred for period properties because they better match the architectural style of Victorian, Georgian and Edwardian buildings.
In most cases, replacing a front door does not require planning permission. However, listed buildings or some conservation areas may have restrictions on design and materials.
Phil Novell is the founder of The Period Front Door Company and has spent more than 20 years working with traditional timber windows and doors in period homes.
After building “Novells Sash Windows”, a successful sash window company serving homeowners across London and Surrey, Phil saw that many period properties still had draughty or poorly fitted front doors that didn’t match the character of the building.
The Period Front Door Company was created to provide a better solution.
By developing a refined range of Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian front doors, Phil aims to give homeowners a beautiful, well-built entrance that suits their home’s architecture and performs for decades.
