French & patio doors across the UK

French & patio doors - what to expect

French doors and sliding patio doors are the second-most-requested opening on a UK window replacement job, and the specifications people worry about first - security, thermal performance, threshold height - are the ones that differ most between products. A 1.8m UPVC french door set is typically £1,300-£1,800 fitted; the same opening in aluminium is £2,400-£3,400; a full three-panel sliding aluminium patio at 3.6m sits at £3,800-£6,500 depending on glass spec.

The two biggest technical decisions are the threshold and the locking. A standard rebated threshold is 45-70mm high and the compliant choice under Approved Document M is a 15mm 'low-profile' or level-access threshold - essential if you're extending a ground floor for accessibility or resale. Locks should be PAS 24:2022 certified with multi-point espagnolette gearing and an anti-lift bar; both leaves of a french door pair should be individually shootbolted top and bottom.

Glass spec matters more on doors than on any other opening. A 28mm A-rated argon-filled unit is the baseline; upgrade to laminated inner panes if you're on a ground floor within 800mm of the floor level (a Part K safety requirement) and add solar-control coating if the doors face south or west - a properly specified low-solar-gain coating cuts summer overheating in a south-facing lounge by 30-40% without visibly tinting the glass.

Typical UK price range for french & patio doors: £1,300 - £3,200 installed. Actual figures for your city sit on the city page below.