Sash windows (UPVC & timber) across the UK

Sash windows (UPVC & timber) - what to expect

Sash windows are the defining feature of Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian houses across the UK - and the wrong replacement is the fastest way to strip £15,000 off a period property's value. There are three routes: full timber sash reproduction (correct for listed buildings and most conservation areas), engineered timber-alu composites, and modern UPVC vertical sliders that ape the original section from twenty feet away. Which one is right depends less on your budget than on your property's status and your planning officer.

A pair of hand-made sliding sash timber windows in accoya or engineered redwood, with slim double-glazed units (14-16mm), traditional cords and weights, and a run of astragal bars typically runs £1,800-£3,200 per window fitted - more on tall Georgian openings above 2.2m. UPVC vertical sliders with mechanical joints, deep-bottom rails and RAL 7016 foil colouring cover the same visual brief at £900-£1,400 per window, but no conservation officer will accept them on a Grade II listed front elevation. Aluminium-clad timber sits in between at £1,600-£2,400 and combines the outward look of timber with much lower maintenance.

Rot repair vs. replace is the recurring question on Victorian and Edwardian properties. If the outer cills, pulley stiles or sash sides have gone but the box frame is sound, a specialist joiner can splice new sections, replace parting beads and re-cord for £600-£1,200 per window - roughly a third of a full replacement, and the only compliant option on a listed building. Get an honest survey before you commit either way: an installer who quotes replacement without opening the beading and probing the timber is quoting on hope.

Typical UK price range for sash windows (upvc & timber): £900 - £2,400 installed. Actual figures for your city sit on the city page below.