There is no single answer to "double glazing cost". The price of a double-glazed window depends on the profile system, the size, the number of sashes, how it opens, the colour and the type of glass, and the sealed unit itself is only one of those items. You can see the price of your own window straight away in our window configurator and compare double and triple glazing with one click.
What is a double-glazed window?
It is a window with a sealed glass unit made of two panes and one cavity between them. Triple glazing has three panes and two cavities. We explain the differences in insulation, noise and solar gain in our article on double and triple glazing. Here we only look at what makes up the price.
Double glazing cost: what are you paying for?
These are the components of the price of a made-to-measure window, without amounts. The amounts depend on your list, and the configurator calculates them as you go.
| Component | What drives the cost | Where you change it | |---|---|---| | Profile system | brand, profile depth, number of seals (AD or MD) | "System" step | | Glazing unit | two or three panes; some systems only take one option | "Glass" step | | Type of glass | standard, safety, acoustic, solar control, obscure | "Glass" step | | Size and layout | window perimeter, number of sashes and mullions | "Windows" step | | Opening type | fixed, side-hung, bottom-hung, tilt and turn, French doors, tilt and slide, lift and slide | "Windows" step | | Colour | white in the base price; foil outside only or on both sides | "Colour and extras" step | | Extras | roller shutters, fly screens, external sills, fitting materials | "Colour and extras" step | | Delivery | number of rack spaces and destination country | in the quote, before you order |
Glass is usually a big item, but not the only one. Hardware, seals and welded corners come with every sash, which is why two windows with the same glass area can have clearly different prices.
What pushes the price up or down?
The price goes up with:
- more sashes in one window and a movable mullion,
- tilt and slide or lift and slide doors, with heavy sashes, rollers and tracks,
- wood-effect foil or a colour, especially on both sides,
- safety, acoustic and solar control glass, which the configurator offers in systems with triple glazing,
- roller shutters and other extras that are easy to add at the end and forget when comparing quotes.
The price goes down with:
- fixed panes where you do not need an opening,
- one sash plus a fixed pane instead of two narrow sashes,
- white frames,
- a larger order, because delivery is spread over more windows.
Double or triple glazing: when does saving make sense?
Double glazing costs less but insulates less, so it makes sense where heat matters less: a room that is rarely heated or an outbuilding. For unheated spaces there is also the Aluprof MB-45 aluminium system without a thermal break. In a home you live in, compare the Uw value of the whole window, not just the glass. In Germany, for example, the GEG (Annex 7) requires Uw ≤ 1.3 W/(m²K) when windows are replaced in residential buildings. Our article on the Uw value explains how to read it.
Your choice of glazing also narrows the choice of profiles. Some systems only take double glazing, while the Kömmerling 88 MD, for instance, only takes triple. The full list is on our uPVC windows page.
Before you compare two quotes
We have been working with windows since 1997, and with every quote we check the sizes, opening sides and descriptions. What changes the price most often has nothing to do with the glass: a roller shutter added after the quote. Its box increases the height of the window, so the size and the cost change. Decide on shutters before your first quote. When you put two quotes side by side, check that both have the same system, glazing unit, colour, layout and extras. Our article on what drives window prices goes into more detail.
Configurator prices include VAT. For delivery to another EU country we charge VAT at the rate of that country and account for it under the OSS scheme; you see the rate and the amount in the quote. This is general information, not tax advice.
Build your windows in the configurator and price the same project with double and triple glazing. A person prepares your quote including delivery within 3 working days. We do not offer fitting: you pay for the windows and agree the installation with a fitter of your choice.