There is no single uPVC window price per m²: every window has its own rate per square metre. It depends on how much frame, sash and hardware there is compared with the glass, so small windows and windows with many opening sashes cost more per metre, while a large fixed pane costs less. You can work out your own rate in the configurator: divide the window price by its area, that is frame width times frame height. We do not give figures here, because they depend on your project. Instead we show what builds them.
uPVC window price per m²: what actually costs money?
Some costs grow with area, some with the perimeter, and some are fixed per sash. This table shows how each part affects the price per square metre:
| Part of the window | What the cost grows with | What it means for the price per m² | |---|---|---| | Glazing unit | area | roughly a fixed rate; triple glazing and special glass raise it | | Frame and sash profiles with reinforcement | perimeter | a small window has more perimeter per m², so it costs more per metre | | Hardware: handle, hinges, keeps | number of sashes | each sash gets a full set, whatever its size | | Corners and seals | sashes and perimeter | grow with the layout | | Colour (foil) | length of profiles | the surcharge grows with the perimeter, not the glass | | Top-mounted roller shutter, fly screen | per unit and width | narrow, tall windows pay more per metre | | Transport | stillage spaces | not per m²; a larger order costs less per window |
Why is a small window expensive per m²?
It is geometry. A 600 × 600 mm window has 0.36 m² of area and 2.4 m of perimeter, which is almost 7 m of frame per square metre. A 1200 × 1200 mm window has 1.44 m² and 4.8 m of perimeter, about 3.3 m of frame per metre. So the small window has twice as much frame, seal and corner joint per square metre. And both have one handle and one set of hardware if each has a single sash.
That is why a small bathroom window can cost noticeably more per metre than a large living-room window, even in the same system.
What raises or lowers the price per metre?
Higher:
- small sizes and narrow sashes,
- a layout with many opening sashes,
- triple glazing, safety, acoustic or solar control glass,
- a colour instead of white,
- balcony doors, tilt and slide and lift and slide doors, because of the heavy hardware.
Lower:
- a fixed pane instead of an opening sash,
- larger panes instead of many small ones; an opening sash must be at least 450 mm wide, and a door sash at most 2300 mm high,
- white, which is in the base price,
- a system matched to the building. Our uPVC profiles are 76 to 88 mm deep, and a deeper profile with a centre seal costs more.
How do you compare a per-m² rate with a quote?
A rate per metre only means something when you compare the same set of windows. A "from … per m²" list usually describes the simplest white window in the cheapest system, and your order rarely looks like that. Compare the total for the whole set with the same specification: system, glazing, colour, layout and opening type of each window. For insulation, look at the Uw of the whole window, not just the glass. We explain this in our article on the Uw value.
Local firms often quote a price that includes fitting. Then the labour is inside the per-m² rate, and you cannot compare it with a supply-only price.
How to work out your own price per m²
1. Enter your windows in the configurator using frame sizes. The size of the wall opening is a different number: in quotes, the thing we correct most often is an opening size given instead of a frame size. 2. Read the price. The configurator shows it at once, after every change. 3. Divide the price by the total frame area. 4. Change one thing at a time: system, glazing, layout. You will see which choice moves the rate most. 5. Add transport from the quote, which we send within 3 working days.
What next?
We have worked with windows since 1997 and check sizes, opening sides and descriptions in every quote. If your project can be made cheaper, for example with a fixed pane instead of a second sash, we will say so. Our uPVC systems are on the uPVC windows page, and the other cost items in How much do windows cost without fitting. Fitting is up to you; the windows arrive on stillages at your address.