Front door cost by material and style
Front door replacement cost in London (supply and installation, standard opening 800mm × 2,100mm): Composite door (standard specification): £1,200–£2,500 installed. Composite door (premium specification, high-security multipoint, Ultion cylinder): £2,000–£3,500 installed. uPVC door (standard): £700–£1,200 installed. Timber door — softwood (factory-primed, painted on site): £1,500–£3,000 installed. Timber door — hardwood (oak, sapele, Accoya treated): £2,500–£6,000 installed. Aluminium door — contemporary flush or pivot: £2,500–£6,000 installed. Bespoke timber door with ironmongery: £4,000–£12,000+. Side panels (full-length glazed side lights, per panel): £400–£1,200 installed. For a like-for-like replacement in a standard London Victorian terrace (composite, 800mm × 2,100mm, mid-range specification): budget £1,600–£2,400 all-in.
Choosing the right front door for a London property
The choice of front door material is determined by property type, planning constraints, and budget. Victorian and Edwardian terraces (pre-1920): original front doors were timber, typically four-panel (early Victorian) or six-panel (later Victorian/Edwardian) with a fanlight above. In non-conservation areas, replacing with a composite or timber door in the same panel configuration is acceptable. Conservation areas require timber. Interwar (1930s) semi-detached: original doors were often timber with glazed upper panels and stained glass features. A period-appropriate replacement with leaded glazed panels is a popular aesthetic upgrade. Post-war (1950s–1970s): uPVC or composite replacement is fully appropriate; these properties are rarely in conservation areas. Contemporary and new-build: aluminium flush or pivot doors are the specification of choice — minimal profile, wide colour range, maximum security. Heritage and listed: timber is the only appropriate material; bespoke doors matching the original profile are required.
Security specifications for a London front door
Cylinder lock: specify a 3-star anti-snap, anti-drill, anti-pick cylinder for any replacement front door. Ultion, Avocet ABS, and Yale Platinum are the leading 3-star cylinders — cost £50–£90 to upgrade at time of door order. Do not fit a standard cylinder supplied with the door — most standard cylinders are 1-star or unrated. Multipoint lock: all composite, timber and aluminium doors should be fitted with a multipoint locking system engaging at a minimum of three points when the handle is lifted. PAS 24 certification: the enhanced security door standard (PAS 24:2022) covers resistance to manual attack, cylinder attack, and tool attack — specify PAS 24-certified doors. SBD (Secured by Design): the police-approved standard for doors and windows — SBD-approved doors have been independently tested and certified.
Front door replacement in conservation areas
Front door replacement in a London conservation area requires care — the front door is a character-defining feature of Victorian and Georgian streetscapes. Permitted development: in most conservation areas, like-for-like replacement (same material, same colour, same panel configuration) of a front door is permitted development. Changing material (e.g., from timber to uPVC or composite), significantly changing the style, or altering the opening size requires full planning permission. Key criteria when planning permission is required: the replacement door should match the original material (timber), original configuration (number and position of panels), original colour (check historic photos if uncertain — many Victorian terraces had dark-painted doors: black, dark green, or dark blue), and original ironmongery position. Modern composite doors in a traditional panel configuration are increasingly accepted by some conservation officers as a pragmatic compromise — but check with the planning department before ordering, as this varies significantly by borough.
