Wooden window replacement quotes from local installers
Get free wooden window replacement quotes from local installers who cover your postcode. They survey every opening and quote in writing, for new timber windows or for uPVC or aluminium in place of rotten frames.
- Pick the material you want next. Timber for new wooden windows, or uPVC or aluminium if you are switching. Say the old frames are timber when they ring to confirm
- Repair or replace? A quick check below, so you ask for the right job
- Free and no obligation. Say no to every quote if none suit you
We are a free quote-matching service, not an installer.
Two routes
New timber windows, or a switch to uPVC or aluminium?
New timber windows keep the look councils often expect on older streets. A switch to uPVC or aluminium cuts the repainting, but on some homes it needs the council's agreement first.
| Route | Suits | Check first | Ask the installer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timber for timber | Period homes, conservation areas, listed buildings | Listed status and any Article 4 direction | Which timber, and how is sapwood kept out or treated? |
| Timber to uPVC | Homes where low upkeep matters most | Whether the council sees the change as a similar appearance | Which profile system, and do the proportions match the old windows? |
| Timber to aluminium | Slim frames on newer or remodelled homes | The same council check as uPVC | What is the whole-window U-value or energy rating? |
| Timber inside, aluminium outside | Timber indoors with less outside upkeep | As for aluminium | Which parts are timber, and what does the finish guarantee cover? |
The Energy Saving Trust says wooden frames are the more sustainable option and, with maintenance, can last far longer than uPVC frames, while uPVC frames don't need regular maintenance. Historic England adds that uPVC frames are thicker than timber, with different detailing. For slim metal frames, get an aluminium windows quote.
Get wooden window quotesFree, no obligation
Before you ask for quotes
Repair or replace wooden windows?
Repair wooden windows when the decay is local and the frame is sound. Replace them when the frames have failed.
Historic England says repair is usually the better option for historic windows and that complete replacement "should be a last resort". Repairs by an experienced joiner, with the right timber, can outlast modern replacements.
The installers we pass enquiries to quote for replacement windows. For repair-only work on sound timber, a joiner is the better fit. Our page on window replacement London covers the same choice for older London homes.
Where to look
- Sills and the bottom rails of opening windows, where water sits
- Joints that have opened, and bare timber where the paint has failed
- Soft timber that a key pushes into
- The cause of the damp, not only the rot: Historic England says to fix the cause first
A misted glass unit in a sound frame is a glass repair, not a new window, and building regulations do not apply to glass-only replacement.
Permission first
Do you need permission to replace wooden windows?
In England, a house can usually replace its windows without planning permission if the new ones look similar to the old. A flat, an Article 4 direction or a listed building changes that.
| Your home | New timber, like for like | uPVC or aluminium instead |
|---|---|---|
| House | Usually no planning permission | Ask the council whether the change counts as a similar appearance |
| Flat | No permission for identical windows | May need planning permission, and check the lease: see replacing windows in a leasehold flat |
| Conservation area | Work must preserve or enhance the area's character | Ask the council's conservation officer before the survey |
| Article 4 direction | Can need planning permission even for a similar design | Ask the council: the direction usually covers this |
| Listed building | Listed building consent for works that affect its character | Listed building consent, with replacement treated as a last resort |
Like-for-like repairs will not usually need consent. For a quick answer for your home, check whether you need planning permission to change windows.
Sash windows in listed and conservation homes are covered on our sash window replacement page.
Scotland and Wales run their own systems: see double glazing quotes in Glasgow and double glazing in Cardiff.
The spec
What a wooden window replacement quote should include
A wooden window replacement quote names the timber, the finish, the energy rating and the sign-off for every window, after a survey of each opening. Check for these eight items:
- Every window measured, with its style and how it opens
- The timber species, whether the sections are laminated, and how sapwood is kept out or treated (or the uPVC or aluminium system by name)
- Any FSC or PEFC claim with a certificate code you can check on the FSC or PEFC database
- Factory finish or site painted, the colour inside and out, and the upkeep the guarantee requires, in writing
- A U-value of 1.4 W/m²K or better, or band B, for each window in England. The lower 1.6 allowance for timber ended on 14 June 2023, so a quote that relies on it is out of date
- Trickle vents on each window, required on most replacements since 15 June 2022, or a written exemption from the planning authority
- Which windows are escape windows, each with at least the same opening as before, and where safety glass goes
- Removal of the old frames, making good inside and out, and a FENSA or CERTASS certificate or building control sign-off. FENSA cannot register Grade I listed homes, and our page on double glazing installers shows how to check a registration
The Energy Saving Trust recommends quotes from at least three installers. To line them up, use our guide on how to compare double glazing quotes. If you sign at home, you usually have at least 14 days to cancel, but made-to-measure windows can be an exception, so check the contract before you sign: see the double glazing cooling off period.
Get wooden window quotesFree, no obligation
FAQ
Wooden window replacement: common questions
Can I replace wooden windows with uPVC?
Usually yes on a house outside conservation controls, if the council sees the new windows as a similar appearance. Listed buildings need listed building consent, an Article 4 direction can need planning permission, and flats may need an application. Ask the council before you book surveys.
Can rotten wooden windows be repaired?
Often, yes. Historic England says repair is usually better than replacement for historic windows when the decay is local and the frame is sound. Repair is a joiner's job: the installers we pass enquiries to quote for replacement windows.
How long do wooden windows last?
Historic England says properly maintained historic timber windows can last indefinitely, and the Energy Saving Trust says wooden frames with maintenance can last far longer than uPVC. Ask each installer for the guarantee on the frame, the glass unit and the finish.
How much does wooden window replacement cost?
Each installer prices your windows after a survey, so compare written quotes; for typical figures, see what timber windows cost on our sister site.
Get your wooden window replacement quotes
Answer a few questions, pick the material you want next, then compare written quotes from local installers. To start from the homepage, compare double glazing quotes.
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Sources
Figures and rules checked 8 October 2026.
- Approved Document L, Volume 1 (2021 edition incorporating 2023 amendments), Table 4.2: 1.4 W/m²K or band B, and the timber allowance until 14 June 2023
- Approved Document B, Volume 1, escape windows
- Planning Portal, doors and windows: planning permission and changing the windows of a flat
- Historic England, repair or change windows in an older home, what permission might I need? and understanding decay
- FENSA Help Centre, trickle vents and an overview (Grade I listed homes out of scope)
- LABC Front Door, building regulations for replacement windows, fire escape windows and safety glass
- Energy Saving Trust, energy efficient windows and doors (updated 20 May 2026)
- FSC UK, what is FSC?; PEFC UK, chain of custody certification