What a uPVC window actually costs in 2026
uPVC (unplasticised polyvinyl chloride) is the frame material in the large majority of UK homes, and for good reason. A standard uPVC casement window costs between £400 and £1,000 fully fitted in 2026, with a typical figure of around £650. That price covers the unit, the labour, removal of the old frame, sealing and the FENSA certificate. The calculator above starts on uPVC casement for exactly that reason: it is the sensible default that most people end up choosing.
Style is the next biggest lever after the number of windows. A flat run of casements is the cheapest thing to make and fit. The moment you move to a sash or a bay, the price climbs because there is more glass, more hardware and a more fiddly install. If your home has a mix, the calculator lets you price each run separately and add them up. For a deeper look at how the per-window figure builds up across styles, our guide on the cost of double glazing per window breaks down every line.
| uPVC style | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casement | £400 | £650 | £1,000 |
| Tilt and turn | £500 | £800 | £1,200 |
| Sash | £700 | £1,050 | £1,500 |
| French doors | £900 | £1,400 | £2,000 |
| Bay (per bay) | £1,100 | £1,900 | £3,000 |
Source: DGCC 2026 consensus, cross-checked against Checkatrade and StayWarm. Casement is the best-value entry point.
Why uPVC is the default choice for most homes
Three things keep uPVC at the top of the list. The first is price, as the table shows: it is the cheapest route to an A-rated window, which is the standard most installers now fit by default. The second is upkeep. Unlike timber, uPVC never needs painting. A wipe down a couple of times a year and an occasional check of the seals is the whole job, which is why it suits busy households and rental properties. The third is thermal performance. Modern uPVC frames with low-E glass, an argon fill and a warm-edge spacer comfortably hit a whole-window U-value of 1.4 W/m²K or lower, meeting the 2026 Part L requirement without any fuss.
The trade-offs are honest ones. uPVC frames are chunkier than aluminium, so if you want slim sightlines and a large glass area you will pay more for that look. uPVC also lasts 20 to 25 years rather than the 30 to 40 you get from aluminium, and it is not appropriate for a listed building or many conservation areas. If a sleeker frame is what you are after, the trade-offs are laid out in our comparison of uPVC versus aluminium windows. If you only want to price a different material quickly, the aluminium window calculator and the timber window calculator run the same sums on the other two frames.
What it costs for a whole house
Per-window prices are useful, but most people are really asking what the whole job will cost. A typical mid-terrace or 3-bed home has 8 to 10 windows, which works out at roughly £4,000 to £10,000 for uPVC fully fitted. A semi-detached with 10 to 12 windows lands around £5,000 to £12,000. The calculator does this maths for you the moment you set your property type, and our breakdown of double glazing costs by house size shows the full range from a flat up to a large detached.
The verdict on uPVC
For the overwhelming majority of UK homes, uPVC casement is the one to beat. It is the cheapest A-rated window you can buy, it needs no maintenance and it meets every current building regulation. Unless you specifically want slim aluminium frames or you live somewhere that demands timber, this is where your money goes furthest.
Best Buy uPVC casement, A-rated, at around £650 fitted per window is our Best Buy for 2026.
Nine out of ten homes I quote end up on A-rated uPVC casements, and I am happy to fit them. The frame outlives most people's plans for the house, there is nothing to paint and the price leaves room in the budget for decent glass. Spend the extra on the glazing spec, not on a fancier frame you do not need.
Tom Bradley, FENSA-registered installer
Frequently asked questions
A standard uPVC casement window costs between £400 and £1,000 fully fitted in 2026, with a typical figure around £650. Larger styles cost more: a uPVC sash window runs £700 to £1,500, and a uPVC bay £1,100 to £3,000 per bay.
Yes. uPVC is the most affordable frame material, roughly 30 to 40% cheaper than aluminium and around 60 to 110% cheaper than timber for the same casement window. It is the reason uPVC remains the default choice for most UK homes.
A quality uPVC frame lasts around 20 to 25 years. The sealed glass unit itself typically lasts 15 to 20 years before any misting. uPVC needs no painting, so maintenance is limited to the odd wipe down and a check of the seals.
Most reputable installers fit A-rated uPVC windows by default in 2026, which comfortably meets the Part L requirement of a U-value of 1.4 W/m²K or lower. A-rated uPVC casement is the cheapest way to hit that standard.