A composite door costs more than a uPVC door for the same opening. How much more depends on the specification of each, because the gap widens as you add glass, colour and side panels, and narrows on a plain door. The honest way to see the real difference is to have both quoted for your house.
Why composite costs more
- The slab. A composite door is a 44mm or 48mm slab with a dense insulated core, GRP or thermoplastic skins, and a reinforced lock block. A uPVC door is a 28mm panel in a reinforced hollow frame. There’s simply more material and more manufacturing in the composite.
- The finish. Composite colours are moulded or applied at the factory as part of the skin, with premium and dual-colour options. uPVC colour is a foil over white profile, which is cheaper to produce.
- The core. Solid-timber-core composites cost more again than foam-core ones.
- The glass. Both doors can carry the same glazing designs, but composite designs tend to be specified with decorative glass more often, which pushes the finished price up. This is a choice, not a rule.
What can close the gap
A plain composite door in a standard colour with obscure glass and standard hardware is much closer to a good uPVC door than people expect. It’s the extras that separate them.
Fitting cost is broadly similar for both, because the labour to remove the old frame and fit a new one doesn’t change much with the slab material.
What you get for the difference
A heavier, more rigid door that holds its seal, a finish that looks like timber and doesn’t need repainting, and a slab that’s harder to attack. Whether that’s worth it depends on which door it is: for a front door, most of our customers say yes. For a back door, the uPVC option is often the sensible buy.
We fit both and will quote them side by side so you decide with the numbers in front of you. Start with our composite doors page, or build a door in the designer and send it over.
Ask us for the pair. Two quotes, same opening, no obligation. Call 01902 633355.
Thinking about a composite door? We supply and fit them across Wolverhampton, and you deal directly with us, the owners. Call 01902 633355, message us on WhatsApp, or design your door online and we’ll put a proper price together for you. Finance options are available if you’d like to spread the cost.