The Short Answer
On our estimates, a double-glazed timber casement window costs £900 to £1,800 supplied and fitted, about twice a uPVC one (£450 to £900). A semi's 9 windows come to around £8,100 to £16,200. Timber sash windows cost more: £1,700 to £3,500.
You pay more up front, and you sign up to repainting. In return, the Energy Saving Trust says wooden frames, maintained, can last far longer than uPVC, and they're the usual choice where the original windows were timber.
Timber window prices
| Window | Typical cost, fitted |
|---|---|
| Timber casement, double glazed | £900 to £1,800 |
| Alu-clad timber casement | £1,100 to £2,000 |
| Timber sash, double glazed | £1,700 to £3,500 |
| Conservation-grade timber sash | £1,800 to £3,600 |
| Semi, 9 timber casements | £8,100 to £16,200 |
Timber or uPVC?
uPVC is cheaper to buy: the Energy Saving Trust says PVC windows tend to be the cheapest and hardwood the most expensive. Over the long run the sums can turn. A 2013 study by Heriot-Watt University, commissioned by the Wood Window Alliance (so a timber industry study), put the expected life of timber window frames at 56 to 65 years, modified timber 68 to 80, and aluminium-clad timber 71 to 83, and found PVC-U had the highest whole-life cost over 60 years despite the lowest price.
My view: on a period house or where the originals were timber, timber. On a modern house where you never want to paint, uPVC.
Types of timber window
- Softwood, usually factory painted: the cheaper timber option.
- Hardwood such as oak: the dearest.
- Modified timber, such as acetylated wood, treated to improve durability; it had the longer expected life in the study above.
- Aluminium-clad timber: timber inside, aluminium outside, with the longest expected life in that study.
- Flush casements have opening lights that sit flush with the frame. I think they look right on cottages and older houses.
- I'd ask for FSC or PEFC certified timber, the finish system, its repaint interval and the energy rating.
How often do timber windows need painting?
Historic England puts redecorating traditional painted windows on a 5 to 8 year cycle. Modern factory finishes can differ, so ask the maker for their repaint interval and check whether the guarantee depends on keeping to it.
Regulations
Timber windows must meet the same rules as any replacement window: 1.4 W/m²K or Window Energy Rating band B (timber had a lower standard only until June 2023), trickle vents, escape and safety glass rules, and a competent person certificate or building control approval. The details are on new windows costs.
Get timber casement windows quotes
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Frequently asked questions
How much do wooden windows cost?
On our estimates, £900 to £1,800 per double-glazed timber casement, fitted. Timber sashes cost £1,700 to £3,500.
Are wooden windows cheaper than uPVC?
No: uPVC is cheaper to buy, at £450 to £900 a window against £900 to £1,800 for timber, on our estimates. A 2013 study by Heriot-Watt University for the Wood Window Alliance, a timber industry group, found timber can work out cheaper over the whole life of the window.
Are wooden windows worth it?
On a period house, or where the originals were timber, I think so: the Energy Saving Trust says maintained timber can last far longer than uPVC. If you never want to paint, uPVC is the easier choice.
How much does it cost to install 4 new windows in the UK?
On our estimates, about £1,800 to £3,600 in uPVC or £3,600 to £7,200 in timber, fitted.
How much does it cost to replace windows in a 3 bed house in the UK?
For a typical semi's 9 windows, about £8,100 to £16,200 in timber, on our estimates; uPVC costs roughly half.
Do timber windows meet the same energy rules as uPVC?
Yes. Since June 2023 replacement timber windows must meet the same 1.4 W/m²K (or band B) standard as other materials.
How often do timber windows need painting?
Historic England puts traditional painted windows on a 5 to 8 year cycle. For a factory finish, ask the maker for the interval and whether the guarantee depends on it.
How we priced thisView sources (5, 2 official)
Rules come from the legislation and official guidance, read at source. Prices are our estimates: we check them against trade price data, retailer shelf prices and specialists' price lists, then build them up from their parts so the totals add up. Below are the sources behind the page; the trade price guides we only compare against aren’t listed. Where sources disagreed, we've said so. More on our method.
- IndustryEnergy efficient windows and doors (updated 20 May 2026), Energy Saving Trust. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- OfficialTraditional Windows: their care, repair and upgrading (HEAG039, rev. February 2017), Historic England. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- IndustryWhole life analysis of timber, modified timber and aluminium-clad timber windows (Heriot-Watt University for the Wood Window Alliance, June 2013), British Woodworking Federation. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- OfficialApproved Document L: Conservation of fuel and power, Volume 1 Dwellings (2021 edition incorporating 2023 amendments), GOV.UK. Checked 16 Oct 2026.
- IndustryHow much do new windows cost?, Everest. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
