Timber window costs depend on the size and opening style, timber, glazing, finish and installation work. A useful price is a written quote for your measured openings, with fitting and exclusions clearly stated. Compare the same specification across suppliers before comparing totals; a supply-only price does not cover the same work as a fitted quote.
Why is there no single price for a timber window?
A small fixed pane and a large opening sash are different pieces of joinery. Even windows with similar outside dimensions can have different numbers of opening lights, glazing bars, handles and glass units. A headline price per window leaves those differences hidden. It also tells you little about the work needed to remove the old frame and finish the opening afterwards.
Our timber windows are made to measure. The sensible starting point is to decide what each window needs to do, then ask for that specification to be priced. We offer a free home survey and no-obligation quotation. This guide explains the questions to bring to that conversation rather than giving you a figure that may not apply to your house.
Which choices affect the window specification?
| Choice | What to put in the quote request |
|---|---|
| Size and layout | Width and height of each opening; fixed and opening sections; any bay or shaped frames. |
| Opening style | Casement, sliding sash or tilt and turn, with the opening arrangement marked. |
| Timber and finish | Named timber specification, coating system, colour inside and out, and supplied finish. |
| Glass | Double, triple or a heritage-compatible unit; any safety, privacy or acoustic requirements. |
| Period details | Glazing bars, profiles, horns and matching details agreed for that property. |
| Installation | Removal, fitting, access, disposal and the extent of making good. |
Treat these as a schedule, one line for each opening. Label windows by room and position so suppliers are quoting for the same work. Photographs help explain an unusual bay or a narrow stairwell, but approximate dimensions for an initial discussion do not replace final survey measurements.
Do sash and casement windows cost the same?
Do not assume they do. A sash window has a different opening mechanism and construction from a hinged casement. The number of moving sections and the details required to match the house also change the specification. Compare like with like: a replacement sash quote against another sash quote for the same opening, rather than against the smallest casement in a price guide.
Our timber sash windows and timber casement windows pages show the two styles. If you have a choice, ask for each to be priced against the same window schedule. Decide whether the opening action, appearance and cleaning access suit the room before judging the difference in the total.
How do timber, glazing and finish change the quote?
Ask the supplier to name the timber and coating specification rather than writing only “wooden window”. Schnauber offers hardwood and treated softwood, and double or triple glazing. If two proposals use different materials or glass, the difference in price is not yet a saving for the same product; it is a choice between specifications.
Glazing deserves its own line. Ask for the performance of the complete window where available, rather than comparing a glass-only figure with a whole-window figure. Tell the surveyor about traffic noise, overlooked rooms and strong afternoon sun. Those concerns may affect the glass you choose, but a particular glass option should not be sold as a guaranteed solution without an assessment of the room.
Agree the colour, surface finish and any difference between inside and outside. Ask what arrives finished, what is completed on site and which care instructions apply. For the choice between two and three panes, our double vs triple glazing guide explains the practical differences without assuming that an extra pane is right for every opening.
What should a fitted quote include?
“Installed” needs a written definition. Removal and replacement can leave work around plaster, render, trims or sills. Access can also be straightforward at the front of a house and more involved above a conservatory. Ask who has allowed for that work, rather than discovering an exclusion after choosing the supplier.
- Confirm whether the total includes VAT, delivery, removal of the old frames and disposal.
- Ask whether access equipment, protection of rooms and any parking arrangements are included.
- Describe the making good you expect inside and outside, including whether decoration is included or excluded.
- Ask how concealed damage found after removal would be reported, priced and approved before additional work.
- Check payment stages, the written warranty terms, certification where applicable and how aftercare is requested.
For replacement windows, the Planning Portal explains the building regulations considerations. Ask the installer which route applies to your work and what documentation you will receive. Do not treat a lower headline figure as a comparable offer until these responsibilities are clear.
How can you compare two quotes fairly?
Imagine two quotes for the same set of bedroom windows. One names the opening lights, glass and factory finish, and includes removal and making good. The other says only “timber windows supplied”. Their totals cannot tell you which is better value until the second supplier fills in the scope. This is an illustrative comparison, not a past Schnauber job or a price example.
- Give both suppliers the same numbered window schedule and photographs.
- Mark each difference in timber, opening layout, glazing, hardware and finish.
- List fitting, VAT, disposal, access and making good beside each other.
- Ask for optional upgrades as separate additions so the base proposals stay comparable.
- Get unclear inclusions and exclusions confirmed in writing before accepting a quote.
If a budget is tight, say which parts matter most. Keeping an agreed specification and discussing a staged project may be more useful than quietly removing important details from the quote. Ask how separate visits would affect the overall scope and price; do not assume that buying in stages will cost the same as one installation.
Do listed homes need a different approach?
For a listed or conservation-sensitive home, settle the acceptable design before treating a quotation as final. Slim sections, glazing-bar patterns and permitted glass can constrain the specification. Our heritage slimline windows are intended for period properties, but choosing that range is not permission for a particular alteration.
The Planning Portal guidance on doors and windows explains when planning considerations arise. Check with your local planning authority where the property is listed, in a conservation area or subject to restrictions. Include any required drawings or application work in the project budget and agree who is responsible for them.
How do you get a timber window quote around Cambridge?
Schnauber’s head office is at 44 Mill Road, Cambridge. We have service pages for Cambridge, Ely and Saffron Walden. Tell us the property location, the rooms involved and whether there are any planning restrictions or difficult access points.
Use our existing contact and quote form to request a free survey. Bring photographs, a rough window list and the questions above. The aim is a measured proposal you can understand: the windows specified, the work included and any exclusions you need to budget for.