Repair guide
Repair or Replace a Window: How to Decide
Homeowners are often quoted for whole new windows when a single component has failed. Just as often, people spend money repairing a frame that really has come to the end of its life.
This guide gives you the questions we ask ourselves on an inspection, so you can weigh it up before anyone quotes you.
Free in-person quotes. Photo estimates sometimes possible. 24 hour emergency call out.
Repair first
Replacement only when a repair is not possible
Fast response
Messages answered within 15 minutes in working hours
Free quotations
In person, with photo estimates sometimes possible
Guaranteed work
over 10 years of repair experience
Repair is usually right when
- The frame is straight, solid and free from cracks or splits
- Only the glass has misted, so the sealed unit can be swapped
- Hinges, handles, locks or seals have worn but the sash sits well
- The window drops or catches, which is normally alignment and hardware
- Parts are still available for the system, which they usually are
- The windows are otherwise doing their job and you like how they look
Replacement starts to make sense when
- The frame is cracked, split, distorted or has been badly weathered
- The frame corners have failed so the sash can no longer be squared up
- Water is getting through the frame itself rather than the seals or beads
- Multiple faults across the same window keep returning after repairs
- The window is single glazed and you want a real change in comfort
Doing the sums honestly
A new uPVC window typically runs into several hundred pounds fitted, and a full house into thousands. A sealed unit swap, a new mechanism or a set of hinges is a small fraction of that and buys years of further service.
So the practical test is simple: if the money you spend restores full function to a sound frame, repair. If you would be repairing around a frame that has already failed, that is the point to consider replacement.
How we approach it
We inspect the whole window rather than the one fault you called about, then tell you plainly what needs replacing and what only needs adjusting. Repairs are the heart of our business, and we only recommend a replacement window when a sound repair is genuinely no longer possible.
Where a replacement is the honest answer, we can supply it, and we will not pressure you either way.
Guidance on cost
Typical price ranges
The ranges below are guidance only, based on the sort of repairs we carry out across the North East. Prices vary with size, specification, access and the condition of the frame, so we confirm the price after inspecting the fault. In-person quotations are free.
| Work | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Sealed unit replacementFrame stays, glass changes | around £70 to £180 per unit fitted |
| Hardware repair per windowHinges, handles or locking mechanism | around £50 to £180 fitted |
| Draught proofing per windowGaskets, seals and compression | around £50 to £110 |
| Replacement windowOnly where a sound repair is not possible | several hundred pounds and upwards |
Related repairs
Services covered in this guide
Where we carry out this work
Questions
Frequently asked
Is it worth repairing a twenty year old uPVC window?
Usually yes. If the frame and glass are sound, replacing the hardware restores full function for a fraction of a new window, and parts are still widely available for older systems.
How do I know if a frame is beyond repair?
Cracked, split or distorted frames, failed corner welds and water coming through the frame itself are the signs that repair no longer makes sense.
Do you supply replacement windows as well as repairs?
Yes, when a window genuinely cannot be repaired, and we will never recommend or upsell replacement unless it is absolutely necessary.
Do you charge to come and assess it?
No. In-person quotations are free, and clear photographs can sometimes help us give an initial estimate before we visit.
Need it sorted today?
Tell us what the window or door is doing and we will arrange a free in-person quotation. Clear photographs can sometimes help us estimate sooner.