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Home / Advice / Aluminium vs uPVC: which suits your windows and doors?

Aluminium vs uPVC: which suits your windows and doors?

Aluminium frames are usually slimmer and suit large glass areas, while uPVC frames are low-upkeep and come in many styles. In Cheshire, both must meet the same building regulations when a window or door is replaced, so compare the whole quote, not just the material.

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By the QuoteZila editorial team. Editorial policy.

How do aluminium and uPVC frames differ?

When homeowners in Cheshire replace windows, doors or a patio set, the first choice is usually the frame: aluminium or uPVC. This page covers what changes between them and what stays the same, for a home in Crewe, Nantwich, Sandbach or anywhere else. Anyone in the UK can post or register on QuoteZila.

uPVC is a rigid plastic, usually made in hollow sections with metal reinforcement inside. It comes in white, coloured and wood-grain finishes, and in casement, tilt-and-turn, sash-style and door designs.

Aluminium is a metal frame, usually with a factory-applied paint or powder coat finish. Because the metal is strong for its size, the frame can be thinner around the same area of glass. That is why aluminium is common on bifold doors, large sliding doors and modern slim-framed windows.

Neither is automatically better. The right choice depends on the look you want, the size of the openings, and the exact product each installer is offering.

Which looks right for your house?

Frame size is the most visible difference. Slim aluminium sight lines let more glass show, which suits large openings and modern extensions. uPVC frames tend to be chunkier, which some people prefer on a traditional house where chunky timber frames were the original.

Colour is the next question. Both materials come in colours now. Ask for a sample in daylight, and ask whether the inside and outside can be different colours.

If you live in a listed building or a conservation area, appearance has rules attached. Planning Portal says listed buildings need listed building consent for any significant works, and designated areas may have additional restrictions [S3]. It strongly advises checking with your local planning authority before carrying out any work [S3]. It also says that if you are a leaseholder, you may first need permission from your landlord or management company [S3].

Do the same rules apply to both materials?

Yes. The rules are about the window, not the material. Planning Portal says building regulations have applied to all replacement glazing since 1 April 2002, covering thermal performance, safety, air supply, means of escape and ventilation [S1]. It describes an external window or door as a "controlled fitting" [S1].

That brings several checks:

  • Heat loss. The glass and frame must not exceed a maximum U-value [S1]. Ask for the U-value of each product quoted.
  • Safety glass. Planning Portal lists critical areas where safety glazing is needed, including any glazed door up to 1500mm from floor level [S1].
  • Escape. When replacing a window, the opening should give at least the same potential for escape as the window it replaces [S1].
  • Ventilation. Kitchens and bathrooms need more ventilation than other rooms [S1]. Ask whether trickle vents will be fitted.

GOV.UK lists replacement of window and door units among work you must tell a building control body about, unless your installer is registered with a competent person scheme [S2]. It names FENSA among several schemes for replacement windows and doors [S2]. Planning Portal says a registered installer issues a certificate when the work is complete [S1]. Keep it, because you may be asked for it when you sell. GOV.UK explains building regulations approval.

GOV.UK: building regulations approval. QuoteZila is not affiliated with this organisation.

What else should you compare in the quotes?

Material is only one line. Ask each installer to set out:

  • the frame material, profile name and colour, inside and out
  • the glass type and the U-value of the complete window
  • which openings are safety glass and which are escape windows
  • whether trickle vents are included
  • how the old frames come out, how the openings are made good, and who takes away the waste
  • which competent person scheme they are registered with, and when you will get the certificate

Citizens Advice says a quote should give a fixed total price and a breakdown of the work and materials, and should say whether the price includes VAT [S4]. It suggests getting written quotes from at least 3 different traders [S4]. Our glaziers page covers window and door replacement. For prices, window costs, bifold door costs and patio door replacement costs explain what changes the figure.

Honest status: QuoteZila is new. We're starting in Cheshire, beginning with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach, and growing area by area. Anyone in the UK can still post a job or register a business. How fast you get quotes depends on how many local businesses have joined near you. Businesses can register and receive jobs straight away. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire.

Jobs you might post

These are examples, not taken from real job posts.

  • Replace six white uPVC windows on a semi, like for like, with trickle vents. Installer to say which scheme they are registered with.
  • New rear extension needs a three-panel aluminium bifold door in grey. Builder has left the opening. Glazier to measure and quote.
  • Choosing between aluminium and uPVC for a front door and side panel. Customer would like both options priced.

Ask for window and door quotes

Measurements, photos of each opening and a note of the material you prefer help installers quote. Your job goes to up to five matched local businesses [QZ2]. QuoteZila is free for customers and local businesses [QZ1].

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Questions about aluminium and uPVC

Is aluminium or uPVC more energy efficient?

It depends on the product, not just the material. Planning Portal says replacement windows and doors must meet building regulations on how much heat can pass through the glass and frame, measured as a U-value. Ask each installer for the U-value of the exact window they are quoting, and compare like with like.

Do I need building regulations approval to replace windows?

The work has to comply either way. GOV.UK lists replacement of window and door units among work you need to tell a building control body about, unless you use an installer registered with a competent person scheme. Planning Portal says a registered installer can do the work without involving local authority building control, and you get a certificate when it is complete.

Can I put aluminium windows in an older house?

Often, but check first. Planning Portal says new windows of a similar appearance to those used in the house do not usually need planning permission, but listed buildings need consent for significant works and conservation areas may have extra restrictions. A big change of style is the kind of thing to check.

Which needs less maintenance?

Both are low-upkeep compared with timber. Clean the frames and glass, keep drainage slots and tracks clear, and follow the maker's care sheet. Ask the installer what the care sheet says for the finish you choose, and how scratches or faded paint can be put right.

Does QuoteZila check window installers?

No. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire. You can report a quote or a business from your job page.

This page is general information, not professional or legal advice. QuoteZila does not check Gas Safe, WaterSafe, NFRC, NICEIC or other registrations against the register on your behalf: look them up yourself.

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  • Patio Doors: What Changes the Cost. What moves the cost of patio doors: sliding, French or bifold, frame material, glass rules, a swap into the same opening or a wider one, and the certificate.
  • UPVC Window Handle: Repair or New Frame?. A UPVC window handle in Cheshire can be a small glazing repair, or the start of a new window unit. What to tell a glazier, and when building regulations apply.

Sources

  1. QZ1: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila pricing line.
  2. QZ2: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila FAQ How does getting quotes work.
  3. S1: Doors and windows: building regulations, Planning Portal. Accessed 2026-10-31. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/doors-and-windows/building-regulations
  4. S2: Building work, replacements and repairs to your home, GOV.UK (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government). Accessed 2026-10-31. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-work-replacements-and-repairs-to-your-home/building-work-replacements-and-repairs-to-your-home
  5. S3: Doors and windows: planning permission, Planning Portal. Accessed 2026-10-31. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/doors-and-windows/planning-permission
  6. S4: Before you get building work done, Citizens Advice. Accessed 2026-10-31. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/getting-home-improvements-done/before-you-get-building-work-done/