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What changes the cost of spray painting uPVC?
In Cheshire, the cost of spray painting uPVC windows, doors or conservatory frames depends on how many frames there are, their size and condition, the colour, how much glass and brickwork needs masking, and how the sprayer reaches upstairs frames. We print no spraying price, so compare written quotes for the same frames, sides and preparation.
Last reviewed:What is uPVC spray painting?
uPVC spray painting changes the colour of plastic window frames, doors, conservatory frames, fascias or garage doors without replacing them. The frames are cleaned and degreased, lightly abraded so the coating can grip, masked off from the glass, seals, brickwork and hardware, and then sprayed on site, usually in more than one coat. Some products also need a primer first. The paint and process are specific to plastic frames. Ordinary gloss from a tin is a different product.
It is a cosmetic job. Spraying can make sound, working frames look new or a different colour. It does not mend a misted glass unit, a broken hinge, a worn lock or a frame that lets in draughts.
QuoteZila is starting in Cheshire, with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach among the first towns. This guide does not print a private spraying price. What follows is how sprayers price the work, and how to read the quotes you get.
Is spraying the right job for your frames?
Before you ask for spraying quotes, check the frames are worth spraying. Open and close every window and door. Look for:
- misting between the panes of a double-glazed unit
- hinges or handles that are stiff, loose or broken
- draughts or water coming in around the frame
- cracked, warped or split frames
- seals that are perished or missing
If you find those, a window installer or glazier may need to look at them first. Some sprayers will point them out, but fixing them is a separate job. Spraying a frame that needs replacing only delays the bigger spend.
What changes the cost of spraying uPVC
| What is being priced | What makes it bigger or smaller | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Number of frames | Each window and door is its own masking and spraying job | The frame count they priced, listed by room or elevation |
| Frame size and type | Bays, large patio doors, conservatory frames, sashes with many panes | Which frames are standard and which are priced as extra |
| One side or both | Inside spraying means masking indoors and protecting rooms | Whether inside and outside are separate lines |
| Condition | Scratches, chalky old frames, previous paint, nicotine staining | What preparation they allowed for |
| Colour change | Going from white to a dark colour, or dark to light | How many coats are included |
| Masking | Glass, seals, brickwork, handles, letterboxes | What is masked and what is removed |
| Access | Upstairs frames, frames over a conservatory roof, steep ground | What access they will use, and whether it is in the price |
| Doors and extras | Front door, garage door, fascias, soffits, sills | Which extras are in the price |
| Weather | Spraying outside depends on temperature and dry conditions | How weather delays are handled |
| VAT | Whether the business is VAT registered | Whether the total includes VAT |
A business must register for VAT when its taxable turnover goes over £90,000 [S2]. Ask whether each total includes VAT before you compare.
Preparation and colour
Preparation decides whether a sprayed finish lasts. A good quote should say how the frames will be cleaned and degreased, whether they will be abraded, whether any repairs or filling are included, and whether a primer is used. If the frames have been painted before, say so, because the old coating may need to come off or be prepared differently.
Colour changes the job too. A dark colour over white frames, or a light colour over dark ones, can need more coats. A colour that is very different from the existing frames will also show any missed edges, so masking has to be careful. Many sprayers offer standard colours from a chart. Ask for a sample on a spare piece or a hidden part of a frame if you are unsure.
Ask about drying time and when the windows can be opened again, especially if bedroom windows are part of the job.
Hardware is worth a word too. Handles, letterboxes, hinges and trickle vents can be masked, removed and refitted, or replaced with new ones in a matching finish. Each choice changes the time on site. If you want new handles in a colour to suit the frames, say so when you ask for quotes, so the sprayer can price the parts and the fitting as a separate line rather than adding them on the day.
Access and upstairs frames
Ground-floor frames can usually be sprayed from the ground. Upstairs frames, frames above a conservatory roof, or windows over a steep drop need proper access. The Health and Safety Executive's order of approach is to avoid work at height where it is reasonably practicable, then prevent falls using an existing safe place or the right type of equipment, and only then minimise the distance and consequences of a fall [S4]. This page gives no DIY advice for working on upstairs frames. Ask each sprayer what equipment they will use.
Access is a common reason two quotes differ. If one includes a tower or scaffolding and the other assumes ladders, they are not quoting the same job.
HSE: work at height. QuoteZila is not affiliated with this organisation.
Permission, listed homes and flats
For most houses, spraying the frames does not need planning permission. The Planning Portal says repainting window and door frames is repair and maintenance that does not normally need you to apply, but that councils can remove permitted development rights with an Article 4 direction [S3]. These are more common in conservation areas, so ask the council if you live in one.
Listed buildings have stricter rules, and plastic frames on a listed building raise their own questions. Ask the council's conservation officer before any change. If you live in a flat, the Planning Portal says a leaseholder may first need permission from the landlord, freeholder or management company [S5]. Check your lease before you book a sprayer.
Window warranties are a separate point. If your frames are still under a warranty from the installer, read the paperwork or ask the installer whether spraying affects it. Ask the sprayer what cover they give on their own work, and get it in writing.
What to have ready before you ask for quotes
Give each sprayer the same information:
- how many windows and doors, room by room or elevation by elevation
- which are bays, patio doors, French doors or conservatory frames
- outside only, or inside and outside
- the current colour and the colour you want
- whether the frames have been painted before
- photos of each elevation from the ground
- anything in the way of the upstairs frames, such as a conservatory or a sloping garden
- whether the house is listed, in a conservation area, or a leasehold flat
- your postcode, and when the work could be done
How to compare uPVC spraying quotes
Check each quote for:
- The same frames, counted the same way.
- Inside, outside, or both.
- Preparation and primer described in plain words.
- The product and the colour, and the number of coats.
- What is masked and what is removed, such as handles.
- Access for upstairs frames, and whether it is in the price.
- What cover the sprayer gives on the finish, in writing.
- Whether VAT is included.
Citizens Advice suggests getting written quotes from at least three traders, avoiding large upfront payments, and keeping any deposit you cannot avoid to no more than 25% [S1].
Jobs you might post
These are examples, not taken from real job posts. "Spray eight white uPVC windows and a back door anthracite grey, outside only." Or: "Respray a uPVC front door and the frames of a small conservatory." Or: "Spray the windows of a semi-detached house in Sandbach on both sides. Two of the upstairs windows are above a lean-to roof."
Get quotes from local sprayers and decorators
Describe the frames, the colour and your postcode. Up to five matched local businesses can reply [QZ2]. QuoteZila is free for customers and local businesses [QZ1].
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.
Posting a job is not open yet
See the painters and decorators page or the glaziers page if the frames need repairs first. For the rest of the outside of the house, see exterior house painting cost.
Official and public sources
QuoteZila is not affiliated with these organisations.
- Quotes and deposits: Citizens Advice [S1].
- VAT: GOV.UK on when to register [S2].
- Planning: Planning Portal: doors and windows, planning permission [S3].
- Work at height: HSE introduction to working at height safely [S4].
- Flats: Planning Portal: painting the outside of a flat [S5].
Questions about uPVC spraying costs
How much does it cost to spray uPVC windows?
This guide does not print a figure. The number and size of frames, the colour, the preparation, the masking and the access all change the total. Ask each sprayer to quote the same list of frames.
Should I spray uPVC or replace the windows?
It is a different job, so the comparison only works if the frames are sound. Spraying changes the colour of frames that still open, close and seal properly. It does not fix misted glass units, failed seals, worn hinges or draughts. If the windows have those problems, ask a window installer to look at them first.
Do I need permission to spray my windows a new colour?
Usually not for an ordinary house, but check. The Planning Portal says repainting window and door frames does not normally need planning permission, and that an Article 4 direction can remove those rights. Listed buildings, conservation areas and leasehold flats can bring extra rules, so ask the council or your landlord first.
Will spraying affect the warranty on my windows?
It might, and only the company that gave the warranty can tell you. Read the paperwork from your window installer, or ask them, before the frames are sprayed. Ask the sprayer what cover, if any, they give on their own work, and get it in writing.
Can uPVC be sprayed on both sides?
Usually, yes, if you ask for it. Some quotes cover the outside only. If you want the inside of the frames sprayed too, say so, because it means masking inside the house and protecting floors and furniture. Ask for the inside and outside to be priced as separate lines.
Does QuoteZila check the businesses who quote?
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.
Related guides
- Painters and decorators: including exterior work
- Glaziers: for misted units and glass problems
- Locksmith cost: if door locks need attention too
- All cost guides
Part of Cost guides. All services
Related trades
Cost guides
Related pages
- Cost to Paint a Room: What Changes the Price. What goes into the cost of painting a room in Cheshire: size, surfaces, preparation, paint and coats. This guide prints no room price and explains why.
- Exterior House Painting Cost: What to Ask. What changes the cost of painting the outside of a house in Cheshire: walls, woodwork, access, scaffolding, repairs and weather. No private price is printed.
Sources
- QZ1: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila home and jobs-for-tradesmen copy.
- QZ2: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila terms and matching notes.
- S1: Before you get work done on your home, Citizens Advice. Accessed 2026-10-25. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/getting-home-improvements-done/before-you-get-building-work-done/
- S2: Register for VAT, GOV.UK. Accessed 2026-10-25. https://www.gov.uk/register-for-vat
- S3: Planning permission: doors and windows, Planning Portal. Accessed 2026-10-25. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/doors-and-windows/planning-permission/
- S4: Introduction to working at height safely, Health and Safety Executive. Accessed 2026-10-25. https://www.hse.gov.uk/work-at-height/introduction.htm
- S5: I want to paint the outside of my flat, Planning Portal. Accessed 2026-10-25. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/flats-and-maisonettes/paint-the-outside-of-flat/