Composite vs Aluminium Windows Cost Difference Calculator

How this calculator works

This calculator compares typical UK supplied-and-fitted price ranges for the two options, drawn from published 2026 industry cost guides. Your inputs scale those base ranges: the calculator multiplies the per-unit range for each option by the number of units and by adjustment factors for the choices you make below, then shows both totals side by side along with the estimated difference between them. Because real quotes vary, everything is expressed as a range from a realistic low to a realistic high rather than a single figure.

Composite and aluminium windows overlap heavily on price, with 2026 fitted ranges of roughly to for composite against to for aluminium, and composite typically edging 10 to 25 percent higher like for like. At this end of the market the decision usually rests on aesthetics and feel rather than a decisive cost gap.

Number of windows

Enter how many windows you are comparing prices for. The difference between the two options scales with the number of windows, so a premium that looks small per window can become significant across a whole house.

Window size

Size is one of the biggest cost drivers for any glazed unit. A larger opening needs more frame material and a bigger, heavier sealed glass unit, and it usually takes longer to fit. The calculator uses three broad size bands based on common UK window dimensions: choosing the small band reduces the typical range by around 20 percent, while the large band increases it by around 40 percent. If your windows vary in size, run the calculator once per size band and add the results together.

Specification level

Two windows that look similar from the street can sit at very different price points. Budget products use simpler profiles, standard hardware and basic glass. Mid-range covers the typical A-rated units most UK installers quote by default. Premium covers high-end systems with upgraded security hardware, better thermal performance, special finishes or designer profiles, and typically adds around 30 percent to the price.

Where you live

Labour rates are not uniform across the UK. Published cost guides consistently show installation prices in London and the South East running roughly 20 to 30 percent above the national average, driven by higher labour costs, travel, parking and congestion charges. The calculator applies an uplift of around 20 percent if you select London and the South East. Product prices themselves are broadly similar nationwide, so the difference mostly reflects fitting costs.

What else affects the price

Aluminium offers the slimmest possible frames, the largest glass areas and a crisp contemporary look, with powder coated finishes lasting decades. Composite offers real wood on the inside, marginally better inherent insulation because timber does not conduct like metal, and a softer, more traditional character. Both are effectively maintenance-free externally and both carry long guarantees on quality systems. Lead times tend to be longer for composite, and the supplier base is smaller, so comparing a quality quote from each camp is the sensible way to settle the question for a specific project.

Planning permission, building regulations and certification

Like-for-like window replacement on most houses does not need planning permission, but listed buildings always require consent and conservation areas often restrict materials and styles on visible elevations, so check with your local planning authority if either applies. Building regulations apply to every replacement window in a dwelling, setting minimum energy performance and safety glazing standards. Installers registered with a competent person scheme, such as FENSA or Certass, can self-certify compliance and issue a certificate after completion; otherwise you must arrange building control sign-off separately. Keep the certificate safe, as buyers’ solicitors routinely ask for it when you sell.