As with most home improvements, the cost of a new garage door will vary largely depending on a number of factors, from the present framework and size of your existing garage doorway to the added features on the garage door installation. Below are the top 5 factors which will determine the cost. We are of course always happy to talk through your individual situation and requirements.
1. Between or behind the opening
If your garage door is currently installed between the brickwork and under the lintel, it may be that a modern garage door including its frame will be either narrower or wider than your current door. This will either require PVC infill, adjustment to the door or adjustment to the opening which will therefore take more time, and more time means an increased cost.
Alternatively, if the door frame will fit behind the brickwork and the lintel this will be a simpler installation without the need for any adaption which will take less time.
2. Colour and style
Garage doors predominantly come in white, and the cheapest styles are typically ‘ribbed’, either horizontally or vertically. Styles other than this, including Georgian-type panelled doors or other pressed styles will cost more. Similarly for most styles of garage doors having the door in a particular colour will add to the cost. There are usually around 14 standard primary colours at one price point, timber effects, and then any of the 200+RAL colours can be achieved, but at further increased cost.
Roller doors are the exception to this rule, as they are only available in one multi-slatted style and come in a range of colours at one price. The option here is for a painted finish, which is the cheaper option, or a laminated finish, which is considered more hard-wearing, is normally around 15% more expensive.
3. Garage Door Material
Garage doors can be made from a wide range of materials, but the most common, and therefore usually the cheapest, is steel, which also carries the longest guarantee period.
Doors can be bought in a range of other materials, at different price points. Low maintenance PVC doors can be used to exactly match window frame finishes at a small additional cost. Doors in fibre-glass / GRP can achieve excellent timber effects without the maintenance factor of real wood or are effective in coastal environments where the salt air can attack the steel of traditional doors with a significantly increased cost.
Finally, timber doors are timeless and lend a real feeling of quality, and are excellent where a traditional look is required, or to match increasingly popular cedar cladding. Timber doors are typically around 50-80% more expensive than similarly sized steel doors.
4. Fascia
If your garage door has associated fascia above or around it that is dilapidated or fixed to the current door or frame, you may want or need to have this replaced at the same time which will increase the cost of your quote.
Typically this would involve the installation of UPVC soffits and architrave. These normally come in white, however with modern techniques it is also available in a wide range of colours and timber effects to match the doors. However, coloured PVC is up to 3 times more expensive than white so can bump the cost up quite quickly. Alternatively, for a more natural finish timber cladding, particularly cedar, can be used which has an increased cost implication. Finally, manufacturers such as Hormann and Garador will make special insulated fascia pieces which look fantastic, provide thermal and acoustic reinforcement but are not cheap!
5. The Extras!
As with all products, there is a very broad range of extras and upgrades, all of which will increase the cost of your door installation.
The most popular of these is motorisation, allowing you to open and close the door at the touch of a button and as an indication would normally add around £300.00 to a basic installation. This is dependent on whether there is power in a convenient location, how many remote controls you need, whether there is a back door into the garage, etc.
Apart from motors, the other most popular options are extralocking, metal handles, additional weather seals, alarms, lighting & floorcoverings – in extreme cases the extras can outstrip the basic price of thedoor!
Whilst this list is not exhaustive, I hope it will give you a good indication of the things to consider when weighing up your desires compared to your budget.
Everything is achievable, but at a price!
