Are composite doors better than uPVC doors?

Not automatically. A composite door is thicker and heavier, with an insulated core; a uPVC door is lighter and usually costs less. Compare the energy rating, security testing and guarantee on each quote rather than the material name.

Do I need building regulations approval for a new front door?

Replacing a whole external door is building-regulations work, and the door must reach 1.4 W/m²K or band B. If no more than half of the door and frame is glass, no building notice is needed, though the thermal standard still applies.

How long do composite doors take to arrive in Nottingham?

Most composite doors are made to order, so it depends on the maker and your options. Ask for the lead time in writing, and don't let a short wait rush you into signing.

Composite & Front Doors in Nottingham

Grey panelled timber double doors with brass knobs

What This Page Covers

Composite doors for the front or back, solid or part-glazed.
uPVC doors, including back and utility doors.
Aluminium entrance doors, often picked for a modern house.
Side panels and top lights within the door frame.
Door repairs to locks, hinges and dropped doors (see below).

Composite, uPVC or Aluminium

Composite. Built in layers: an insulated core, often foam or timber, inside a hard outer skin that is commonly glass-reinforced plastic with a moulded woodgrain. It is thick and heavy, closes with a solid feel, and is finished at the factory rather than painted on site.

uPVC. A uPVC frame with a flat or moulded infill panel. It is lighter and usually the least costly of the three. Older panel doors can flex or drop on their hinges.

Aluminium. Stiff enough to carry a large pane in a narrow frame, and usually powder-coated in a wide choice of colours. Ask for a thermal break, an insulating strip between the inner and outer metal, or the inside face can feel cold.

Security Questions to Ask

Weight alone doesn't make a door secure: the lock, the cylinder and how the frame is fixed count too. Worth asking:

Has this doorset been tested to PAS 24? Ask for evidence for the exact door on your quote.
Does it have Secured by Design status? If so, ask to see the paperwork.
What cylinder is fitted, and is it designed to resist snapping?

We make no claim that any door meets these standards; the maker and installer should show you in writing.

Energy Ratings and Building Regulations

Replacing a whole external door is building-regulations work, and the new door must meet a thermal minimum: a U-value of 1.4 W/m²K or a Doorset Energy Rating of band B. A door that is more than 60% glazed may meet 1.4 or band C instead. A higher rating is a choice, not a legal requirement.

One detail surprises people: swapping an external door where no more than 50% of the door and frame is glazed needs no building notice, but the thermal standard still applies, so ask for the rating on the quote. For a door with more glass, ask which of the six government-authorised schemes will register it.

Under Approved Document K, glass in a door or side panel from floor level up to 1,500 mm must break safely or resist impact, and so must glass in a side panel within 300 mm of the door. See building regulations. This is general information, not advice on your home.

Lead Times

Most composite doors are made to order in the colour, glass and hardware you choose. Ask for the lead time in writing, and when it starts counting. A door built to your specification may not be cancellable once ordered, so ask about cancellation before you sign.

Composite & Front Doors in Nottingham Homes

On a house, a new front door of a similar appearance usually needs no planning permission. Flats and maisonettes have no householder permitted-development rights, which matters in the Lace Market and the city centre, where most homes are flats. Nottingham City has 33 conservation areas; if you live in one, read our notes on conservation areas before changing the look of the front. On The Park Estate, owners should check their title deeds and can ask the Park Estate Office.

Door Repairs

Not every tired door needs replacing:

Locks. A stiff multi-point lock often has a worn gearbox inside the door edge, which can usually be changed on its own.
Hinges. Worn hinges let a door drop until it catches the frame. Many uPVC door hinges can be adjusted.
Sagging uPVC doors. A dropped door can often be re-packed and brought back into line, unless the frame has twisted.

A repair that keeps the existing door and frame in place isn't a replacement fitting under the building regulations. If a repair quote nears the cost of a new door, ask for both prices.

What Changes the Price

Door type. Composite, uPVC and aluminium sit at different levels.

Glass and side panels. More glass, decorative panes, side panels or a top light.

Hardware and colour. Handles, letterplates, the cylinder grade, and a different colour inside and out.

The opening. An unusual size, or plaster and sill work once the old frame is out.

Our guide to door costs sets out typical UK ranges.

How It Works

Tell us about the door and your postcode. We pass the enquiry to an independent local installer, who surveys and quotes you direct. We don't make, supply or fit doors, and we don't inspect, approve or check the installer; our guide on how to choose an installer lists what to look for. It's free, with no obligation. Enquiries outside working hours get a call back the next working day.

Related Services

A new front door is often the prompt to look at the windows beside it: see uPVC windows. For glazed doors at the back, see bifold doors.

Areas We Cover

Composite and front doors across Sherwood, West Bridgford, Beeston, Arnold, Carlton and Hucknall. see all service areas