Property services
Window and door companies in Edinburgh and the Lothians
Replacement windows, sash and case repair, doors.
Window work in Edinburgh splits sharply between repairing traditional sash and case units and replacing modern frames with double or triple glazing. The two are different businesses and the wrong one will happily quote for the other.
Secondary glazing sits between them: a discreet internal system that delivers most of the acoustic and much of the thermal benefit while keeping the original windows, and is often the only option that will be permitted on a listed façade.
When Edinburgh owners call window and door companies
- Windows rattle, stick or draught badly and the flat is expensive to heat.
- Sealed units have misted, showing failed double glazing on a Home Report.
- Street noise is affecting sleep in a front-facing bedroom.
- Timber is soft at the bottom rails and the paint system has failed.
Local context: Edinburgh and the Lothians
In a conservation area or on a listed building, replacing timber sash windows with uPVC is normally refused. Repair, draught-proofing, slim-profile double glazing in a timber sash, or secondary glazing are the routes that get consent. Check the position with the City of Edinburgh Council planning service before you buy anything.
Noise is as big a driver as heat here — Lothian Road, Leith Walk and the Grassmarket generate serious traffic and late-night noise, and secondary glazing outperforms replacement double glazing acoustically because of the wide air gap.
What this work typically costs
Published ranges are market context gathered from local jobs, not a quotation. We do not price work, arrange it or take a cut of it — always get your own written quotes.
| Job | Typical range | What moves the price |
|---|---|---|
| Draught-proof one sash and case window | £280-£500 | Includes cords, pulleys and brush seals; often the best value upgrade. |
| Secondary glazing, one window | £450-£1,100 | Acoustic glass and slimline frames cost more. |
| Slim-profile double glazing in existing sashes | £900-£1,800 | Per window; only where the sash timber can take the extra weight. |
| Replacement timber sash window | £1,400-£2,800 | Conservation-standard units to match existing profiles. |
| Replace failed sealed unit in a modern frame | £150-£350 | Priced by size; toughened or Low-E glass costs more. |
Tenements and common repairs
Windows are usually the individual owner's property but the elevation is common, so the appearance is a shared matter and the deeds may require uniformity. Fitting a window that does not match the others can breach the deeds and will certainly be raised by a buyer's solicitor.
Where a stair window serves the close, it is common property and its replacement is a shared cost decided by the owners or the factor, not something one flat should be funding alone.
What to check before you instruct
- FENSA or SNIPEF-equivalent certification
- Conservation-area compliance where relevant
- Insurance-backed guarantee
- Certification
- For replacement glazing, ask about FENSA or a Scottish equivalent and confirm the installer self-certifies under building standards or applies for a warrant.
- Planning position in writing
- Get the firm's written statement that the proposed windows are acceptable in your conservation area or listed building — then verify it with the council yourself.
- Insurance-backed guarantee
- A ten-year guarantee from a company with no insurance behind it is worth nothing if the company closes.
- Sample and profile match
- Ask to see the actual sightline and astragal profile against your existing window before ordering.
We publish factual detail supplied by each business. We do not rate, rank, endorse or guarantee anyone listed, and no business pays for placement. Checking registration, insurance and references is always your decision.
Questions to ask before you instruct
- Is repair genuinely not viable, and what did you inspect to conclude that?
- Will the proposed windows be acceptable to planning in this street?
- What U-value and acoustic rating are you quoting?
- Is the guarantee insurance-backed and transferable if I sell?
- Who makes good the internal plaster and decoration?
- What is the lead time from order to installation?
Businesses listed
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Lothian Property is a property information and professional-introduction service operated by Maybury Scotland Limited. Lothian Property is not an estate agency. Where requested, we may connect homeowners with independent estate agents and other property professionals. How we work.
Read our guide on window and door companies
Window and door companies: common questions
- Can I replace sash windows with uPVC in an Edinburgh conservation area?
- Usually not without consent. Conservation-area and listed-building controls commonly require timber sash and case with matching glazing bar and astragal profiles. Ask the council's planning service before ordering.
- What is FENSA equivalent in Scotland?
- Scotland uses building standards certification rather than FENSA. Replacement windows are normally certified through a registered installer scheme, and buyers' solicitors ask for the certificate or a completion certificate.
- Is secondary glazing an alternative for a listed Edinburgh flat?
- It is frequently the accepted route where replacement is not permitted. It is reversible, retains the original glass and improves both heat loss and street noise, though it does not look identical from inside.