“Door screen” is a term that covers several very different products in the UK, ranging from a lightweight mesh insect screen for £40 to a full glazed porch enclosure costing several thousand pounds. Before diving into prices, it helps to pin down which type you are looking for.
The four main categories are: insect/fly screens (mesh panels or retractable frames that keep bugs out while letting air through), security door screens (steel or aluminium mesh on a lockable frame), glass porch screens or canopies (lean-to glazed structures at the entrance), and full porch enclosures (three-sided uPVC or timber structures that create an additional room). Each has its own price range, planning implications, and Building Regulations considerations.
Cost Overview by Type
The table below gives 2026 installed cost ranges for each door screen type in the UK, along with typical use cases. All prices include supply and fitting by a competent tradesperson unless stated.
| Door Screen Type | Typical 2026 Cost (Installed) | Key Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed mesh insect screen panel | £40–£100 | Keeping insects out of an open doorway, low-cost, semi-permanent |
| Retractable insect/fly screen | £80–£180 | Domestic entrance, rolls away when not in use |
| Security door screen (steel mesh, lockable) | £500–£1,500 | Added physical security without blocking light or ventilation |
| Glass porch canopy / lean-to screen (1500×900 mm) | £600–£1,500 | Weather protection at front or rear door, no enclosure |
| uPVC glazed porch enclosure (1500×900 mm) | £2,500–£5,000 | Full entrance enclosure, draught lobby, added insulation |
| Timber porch with glazed panels | £4,000–£9,000 | Traditional aesthetic, bespoke sizing, can be painted or stained |
| Aluminium/glass commercial entrance screen | £3,000–£12,000 | Commercial premises, high-traffic public entrances, flush frameless designs |
Insect and Fly Screens
Fly screens are the simplest and cheapest type of door screen. A fixed mesh panel — essentially an aluminium or fibreglass-framed screen cut to size and mounted in the door opening — costs £40–£100 supplied and fitted for a standard single door. These are the no-frills option: they work well on patio doors or stable doors where you want ventilation but they must be removed when you want full access.
Retractable fly screens are more practical for main entrance doors. The mesh rolls into a cassette housing fixed to the door frame and pulls across when needed. Expect to pay £80–£180 supplied and fitted for a single door. Premium cassette systems with smoother action and better UV-resistant mesh sit at the top of that range.
Fly screens are not subject to Building Regulations and no planning permission is required. They are considered a minor fitting, broadly equivalent to adding a curtain rail.
Security Door Screens
A security door screen sits in front of the main door and provides a physical barrier — typically a powder-coated steel or aluminium frame with a hardened mesh infill. Most have a separate lockable latch or key-operated deadlock so the main door can be left open for ventilation while the screen remains locked.
Costs run £500–£1,500 installed depending on door size, mesh specification, and frame material. Powder-coated steel frames at the lower end; heavy-gauge aluminium or stainless mesh at the upper end. Bespoke sizing — bay-head doors, arch tops, double doors — will push prices above this range.
From a planning perspective, security screens on domestic dwellings are generally permitted development. However, if your property is a listed building or within a conservation area, you should check with your local planning authority before fitting any ironmongery or structural additions to the front elevation.
Glass Porch Canopies and Lean-To Screens
A glass canopy above the door is the entry point to glazed entrance structures. These are not full enclosures — they are projecting roof panels or lean-to frames that shelter the step from rain without creating an additional room. A standard 1500×900 mm lean-to glass canopy costs £600–£1,500 installed, including fixings and basic flashing. Larger spans, frameless structural glass, or polycarbonate alternatives will alter the price.
These structures generally fall under permitted development for dwellings, provided they are not larger than 3 m² in ground floor footprint, do not exceed 3 m in height, and are not forward of the principal elevation on a road frontage. Always confirm with your local authority if you are in an Article 4 direction area, conservation area, or if the property is listed.
uPVC Glazed Porch Enclosures
A full uPVC porch enclosure creates a small draught lobby at the entrance — typically one wall of the main house, two short returns, and a front-facing glazed door. At the standard 1500×900 mm footprint, expect to pay £2,500–£5,000 installed in 2026. This includes the uPVC frame system, double-glazed units, a new porch door, and basic making-good to the surrounding brickwork.
Larger porches — 2 m × 1.5 m or bigger — can push closer to £6,000–£8,000 depending on glazing specification and whether a tiled floor, downlighter, or matching brick plinth is included.
Building Regulations for Porch Enclosures
A new porch falls within Approved Document Part L (Conservation of Fuel and Power) if it is heated or if the existing front door is removed and becomes an internal door without adequate thermal separation. In practice, most small uPVC porches are treated as unheated spaces and the original front door is retained, which keeps them outside the full Part L thermal envelope assessment. However, any new glazed elements must still use thermally broken frames and double-glazed units meeting the minimum U-value of 1.4 W/m²K for windows in England (Building Regulations 2021 revisions).
Permitted development for porches allows erection or extension of a porch without full planning permission, provided:
- The ground floor area does not exceed 3 m²
- The height does not exceed 3 m above ground level
- No part of the porch is within 2 m of a boundary with a highway
These rules apply to England under the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, Schedule 2, Part 1, Class D. Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland have their own equivalents with slightly different thresholds.
Timber Porches with Glazed Panels
For traditional or period properties, a timber-framed porch with glazed side and front panels offers a more sympathetic aesthetic than uPVC. Joinery-grade softwood (painted) or hardwood (oiled or stained) frames are built to order, which pushes costs up. A typical small timber porch with glazed panels costs £4,000–£9,000 installed in 2026. The wide range reflects the difference between a simple painted softwood frame with basic ironmongery and a bespoke hardwood structure with heritage ironmongery, tiled floor, and concealed lighting.
Timber porches on listed buildings or in conservation areas may require listed building consent or conservation area consent in addition to permitted development checks — contact your local planning authority before committing to a design.
Commercial Entrance Screens
Commercial premises — offices, retail units, schools, healthcare buildings — frequently use full-height aluminium or frameless glass entrance screens to separate the lobby from the exterior. These are purpose-designed systems, often with automatic sliding or swing mechanisms, controlled access integration, and high-specification glazing for security and thermal performance.
Costs for aluminium and glass commercial entrance screens range widely: £3,000–£12,000 depending on width, number of door leaves, glazing specification (laminated, toughened, or fire-rated), and whether powered actuation is included. Bespoke curtain-wall style screens for prestige projects can exceed this range significantly.
Commercial installations must comply with Building Regulations Part M (Access to and Use of Buildings) for accessible design — door widths, thresholds, vision panels, and ironmongery height — and Part B (Fire Safety) where the screen forms part of a fire-compartment boundary.
What Drives the Price?
Several factors shift door screen costs across the ranges above:
- Size and opening width — non-standard widths, double doors, and tall openings increase frame and glazing costs
- Material — uPVC is cheapest, aluminium mid-range, hardwood timber most expensive
- Glazing specification — standard double-glazed units are cheapest; triple glazing, acoustic glass, laminated security glass, or self-cleaning coatings add cost
- Security rating — PAS 24-rated doors and Secured by Design-certified security screens carry a premium but may be required by insurers or listed in planning conditions
- Access fittings — basic handles versus multipoint locking, smart access control, or automated opening all add cost
- Making-good — the condition of the surrounding brickwork, lintel state, and threshold level affects installation time
Typical Labour Day Rates
For budget planning purposes, typical 2026 day rates for the trades involved in door screen installation:
| Trade | Typical Day Rate (2026, UK) |
|---|---|
| Joiner / carpenter (porch framing) | £200–£320/day |
| uPVC window/door installer | £180–£280/day |
| Glazier | £200–£300/day |
| General builder (making-good, brickwork) | £200–£280/day |
| Electrician (if lighting or access control) | £250–£350/day |
Most fly screen and security screen installations are completed within half a day to one day. A full uPVC porch enclosure typically takes two to three days for a two-person team. A bespoke timber porch may require four to six days depending on complexity.
Getting Quotes
For anything beyond a basic fly screen, get at least three like-for-like quotes. Make sure each quote specifies the frame material, glazing U-value, door hardware, and whether making-good to the surrounding structure is included — these items are frequently omitted from headline prices and added as extras later.
For security screens, check that the installer can provide a PAS 24 or LPS 1175 rating certificate if required, as these may be conditions of your home insurance policy.
