Windows and doors
Front and back doors
Whether this needs a licence in Ireland
No licence required
Taken from the statute below; not yet reviewed by a lawyer
Front and back doors: what the job involves
Supplying and fitting an external front or back door with its frame, threshold and locks — composite, uPVC, timber or aluminium. Most are made to order, so it is a survey, a wait of a few weeks, and half a day to fit.
Also asked for as: front door · new front door · composite door · uPVC door · external door
How the job is usually done
- Survey: measure the opening, check the frame, threshold, step and lintel, and note side panels or a fanlight.
- Choose the door: material, style, colour, glazing, letterbox, and the locking system and cylinder grade.
- Order the door; for an SEAI grant, the grant offer must be in place first.
- Remove the old door and frame, check the opening and the damp-proof course at the threshold.
- Fit and fix the new frame plumb and square, seal it, and hang the door with the threshold set to shed water.
- Fit and test the multipoint lock, cylinder, letterbox and handles, and adjust the hinges and keeps.
- Make good inside and out, take away the old door, and hand over the keys.
Front and back doors: what is included
Usually included
- Survey and measuring
- Removing and disposing of the old door and frame
- Fitting the new door, frame, threshold and locks
- Sealing and trims inside and outside
Usually not included — agree it separately
- Re-plastering and painting the reveals
- Changing the step, ramp or path outside
- Smart locks, video doorbells and their wiring
- Widening the opening, which needs a new lintel and is building work
Materials and who supplies them
- The door set, made to order — supplied by the installer
- Multipoint lock and an anti-snap cylinder (look for a TS 007 three-star or SS312 Diamond rating)
- Fixings, sealants, threshold and trims
How long it takes
Half a day to fit, after a lead time of several weeks for a made-to-order door; side panels, a fanlight or a rotten opening add time.
When to book
Any time of year; avoid the weeks before Christmas, when lead times stretch.
Front and back doors: the rules in Ireland
What the official sources say, checked against them on the date shown. A summary, not legal advice — follow the link to read the rule itself.
Fitting locks is licensed locksmith work in Ireland, but a door installer is exempt when the lock is fitted as part of installing a uPVC door, or a carpenter fits it as part of hanging the door; later lock work by the installer is exempt only within the documented warranty period.
Applies to: the installer
Private Security Services Act 2004 — Private Security Authority, Information Note on Locksmiths (PSA 58.1) · psa-gov.ie · Checked 9 October 2026
Replacement windows, external doors and roof lights should have an average U-value no worse than 1.4 W/m²K. Replacing only the glass, a sash or a door leaf counts as a repair, not a replacement.
Applies to: the installer
Building Regulations Part L — Technical Guidance Document L, Dwellings (2019), paragraph 2.1.1.2 and Table 5 · gov.ie · Checked 9 October 2026
Like-for-like replacement generally needs no planning permission, but a protected structure, a house in an Architectural Conservation Area, or a change that alters the look of the front so it is out of character with its neighbours can. Check with the council planning office first.
Applies to: the homeowner
Planning and Development Act 2000, section 4(1)(h) — explained by Citizens Information · citizensinformation.ie · Checked 9 October 2026
Grants
SEAI windows and doors grant
Up to €4,000 for new windows as a complete upgrade (€4,000 detached, €3,000 semi-detached or end of terrace, €1,800 mid-terrace, €1,500 apartment) and €800 per external door, up to two doors (€1,600). New windows and doors must reach a U-value of 1.4 W/m²K or better.
Who qualifies: Homes built and occupied before 2011 that already have good attic and wall insulation (or are upgrading it first or at the same time), replacing inefficient single- or double-glazed windows or draughty doors. Use an SEAI-registered contractor, get the grant offer before ordering, and have a post-works BER.
seai.ie · Checked 9 October 2026
What front and back doors costs, and why
What jobs on Talqero came to
Not enough comparable jobs yet to publish a range here. Talqero shows a price range only once at least five comparable jobs, agreed prices or offers exist — a range from fewer would describe a handful of jobs, not the market. Post your job and compare the offers you get.
What affects the price
- Material: composite, uPVC, solid timber or aluminium
- Side panels, fanlight and the amount of glass
- Locking system and cylinder security rating
- Colour, furniture and finish options
- Condition of the opening, threshold and step
- VAT: supply-and-fit windows and doors are usually charged at the reduced 13.5% building-services rate, but if the materials are more than two-thirds of the price Revenue’s two-thirds rule applies the standard rate to the whole job
- VAT: building work on a home is charged at the reduced rate of 13.5% by a VAT-registered business — unless the materials come to more than two-thirds of the price, when Revenue’s two-thirds rule applies the goods rate to the whole job. Ask whether a quote includes VAT.
What window and door upgrades cost: SEAI’s median figures
| Upgrade and home | Median cost |
|---|---|
| Windows, detached house | €10,453 |
| Windows, semi-detached or end of terrace | €7,110 |
| Windows, mid-terrace | €4,650 |
| Windows, apartment | €4,196 |
| Doors, detached house | €4,300 |
| Doors, semi-detached or end of terrace | €3,800 |
Median cost of grant-supported upgrades completed January–June 2026, as reported by contractors to SEAI — before the grant is deducted.
Paperwork to ask for at the end
- The manufacturer’s guarantee on the door, frame and locks
- The installer’s workmanship guarantee
- The door’s U-value and the cylinder’s security rating, in writing
- For an SEAI grant: the declaration of works and post-works BER
Safety
- Keep the house secure on fitting day: agree that the new door is fitted and locking before the installer leaves.
- A thumb-turn inside lets everybody get out quickly in a fire without hunting for a key.
- Glass in a door must be toughened or laminated.
Front and back doors: before you hire
Questions to ask a tradesperson
- What security rating is the cylinder?
- What is the whole-door U-value?
- What is the lead time, and how long will the house be without a door?
- Who makes good the reveals?
- Is VAT included?
What you can do yourself
Hanging a new external door set is not a DIY job; lubricating the lock and adjusting a dropped uPVC door with the hinge screws is.
What to put in your task
- Which door is it?
- What kind of door would you like?
- Are there side panels or a window above the door?
- Are you applying for the SEAI doors grant?
Photos that help
- The door from outside, showing the whole frame, panels and step
- The door from inside, with the reveals
- The threshold and step close up
Front and back doors by county
Choose your county for front and back doors close to home.
- Front and back doors in Dublin
- Front and back doors in Cork
- Front and back doors in Galway
- Front and back doors in Kildare
- Front and back doors in Limerick
- Front and back doors in Meath
- Front and back doors in Tipperary
- Front and back doors in Donegal
- Front and back doors in Wexford
- Front and back doors in Kerry
- Front and back doors in Wicklow
- Front and back doors in Mayo
- Front and back doors in Louth
- Front and back doors in Waterford
- Front and back doors in Clare
- Front and back doors in Kilkenny
- Front and back doors in Westmeath
- Front and back doors in Laois
- Front and back doors in Cavan
- Front and back doors in Offaly
- Front and back doors in Sligo
- Front and back doors in Roscommon
- Front and back doors in Monaghan
- Front and back doors in Carlow
- Front and back doors in Longford
- Front and back doors in Leitrim
Windows and doors
Need front and back doors? Describe the job.
Post it once, free. Professionals near you reply with their own price and when they could start. You choose, and pay them directly.
Questions about front and back doors
Does front and back doors need a licence in Ireland?
No licence is required for this work in Ireland (source: www.cru.ie). Ask instead for references and photographs of similar jobs.
Composite or uPVC front door?
A composite door has a solid core behind a tough skin and is heavier, more secure and more stable than a hollow uPVC panel door. uPVC is cheaper and fine for a back door. Both need a good multipoint lock and an anti-snap cylinder.
Can I get a grant for a new front door?
SEAI pays a grant per external door, up to two doors, for homes built and occupied before 2011 that already have good attic and wall insulation. The door must meet SEAI’s U-value and be fitted by an SEAI-registered contractor after the grant offer.
Why is my new door hard to lock?
Usually the door has dropped slightly or the keeps need adjusting as the frame settles. It is a small adjustment that the installer should do under the guarantee. Do not force the key, which can break the gearbox.