How Much Do Home Renovations Cost in Glasgow?

Glasgow Renovation Costs At A Glance

There is no honest single price for "a renovation". A flat in Dennistoun that needs a kitchen and a bathroom is a different project from a detached house in Bearsden that needs a roof, windows and the outside walls done. So the useful way to budget is job by job.

These are the typical prices for the work we carry out, supplied and fitted, including removing the old one.

Job	Most projects land between	Smaller and larger jobs
Fitted kitchen	£8,000 to £15,000	Compact kitchens from £6,000. Large open-plan with an island from £20,000
Full bathroom	£5,500 to £14,000 (Glasgow typically £5,500 to £8,000)	Small cloakrooms from around £3,800. Large master suites can reach £20,000+
Windows, whole house	From £7,000	The number of windows, their size and shape, the frame style and the glass all move it. Bays, arched heads and sash-style windows cost more than plain casements
Front door, composite or uPVC	£1,400 to £2,800	Premium Palladio and bi-fold doors £3,200 to £6,500
New roof, full re-roof	£7,500 to £18,000	Flat roofs £3,000 to £8,000. Large natural slate roofs can reach £30,000+
Conservatory roof replacement	£6,500 to £14,000	Large lean-to and Edwardian roofs £18,000+
Exterior wall coating	£3,500 to £8,500	Larger detached homes can reach £14,000+

Treat these as guide ranges, not quotes. Your own figure depends on the size of the house, what you choose and what we find when we survey it.

Kitchens And Bathrooms

These are the two rooms most Glasgow homeowners start with, because they are the ones you use every day.

Kitchens. A compact galley or small L-shape starts from £6,000. A mid-range family kitchen with quartz worktops and integrated appliances is usually £8,000 to £15,000, and a large open-plan kitchen with an island starts from £20,000. The three things that move the price most are the size of the room, the worktop material and the appliances. Moving the sink, the hob or the boiler adds plumbing, gas and electrical work. A typical fit takes 10 to 14 working days. See our fitted kitchens page for the full breakdown, or kitchens in Glasgow for local detail.

Bathrooms. Most full bathrooms are £5,500 to £14,000 fitted, and in Glasgow the common landing point is £5,500 to £8,000. Keeping the bath, basin and toilet where they are is the biggest saving you can make. Wet rooms, full-height tiling and moving the soil pipe push the price up. Most bathrooms are fitted in 3 to 6 days. There is more on our bathrooms page and on bathrooms in Glasgow.

Windows And Doors

Windows. Replacing every window in a typical house starts at around £7,000 fitted and goes up from there. The number of windows is the obvious factor, but size and shape matter just as much: bays, arched heads and sash-style windows all cost more than a plain casement (the ordinary side-hinged window). The frame style, the finish, the glass you choose and the access round the house move it as well, which is why the figure comes after a survey rather than before one. Fitting usually takes 1 to 3 working days. We fit uPVC windows; we do not fit aluminium ones. Details are on our windows and Glasgow windows pages.

Doors. Most composite and uPVC front doors cost £1,400 to £2,800 fitted. Our premium Palladio doors and bi-fold doors run from £3,200 to £6,500. Glass side panels, special colours and upgraded locks all add to the figure. A door is normally fitted in a day. Have a look at our doors range, or composite doors in Glasgow.

If the budget only stretches to one of the two this year, do the door. It is the cheapest job on this page, it is done in a day, and it changes how the whole front of the house looks and feels.

Roofs, Conservatory Roofs And Outside Walls

New roofs. Most full re-roofs are £7,500 to £18,000 including scaffolding. The covering is the main factor: concrete tile re-roofs run £7,500 to £14,000, natural slate £12,000 to £25,000 or more, and a flat roof replacement £3,000 to £8,000. Large detached homes in natural slate can reach £30,000+. A new roof takes up to 14 working days, weather allowing. More on our new roofs and Glasgow roofing pages.

Conservatory roofs. Swapping a cold polycarbonate or glass roof for a solid, insulated one costs £6,500 to £14,000 for most conservatories, with large lean-to and Edwardian shapes reaching £18,000+. It is far cheaper than knocking down and rebuilding, and it turns a room you avoid in January into one you can use all year. See conservatory roofs or conservatory roofs in Glasgow.

Exterior wall coatings. A full-house coating, including scaffolding, washing down and repairs to the render or roughcast underneath, is typically £3,500 to £8,500. Larger detached homes can reach £14,000+. The condition of the existing wall is what moves this one: the more repair it needs first, the higher the price. See wall coatings and wall coatings in Glasgow.

What Makes Glasgow Different

The same job can cost more or less depending on the building, and Glasgow has some particular building types.

• Tenement flats. Everything comes in and out through a shared close and up the stairs, which adds time. Pipes and soil stacks are often shared and original. The roof and outside walls are normally a shared responsibility with your neighbours under the title deeds, so roof work usually needs agreement between owners or through the factor.
• Sandstone villas and older semis. Walls are rarely straight, floors are rarely level, and lath and plaster does not always survive a strip-out. None of this is a problem if it is found at survey and priced in at the start.
• Conservation areas and listed buildings. Parts of the West End, the Southside and other districts are conservation areas. Windows, doors and roof coverings that face the street may need planning permission, and the council may ask for particular materials such as natural slate. Check with Glasgow City Council before you order anything.
• Access and parking. Permit streets, narrow lanes and scaffolding over a pavement all take planning and sometimes a council permit.

What To Do First

If your home needs several of these jobs, the order matters. Getting it wrong means paying to redo finished work.

1. Keep the water out. Roof, gutters and any failed render come first. There is no point fitting a new kitchen under a leaking roof.
2. Then keep the heat in. Windows and doors next. They are quick, and they need doing before you decorate, because the plaster around the frames gets disturbed.
3. Then the rooms. Kitchens and bathrooms last, once the shell of the house is sound and dry.
4. Outside finishes. A wall coating goes on after new windows and doors are in, so the finish is neat around the new frames.

We fit kitchens, bathrooms, windows, doors, roofs, conservatory roofs and wall coatings. We do not build extensions or loft conversions, so if your plans include one, price it separately with a builder and an architect before you set the rest of your budget.

How To Budget Sensibly

• Get the survey before you fix the budget. Most of what changes a price (a floor that needs levelling, rotten roof timbers, damp behind old units) can be found by someone who looks properly before work starts.
• Ask what is included. Removing and disposing of the old kitchen, bathroom or windows, scaffolding, plastering and electrical certificates should all be named on the quote. If something is missing, ask.
• Keep a contingency. Older Glasgow properties hide things. Holding some money back for the unexpected is sensible on any house built before the war.
• Spend on what you cannot change later. Worktops and taps can be upgraded in five years. Roof membrane, waterproofing and window frames cannot.
• Compare like with like. Two quotes for "a new kitchen" can describe very different cabinets, worktops and appliances. Line them up item by item.

Paying in stages over time is an option too. Kitchen finance starts from £35 a week, subject to status, and finance is available on every other job here as well. Various deposit options are available, and the representative examples are on our finance page.

Getting A Price For Your Own Home

Guide prices get you to a rough budget. A real figure needs someone to see the house. We offer free visits across Glasgow, seven days a week, and you are welcome to call in at one of our showrooms at Dobbies in Renfrew or in Kilmarnock to see kitchens, bathrooms, windows and doors in person first.

After the visit you get a clear, free, no-obligation quote. The work is carried out by trusted installers and all workmanship is guaranteed.

Quick Answers

How much does it cost to renovate a house in Glasgow?

It depends on which jobs the house needs. As a guide, kitchens are usually £8,000 to £15,000, bathrooms £5,500 to £8,000, whole-house windows from £7,000 and a full re-roof £7,500 to £18,000, all fitted.

Is it cheaper to renovate a tenement flat than a house?

The rooms are often smaller, which helps. Access through a close, older pipework and shared responsibility for the roof can add time and cost, so it varies flat by flat.

Which job should I do first?

Anything that keeps water out: the roof, gutters and outside walls. Then windows and doors, then kitchens and bathrooms.

Do I need permission from the council?

Often not for like-for-like work inside the home. Conservation areas, listed buildings and flats have tighter rules for windows, doors and roofs, so check with Glasgow City Council before you commit.

Can I spread the cost?

Yes. Finance is available subject to status, with kitchens from £35 a week. Various deposit options are available.

How long does a full renovation take?

Each job has its own timescale: a door in a day, windows in 1 to 3 working days, a bathroom in 3 to 6 days, a kitchen in 10 to 14 working days and a roof in up to 14 working days.