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If you’re self building, extending or renovating and looking to enhance your home’s connection to the outdoors, chances are you’re weighing up the glazed door options and asked yourself ‘how much do bifold doors cost?’. One of the most popular configurations of glazed door, bifolds work on a concertina principle where the panels fold and stack against each other. It’s possible to open up to 95% of the aperture, making bifolds great for offering easy access to the garden and extending your living space to your patio.
So, how much cash should you set aside for this glazed feature? “The old adage that you get what you pay for applies so much in life, but it is certainly true with bifold doors,” says Edward Stobart, sales manager at IDSystems. “Whilst products may look the same in pictures, attention to detail in the design varies across different manufacturers’ systems – whether that is in terms of thermal efficiency, weather performance or the little added design features like locking panel catches or weathertight flush tracks.”
With efficiency standards getting increasingly strict, U-values are an important detail to be looking into when searching for bifolds. This is a measurement of heat loss, where smaller numbers equal better thermal efficiency (ie it means less warmth leaks out of your home).
Building Regulations require your glazed doors to have U-values of 1.2 W/m2K for new homes and 1.4 W/m2K in extensions and renovations. And it’s the whole system that needs to be included in that figure.
Wow-factor open corner designs can be created by two sets of bifolds opening back from the building’s edge, such as in this project featuring aluminium KustomFold doors from Kloeber
Another thing to bear in mind is that the performance of a door is only as good as its installation – there’s no point in investing in a high-end bifold to have it fitted by someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing. Always check if installation is included in the bifold doors cost. “Badly installed bifold doors can quickly become a nightmare and unfortunately once the door system is in, the flooring is down and the plaster and render is done, there is a limit to the amount of adjustment that can be made to the panels,” says Edward.
“Ideally you should look for a company that manufacturers, supplies and fits the doors for you so that you not only have complete peace of mind, but also you also know that those installers are experts in that particular system.”
The concertina nature of a bifolding mechanism means you need multiple panels for the system to open. “Bifolds can be done in configurations of between two to seven panels, with the most common being a three-panel set,” says Bruce Moore, sales manager at Renka. “Our aluminium bifold panels can each be up to 1,200mm wide and 3,000mm tall.”
Note that your bifolds will be priced up by the individual panel. “There isn’t a standard size panel in the industry as every project is bespoke,” says Matt Higgs, managing director at Kloeber. “When glazed doors exceed roughly 2,200mm wide, the glass depth may need to change. This will then increase the weight of the unit, which can become excessive and create need for lifting equipment, contributing to additional costs. Along with this, access to the property and the opening itself must be considered.”
Renka’s bifold doors are made to measure and available in a wide range of frame colours
An advantage that bifold designs have over sliding glazed options is that they can stack back to reveal a fully open aperture. However, understand if the space is large enough for the style you’re after. “The biggest impact we see in terms of differences in how much bifold doors cost is when several panels are specified in smaller openings,” says Matt. “Always look to maximise door panel size if you can – in many instances, less profile equals less cost. More importantly, larger doors will mean more glass and fewer sightlines.”
The framing tends to be chunkier for bifold doors than on sliding patio doors, so the more panels there are, the greater the disruption to views out. Thankfully, wider spans of glass are possible if you’re going with a strong frame material, such as aluminium – Renka’s bifold doors have sightlines of 110mm, even at large panel widths, for instance.
CLOSER LOOK How do upgrades & extras impact bifold door costs?Always check what’s in the price quoted by your supplier, as some companies include small extras as standard; others don’t. The following could add to costs:
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The makeup of the frame surrounding your bifold’s glass is crucial to its performance and will have a big impact on its price point. PVCu designs are at the cheap end of the market and won’t have the innate strength of, say, aluminium bifold doors, which allow for wider expanses of glazing within individual panels. PVCu bifold door frames are also likely to be thicker, meaning less glass on display.
The Sunflex SF75 eco bifolds won the 2023 Build It Award for Best Glazed Doors thanks to the system’s outstanding thermal performance
Aluminium bifold doors are seen as the go-to option for many homeowners looking to invest in high-quality doors. Lightweight yet ultra-strong, the metal profiles enable slimmer sightlines than with other materials. Generally, you can expect a long life expectancy from aluminium bifold doors. Plus, they offer flexibility in terms of colour thanks to RAL powder coatings.
If you want a premium aluminium product for a reputable supplier, expect to pay a price to match. IDSystems’ impressive SF75eco bifold doors cost around £1,850 per panel, including installation. “For aluminium-framed doors, it is crucial to understand the quality of the product, where it is made and who is installing it,” says Edward.
Lacuna bifolds are painted in complete smooth high or low gloss, complemented with marine-grade handles and hinges
The softwood bifold doors you’ll see at DIY stores are another option in the budget category – you can pick up a 1,790mm x 2,090mm three-panel, clear pine veneer unit from B&Q for £1,697, for instance. However, engineered or composite timber is much stronger than solid wood, plus less likely to warp and flex over time.
For example, Lacuna uses heat-treated composite timber in its bifold doors, which makes the wood very stable and unable to absorb moisture or expand in humid weather. They are priced at around £4,173 for a 2,500mm x 2,100mm three-panel double glazed bifold system.
CLOSER LOOK How much do bifold doors cost?These are indicative costs for various sizes of bifold door system. We’ve not attempted to compare the exact specifications of each system in this table, as it would be too much information. So, be aware that you should always seek project-specific quotes, and prices will depend on factors such as thermal performance, glazing spec, locking mechanisms, threshold type etc. Nevertheless, the information below should give you a good yardstick for planning your budget.
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Glazing will make up a large percentage of your bifold doors and we know glass can be a notorious weak spot for heat leakage and draughts in the home. So, it’s important to make sure that your bifolds are working to keep your interiors thermally efficient.
Double glazing has been used for many years to combat heat loss, but now triple glazing holds the mantle for the most energy-efficient solution available – however this will impact how much the bifold doors cost. From the bifold quotes we received from suppliers (in the box above), you’re looking at an uplift of between 6%-16% from double to triple glazing.
The beauty of bifolds is that they can open up a whole section of wall to your garden, such as in this project by Kloeber
The question is then, is that third sheet worth the extra cost? “Understanding the benefit of triple glazing in the material you have specified is key,” says Matt. “Does the overall U-value improve the performance enough against the cost increase to benefit the project?”
And it’s not only double or triple glazing you’ll need to factor in when it comes to making decisions on the type of glass, as each of the following will add to the price of your bifolds (in order of lowest to highest additional cost):
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