Windows and glazed openings
Replacing or creating windows, sliding doors and fixed frames in aluminium, PVC or timber, as a replacement within the existing frame or with full removal.
Construction & works
Windows, doors and shutters for businesses: doors, windows, roller shutters
Aluminium or PVC windows, doors, shopfronts, shutters, gates, roller shutters: describe your openings and compare quotes from joinery and shutter firms.
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Joinery and closures are the openings of your building and what protects them: windows, doors, shopfronts, roller shutters, metal security shutters, gates and dock doors. They affect thermal and acoustic insulation, protection against intrusion and fire, accessibility and the image of a shop or company. A faulty closure also means lost trading: a shutter jammed shut, a site gate out of action, a smashed shopfront.
The trade brings together several profiles: the joiner (timber, aluminium, PVC), the metalworker and locksmith for made-to-measure doors, grilles and gates, the glazier, the installer of shutters and automation, and industrial door specialists. Many firms manufacture in the workshop and then install on site after a survey of dimensions; others install standard products. The choice depends on the job: standard or made to measure, interior or exterior, manual or motorised.
This page details the services, materials, price factors and regulatory points to know. If your joinery is part of a wider project, see refurbishment of premises, painting and wall and floor coverings for the finishes, or all the building trades.
Common services
Entrance doors and door sets
Glazed or solid doors, office door sets, service and security doors, with locks and access control.
Fire doors
Fire-resistant door sets (for example EI 30 or EI 60), door closers and accessories, with the classification documents required in the buildings concerned.
Shopfronts and glazed facades
Shop windows, curtain walling, glazed roofs and glass partitions, with suitable glazing: safety, insulation, solar protection.
Roller shutters, blinds and sun screens
Motorised roller shutters, awnings and adjustable sun screens to limit solar gain and deter intruders.
Metal shutters and grilles
Closures for shops, premises and loading docks: slatted shutters, roller grilles, with motorisation and safety devices.
Gates, barriers and industrial doors
Sliding or swing gates, lifting barriers, sectional doors and high-speed doors for warehouses, loading docks and business sites.
Call-outs, maintenance and after-sales
Glass replacement, freeing a jammed shutter or gate, adjusting an automatic door, maintenance contract and service log.
Materials and products used
Thermally broken aluminiumPVC profilesGalvanised or lacquered steelTimber and mixed timber-aluminium joineryDouble and triple glazing, laminated or toughened safety glassSolar-control or acoustic glazingSteel or aluminium slats for metal shuttersA2P-certified security locks and cylindersMotors and automation
Types of sites and clients
- Shops: shopfronts, entrance doors, burglar-resistant metal shutters
- Offices: replacing windows, circulation doors, glass partitions
- Warehouses and workshops: sectional doors, high-speed doors, site gates, dock doors
- Public-access buildings: fire doors, automatic doors, accessibility improvements
- Multi-owner buildings: lobby doors, windows in common areas, residential gates
- Landlords’ premises: restoring closures between tenants
- Isolated or sensitive sites: reinforced closures, access control, barriers
What affects the price
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1
Dimensions and number of openings
The price depends on the glazed area, the height and the number of openings: a series of windows in the same size costs less per unit than pieces that are all different.
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2
Material, glazing and performance
Aluminium, PVC or timber, double or triple glazing, sound insulation, burglar or fire resistance: each requirement adds cost, to be justified by a real need.
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3
Replacement within frame or full removal
Keeping the existing frame is quicker and cheaper; full removal, with reworking of the reveals and finishes, gives better performance but involves more associated work.
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4
Motorisation and automation
Motors, remote controls, safety detectors, electrical connection and access control come on top of the joinery; they require a compliant installation and maintenance.
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5
Access and installation resources
Upper floor, cherry picker or scaffolding, heavy glass to handle, facade to protect, installation outside opening hours: these resources are part of the pricing.
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6
Manufacturing lead time and urgency
Made-to-measure products are manufactured after the dimensions are taken, with lead times often of several weeks; an emergency replacement, after a break-in for example, costs more.
Tips for a successful request
Post a request- List each opening with its approximate dimensions, floor and use, and attach photos: the firm will confirm the dimensions with an on-site survey.
- State the performance expected: thermal or acoustic insulation, burglar or fire resistance, solar protection, access for people with reduced mobility.
- Give the material and appearance you want (RAL colour, finish) and flag any planning, heritage-architect (in France, architecte des Bâtiments de France) or co-ownership rule constraints.
- Say whether motorisation is planned, who provides the electrical supply and whether annual maintenance should be included in the quote.
- State the possible installation hours and the temporary security measures: a shop cannot stay open to the street while its shopfront is being replaced.
- Ask for the quote to include removal and disposal of the old elements, finishes around the frame and the guarantee.
Standards, CE marking and safety obligations
External windows and doors are covered by a product standard (NF EN 14351-1) and carry CE marking, with a declaration of performance: thermal insulation, air and water tightness and wind resistance (AEV classification), acoustics. Industrial, commercial and garage doors and gates come under standard NF EN 13241. Installation follows NF DTU 36.5 (French technical code of practice) for external windows and doors and NF DTU 39 for glazing: ask for these references, which are the basis of the inspection at handover.
Motorised doors and gates are machines: obstacle detection, force limitation and an emergency stop are essential. In workplaces in France, regular maintenance is required and is recorded in a log; at commissioning, the installer must give you the declaration of conformity and the manual. In a public-access building (ERP), emergency exits, fire doors (with their fire-resistance classification report) and accessibility (clear width, thresholds, opening force) follow their own rules.
As regards insurance, an external joinery item forms part of the building envelope and in principle falls under the ten-year guarantee, whereas a separable item of equipment, such as a motor, falls rather under the two-year performance guarantee (garantie biennale de bon fonctionnement). Ask for the insurance certificate and check that the activity is listed on it.
Dimension survey, permits and installation
The dimension survey determines the result: a made-to-measure window cannot be rescued afterwards. Ask for it to be carried out on site by the firm that manufactures or installs, and not from your plans alone: responsibility for the accuracy of the dimensions then clearly lies with it. Also agree the type of installation (replacement within the existing frame, surface-fixed, tunnel, full removal), the finishes around the frame and protection of the surroundings.
Before ordering, check the permits: altering the external appearance of a facade (shape, material, colour, glazing layout) generally requires a prior declaration at the town hall in France; in a protected area, the opinion of the architecte des Bâtiments de France (heritage architect) is required; in a multi-owner building, the building rules and the general meeting govern what is visible from outside; in a lease, it is the lease and the landlord.
Finally, plan the installation to protect your business: phased replacement, temporary protective panels, work outside opening hours. At handover, check opening and closing, tightness, adjustments and ironmongery, then ask for the keys, manuals, maintenance sheets and, for motorised doors, the declaration of conformity. For the wall finishes that follow installation, see plastering and painting.
Comparing quotes and maintaining your closures
Compare quotes on a common basis: dimensions, material, thermal performance (Uw coefficient), acoustic performance and AEV classification, type of glazing, ironmongery, type of installation, finishes, removal of the existing items, manufacturing lead time and proposed installation date, manufacturer’s and installer’s guarantee. A clear specification (see the glossary) prevents each firm from pricing a different product; the request for quote page recalls the points to settle.
After installation, maintenance determines service life: greasing and adjusting doors and shutters, checking the safety devices on motors, cleaning seals and tracks. A maintenance contract with a competent installer is often cheaper than an emergency call-out, especially for a shutter or gate on which your opening depends.
For made-to-measure steel parts (guardrails, gates, structures), you can also consult workshops for welding and metal fabrication, and for the finish, surface treatment (powder coating, galvanising). On Meaflow, you post your requirement free of charge and receive quotes. Post your joinery request.
Guides to go further
Comparing three subcontracting quotes without getting it wrong
Scope, assumptions, unit price and fixed costs, lead time, terms, quality, Incoterm: the method and the grid to compare three quotes on an identical basis.
Related expertise
Painting & finishes
Interior and exterior painting, flooring, tiling
Premises refurbishment
Refurbishment and fit-out of offices, shops and workshops
Plastering & insulation
Partitions, false ceilings, dry lining, thermal and acoustic insulation
Welding & boilermaking
TIG, MIG, structures, tanks, metalwork
Frequently asked questions
A question not answered here? Visit the help centre or write to us.
Is ten-year liability insurance needed to install windows or a metal shutter?
An external joinery item forms part of the building envelope: its installation is in principle covered by the firm’s ten-year insurance (in France), whereas a separable item of equipment such as a motor falls rather under the two-year performance guarantee. In every case, ask for the current certificate, check that the activity is listed and keep it with the invoice and the acceptance report.
What is the difference between a joiner, a metalworker-locksmith and a shutter installer?
The joiner works timber, aluminium and PVC for windows and doors. The metalworker-locksmith makes doors, grilles, gates and guardrails to measure in steel or stainless steel. The shutter installer specialises in roller shutters, metal security shutters and automatic doors, motorisation included. Many firms combine several activities: check that their insurance and references cover your job.
How long does it take to replace windows or install a metal shutter?
As a guide, installing a metal shutter or a series of windows takes a few hours to a few days, but made-to-measure manufacture comes first and often takes several weeks after the dimension survey. Standard products are installed more quickly. Ask for the manufacturing lead time and the installation date separately in the quote.
Does a gate or an automatic door need servicing?
Yes. A motorised door or gate is a machine that can cause injury: in workplaces in France, regular maintenance is required and recorded in a log. A contract with a competent installer allows safety devices to be adjusted, emergency stops to be tested and the installation to stay compliant after commissioning.
Do you need permission to change a shopfront or windows?
If the replacement changes the external appearance (shape, material, colour, glazing layout), a prior declaration at the town hall is generally necessary in France; in a protected area, the architecte des Bâtiments de France (heritage architect) gives an opinion. In a multi-owner building, check the building rules and the managing agent; in a lease, the lease and the landlord. A strictly identical replacement is simpler, but check first.
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