A replacement front or back door is a new door and frame, usually composite, uPVC or aluminium, made to fit your existing opening and fitted with multi-point locks and weather seals to improve security, warmth and kerb appeal.
Homeowners in Kelso usually consider a new front or back door for one of a few reasons: something has worn out, the house no longer suits the way they live, or they are getting it ready to sell. We visit, agree a specification and put a fixed price in writing. Most jobs like this take Usually half a day to one day per door, and we work across Scottish Borders, including Galashiels, Hawick and Peebles.
- Guide price
- £950–£3,400 inc VAT
- Time on site
- Usually half a day to one day per door
- Postcodes
- TD5
- Planning rules
- Scotland
- Local area
- The Scottish Borders
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
What should you budget for a new front or back door in Kelso?
Here is how the guide price for a new front or back door breaks down in Kelso. We start from national figures and adjust for Scotland, which comes out about 4% below the national guide. The resulting range, VAT included, is £950–£3,400, and a survey, at no cost to you, firms it up.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Kelso |
|---|---|---|
| uPVC back door | A standard uPVC back or side door with a half-glazed panel and multi-point lock. | £750–£1,450 |
| Composite front door | A made-to-measure composite door in your chosen colour, glass design and hardware. | £1,150–£2,400 |
| Aluminium or door with side panels | A premium aluminium door, or a composite door with one or two side panels. | £2,400–£4,800 |
Expect these to shape the final quote:
- Door material: uPVC, composite or aluminium
- Side panels, fanlights and the amount of glass
- Lock, cylinder and hardware specification
- Colour, including different colours inside and out
What’s included?
- Measured survey of the opening, threshold and frame condition
- Made-to-measure door and frame in your chosen colour and design
- Removal and disposal of the old door and frame
- Low threshold options for level or easier access
- Weather seals, sealant and internal trims finished neatly
- Building regulations paperwork where a glazed door needs it
Homes in Scottish Borders
Mill towns such as Hawick, Galashiels and Selkirk have stone terraces and tenements from the textile industry, Melrose and Kelso have older sandstone centres, and farmhouses and cottages across the Borders are built of whinstone or sandstone under slate roofs. Post-war and newer estates surround the larger towns.
Mill-town terraces and tenements often need lime repointing, re-roofing in slate and replacement windows. Newer homes commonly take extensions and garage conversions, and rural properties add fencing, porches and driveways.
With that background in mind, here is how we typically handle a new front or back door for homes in Kelso, from the first visit to the finished result.
Permissions for a new front or back door in Kelso
Because Kelso falls under Scotland's rules, the guidance below is the version relevant to you. Before sending a price, we check your property's position with the council.
In Scotland, replacing windows and doors on a house generally needs no planning permission when the style is similar, but listed buildings and conservation areas are closely controlled and often need consent for any change of material or pattern.
A building warrant is not usually needed for like-for-like replacement windows, but the new units must still meet the Scottish building standards, including energy performance and, where relevant, escape from upper floors.
Rules change and every property is different, so we check the planning history and constraints for your address before we quote.
The four stages
Survey and measure
It starts with a survey at the property, free of charge. We check condition, access and services, ask how you want the finished result to look, and answer any questions you have about a new front or back door.
Quote in writing
We put everything into a written, fixed-price quote: the specification, what's excluded, staged payments and the expected time on site. Take whatever time you need to decide; there's no pressure to commit.
Getting ready
We handle the paperwork side: checking whether planning permission or building control approval is needed, submitting applications where they are, and scheduling the trades and materials around your dates.
The work itself
During the work we protect the areas around it and tidy up at the end of each day. Once complete, we check the finish, remove our materials and hand over paperwork such as building control sign-off where it applies.
Working with SK Home Improvements
Front and back doors in Kelso: questions
How long does it take to make a new door?
Made-to-measure doors usually take a few weeks to manufacture after the survey and your order are confirmed. Bespoke colours, special glass designs and aluminium doors can take longer. Once the door arrives, we arrange a fitting date that suits you. We give you a realistic lead time with your written quote, and we keep you updated if the manufacturer's dates change.
How long will my home be open while the door is fitted?
Fitting a new door usually takes half a day to a full day, and your home is only open for the short time between taking out the old frame and fixing the new one. We keep the opening covered if there is any delay, and we never leave a doorway insecure overnight. Once the frame is fixed, we hang the door, adjust the locks, seal around the frame and finish the trims.
Do you cover Galashiels, Hawick and Peebles?
Yes. As well as Kelso, we cover Galashiels, Hawick and Peebles and the rest of Scottish Borders. Our coverage is UK-wide, so the process is the same wherever you are: a free site survey, a quote in writing that fixes the price for the agreed scope, and one point of contact while the work is planned and carried out.
Is the price fixed?
Yes, for the specification we agree. Your written quote sets out exactly what is included at a fixed price. It only changes if you ask for something different, or if a problem the survey could not reasonably reveal later needs extra work. In either case we explain the change and confirm it in writing before going ahead.
Can I have a low threshold for wheelchair or pushchair access?
A low threshold is a flat or very shallow sill that makes a doorway easier to cross with a wheelchair, walking frame or pushchair. Most composite, uPVC and aluminium doors can be supplied with one. The outside ground level and drainage need checking, because a low threshold must still keep rainwater out. We look at this during the survey and suggest a channel drain or small ramp if needed.
Also covering areas around Kelso
If your address falls within TD5, we cover it. The same goes for neighbouring Galashiels, Hawick and Peebles, which we include alongside Kelso when arranging surveys and quotes.

