HOW TO HIRE · TRADES & CONSTRUCTION

How to hire a door fitter in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

Internal doors need no approval; glazed external doors in England can. The rules, fire doors, the questions and what to check before you pay.

  • Search and compare — no account needed
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  • One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews

THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a door fitter in five steps

  1. Internal or external?The rules differ: external doors more than half glazed are notifiable in England.
  2. Measure and chooseDoor sizes, style, and whether linings or frames are being replaced.
  3. Ask about fire doorsA fire door only works fitted correctly, with its frame, hinges and closer.
  4. Agree ironmongeryHinges, handles, locks — supplied by whom.
  5. Check every door before payingGaps even, latches catch, no binding.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No licence or register covers door fitters in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland; internal door fitting needs no approval at all.

Ask whether the door fitting needs building regulations approval, and who is applying for it. gov.uk →

External doors (England)

gov.uk lists replacing windows and doors as work needing building regulations approval in England, but lists external doors with less than half of the door glazed among the exempt work; a mostly glazed external door is fitted by a scheme installer such as FENSA or CERTASS, or notified.

For an external door fitting, ask how much of the door is glazed and who certifies it. gov.uk →

TrustMark

TrustMark is the Government Endorsed Quality Scheme; it is voluntary, registration is trade by trade, and for the door fitting it is one of the few independent checks available.

Look the business up on TrustMark for the trade the door fitting falls under. trustmark.org.uk →

Insurance and trader status

Before the door fitting, confirm the public liability insurance and its limit. You have Consumer Rights Act 2015 protection because the provider is a trader; and if the door fitting is agreed in your home or online, the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 usually let you cancel within 14 days, except for made-to-measure goods and the part of the work you asked them to start early.

For the door fitting, see the insurance document and confirm the profile carries the trader and ID-checked badges.

VAT

HMRC puts fitting doors at the standard rate of 20%; once a trader's taxable turnover passes £90,000 it must register, charge the 20% and list it apart from the price of the work.

Ask for the VAT number, and look for VAT as its own line on the door quote, hardware included. gov.uk →

“Will the door fitting reuse the existing frames?”

A good answer: A look at the linings first; a twisted frame needs replacing or the new door will never close well.

“Are any of these fire doors?”

A good answer: If so, a certified door, frame, intumescent seals, hinges and a closer fitted to the maker's instructions.

“Who supplies the doors and ironmongery?”

A good answer: Agreed in writing, with the fitter checking sizes before ordering.

“How much of the external door is glazed?”

A good answer: If more than half, in England a scheme installer or building control is needed.

“Will the door fitter trim doors for new flooring?”

A good answer: Yes, with the clearance agreed for carpets or hard floors.

“What guarantee covers the door fitting?”

A good answer: Workmanship in writing and the door maker's guarantee.

Getting the quote right

  • Number of doors, supplied or fit-only
  • Linings or frames replaced, and architraves
  • Hinges, handles and locks fitted
  • Fire doors specified with their components
  • Who actually attends — the fitter, and any joiner for linings and frames, employed or subcontracted — and the business's VAT number, with VAT at 20% shown as its own line

Walk away if

  • Planes a fire door down without checking the maker's limits
  • Fits doors without checking the frames
  • Glazed external door with no mention of certification in England
  • No written price per door
  • Leaves gaps uneven
LOW
£80
TYPICAL
£250
HIGH
£600

What a door fitter costs: £80–£600 per door

Door fitting is priced per door; fit-only is cheapest, while solid, glazed and fire doors, new linings and ironmongery add to it. Door Installer price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Door fitters near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. SurveyOpenings measured and frames checked.
  2. PrepareFrames or linings repaired or replaced.
  3. HangDoors trimmed, hinged and hung.
  4. IronmongeryHandles, latches, locks and closers fitted.
  5. Adjust and finishGaps adjusted, architraves fixed, every door tested.

Lining
The timber frame inside an internal doorway.
Architrave
The trim around the door frame.
Fire door
A door assembly tested to resist fire for a set time.
Intumescent strip
A seal that swells in heat to close the gap.
Ironmongery
Hinges, handles, locks and closers.
Door closer
A device that shuts a door automatically.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the paperworkFire door certificates or labels, the invoice, and any scheme certificate for an external door.
Open and close every doorEven gaps, latches catch, closers shut fire doors fully.
Check finishesHinges flush, screws tight, no splitting.
Review the jobOnly booked jobs can be reviewed on Locufy, so yours carries weight; if the door fitting falls short, use the make-it-right step first and the provider is asked to fix it before the review is published.

STEP 1Tell the fitter, in writingSay what is wrong with the door fitting and what you want done about it. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 a trader must carry out the door fitting with reasonable care and skill, and if they did not you can ask for it to be redone or for a price reduction.
STEP 2Use Locufy's make-it-right stepRate the door fitting under four stars and you are asked whether to send it to the provider first; we follow it through. Then the review goes up.
STEP 3Unapproved or dangerous workAn approval that was needed for the door fitting and never obtained is taken up by the council: building control in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or in Scotland the building standards service, which holds the owner responsible for the warrant. For a dispute about the door fitting with the trader, Trading Standards is reached through the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, or Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Money still in disputeIf the door fitting is still not settled, you can claim without a solicitor: the small claims track takes claims up to £10,000 in England and Wales, simple procedure up to £5,000 in Scotland, and the small claims court up to £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a door fitter: questions people ask

No licence or register applies. In England, an external door more than half glazed needs approval or a scheme installer's self-certification.

Replacing internal doors like for like does not.

£80–£600 a door, typically around £250. Fit-only is cheapest; solid, glazed and fire doors, and new linings, cost more. The full figures sit in the Door Installer price guide; the postcode search above lists door fitters close to you with their prices.

Only within the maker's limits; ask before trimming.

Either, agreed in advance; the fitter should check sizes before you order.

Ask the fitter back; adjusting it is part of a reasonable job.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in trades & construction

How to hire: Carpenter & JoinerHow to hire: Window & Double Glazing InstallerHow to hire: Garage Door InstallerHow to hire: Fitted Wardrobe InstallerHow to hire: Flooring InstallerHow to hire: BuilderHow to hire: Kitchen FitterHow to hire: PlastererAll 701 hiring guides →

Door fitters near you

Door fitters in LondonDoor fitters in ManchesterDoor fitters in BirminghamDoor fitters in GlasgowDoor fitters in BelfastAll door fitters on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk — building regulations: when you do not need approval
  2. gov.uk — building regulations approval (England)
  3. FENSA — replacement windows and doors
  4. TrustMark — the Government Endorsed Quality Scheme
  5. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  6. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 54 — what you can ask for when a service falls short
  7. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 30 — the 14-day cancellation period
  8. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 28 — contracts the cancellation right does not cover
  9. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 36 — services started within the cancellation period
  10. Civil Procedure Rules Part 26 — the small claims track limit (England and Wales)
  11. Scottish Courts and Tribunals — making a claim under simple procedure
  12. nidirect — the small claims process (Northern Ireland)
  13. Buildings and construction (VAT Notice 708) — 2.1 Construction services: work to an existing building is normally standard-rated
  14. GOV.UK — VAT rates
  15. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register