The short version
For most UK homes built since 1990 with their original UPVC, respraying gives you a better finish at one tenth of the cost, with one tenth of the disruption, and a five-year written guarantee. Replacement makes sense only when the frames themselves have failed.
When respraying is the right call
- The frames open, close, and lock as they should
- The seals (the rubber gaskets) are intact and aren't perished
- There's no condensation or moisture between the panes of any sealed unit
- The locks and hinges work without forcing
- The colour is faded, chalky, yellowed, or you simply don't like it anymore
If you tick five of those, you're a respray candidate. If you tick four, probably still respray. If you tick three or fewer, replacement is worth a quote.
When replacement is the right call
- Sealed units have failed (condensation inside the glass that doesn't go away)
- The frames themselves have warped or cracked
- Hinges have failed and can't be re-set
- The seals have gone hard and aren't sealing weather out
- The energy rating of the windows is so poor that the heating cost outweighs the saving on respray
Cost: the honest comparison
A typical 3-bed semi has roughly 8 to 12 windows, plus a front door, back door, and often a porch or conservatory.
- Full replacement, mid-range UPVC with double glazing: £6,000 to £12,000 fitted, depending on count, glazing spec, and door choices.
- Full respray, hand-finished in your colour, all visible UPVC: typically a fifth to a tenth of the replacement cost.
The savings are real. The work we do isn't budget work, it's hand-applied factory-grade coatings with a five-year guarantee.
Lifespan after respraying
Properly resprayed UPVC outlasts the underlying frame. Modern UPVC frames are rated for 25 to 35 years. The Kolorbond coating system we use has a 15 to 20-year proven track record on commercial buildings. If your frames have 15 years of life left, the respray will outlast them.
Our written warranty is five years. In practice, jobs we've finished in 2024 still look identical today.
What replacement gives you that respraying doesn't
Honest list:
- Improved energy efficiency, if you go from single or basic double glazing to modern Argon-filled, low-E glass.
- Better noise insulation, with acoustic glass.
- New locking systems (the current standard is multi-point with anti-bump cylinders).
- Different window styles, e.g. swapping casement for sliding sash.
If any of those matter to you, replacement is worth costing. If they don't, respraying gets you almost everything else.
The disruption gap
- Replacement: typically 1 to 2 days per window, total 5 to 10 working days at the property. Plaster making good around new frames, paint touch-ups inside. Brick or render damage to repair where old frames are pulled out.
- Respray: 1 to 2 days on site for a whole house. No interior plastering. No re-glazing. No mess.
Environmental impact
One often-skipped argument. UPVC frames take significant energy and oil to manufacture. Replacing functional UPVC for cosmetic reasons sends usable plastic to landfill or downcycling.
Resprays reuse what's already there. Lower embodied carbon. No new plastic. The product systems we use are water-based and low-VOC.
The combined approach
Some homes get a respray on the windows, fascias, and conservatory, plus a replacement on just the front door (often the most worn part, often the most aesthetic). That's a common pattern in 2026. The respray refreshes the whole exterior for a fraction of the cost, and the new front door gives you the locking and security upgrade where it matters most.
How to decide in twenty minutes
Walk around the outside of your house. Try every window from inside, every door. If the frames work, the seals look intact, and the only complaint is the colour, get a respray quote. If you've got at least one frame that's struggling, get both a respray and a replacement quote so you can compare on like terms.