Sash and Case Windows Edinburgh

Heatscape scopes and prices sash and case window work across Edinburgh and hands it to vetted heritage joiners, glaziers and window installers. Repairs from £185 per sash, full restoration from £885 per sash, like-for-like timber replacement from £1,895. Conservation Prior Approval and Listed Building Consent are handled for you. Call 0800 193 1505.

Repair, restore or replace — the honest answer

Original Edinburgh sashes were cut from slow-grown Scots pine with a grain density modern softwood cannot match. That is why a 120-year-old sash that has been spliced, draught-proofed and repainted routinely outlasts the replacement someone tried to sell you. We quote repair before replacement on every survey, and we tell you when replacement genuinely is the right call: more than roughly 60% of the original timber gone, a previous uPVC installation being reversed, or a box beyond economical repair.

What it costs

WorkIndicative priceNotes
Sash cord and pulley renewalfrom £185 per sashSingle visit, dust contained, no consent needed
Brush-pile draught-proofingfrom £245 per windowRemoves 80–90% of draught, keeps original glass
Full restorationfrom £885 per sashStrip, splice, re-cord, draught-proof, breathable repaint
Slimline double glazing retrofit£1,295–£1,495 per sash12–14mm units into the original box where the rebate allows
Like-for-like timber replacementfrom £1,895 per windowOnly when the original is beyond repair; paperwork included

Conservation areas, listed buildings and the May 2024 rules

Since May 2024, window changes on principal or road-facing elevations inside an Edinburgh conservation area need Prior Approval — a 28-day determination with a £252 fee. Listed buildings need Listed Building Consent for any alteration, including rear elevations and including like-for-like replacement in some cases. Getting this wrong is expensive: the council can require reinstatement at your cost. We survey, specify to what will actually be approved, and submit the application on your behalf as part of the quote.

How Edinburgh window stock differs street by street

New Town Georgian astragal patterns, Marchmont and Bruntsfield late-Victorian 4-over-2 sashes, Stockbridge colonies with their shallow rebates, Morningside canted bays on Comiston Road, Portobello coastal exposure driving faster cill rot — the right specification is not the same in any two of these. Every area page below sets out the dominant window stock, the council position on that street pattern, and the decision we would recommend.

Who actually does the work

Heatscape is the project specialist, not the installer. We survey your windows, write a fixed-price itemised scope, and the work is carried out by vetted heritage joiners, glaziers and window installers from our partner network. You know who is attending your property before they arrive, and the price does not move if the job runs over the quoted hours.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need permission to replace sash and case windows in Edinburgh?
Inside a conservation area, any window change to a principal or road-facing elevation has needed Prior Approval since May 2024 (28-day decision, £252 fee). Listed buildings need Listed Building Consent for any alteration, front or rear. Rear elevations outside conservation areas are usually permitted development. Heatscape submits the paperwork as part of the quote.
How much do sash and case windows cost in Edinburgh?
Repairs start from £185 per sash for cord and pulley work. A full restoration with draught-proofing runs from £885 per sash. Slimline double glazing retrofitted into the original box is typically £1,295–£1,495 per sash. Like-for-like timber replacement starts from £1,895 per window.
Is it better to repair or replace Edinburgh sash windows?
Repair and restore in almost every case. Original Scots pine sashes are denser than modern softwood and last far longer once spliced, draught-proofed and repainted. Replacement is only the right call when more than roughly 60% of the original timber has gone, or when reversing a previous uPVC installation.
Can you double glaze an existing sash and case window?
Yes. Slimline 12–14mm double-glazed units can be retrofitted into the original sash where the rebate allows, keeping the astragal pattern and the box. Where the rebate is too shallow or consent rules it out, internal secondary glazing achieves similar acoustic and thermal gains reversibly.
Do you cover the whole of Edinburgh?
Every EH postcode from EH1 to EH17 plus EH28, EH29 and EH30, along with Midlothian, East Lothian and West Lothian.

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