uPVC Sash Windows Edinburgh

Non-Conservation Only · A-Rated · Tilt-In Clean · From £745 per window

uPVC sliding sash windows are legal in most non-conservation areas of Edinburgh and offer A-rated thermal performance, tilt-in cleaning and a 10-year guarantee at half the cost of timber. They are not allowed on listed buildings or on the principal elevation of any conservation-area property — and on most of Edinburgh's inner suburbs, the council will refuse them. We give you honest advice on whether uPVC is allowed at your address before you commit.

Where uPVC is and isn't allowed

Edinburgh has 49 conservation areas covering the inner suburbs and most of the period housing stock — New Town, Old Town, Marchmont, Morningside, Bruntsfield, Stockbridge, The Grange, Inverleith, Trinity, Newington, Polwarth and many more. In these areas the council will refuse uPVC on principal elevations and usually on road-facing side elevations. Rear elevations are sometimes approved. Outside conservation areas — most of West Edinburgh, much of the south, and large parts of the post-war housing stock — uPVC is generally legal. We check your address against the council's conservation-area map before quoting.

What we supply

Where uPVC is allowed, we supply 70mm fully-reinforced sliding sash systems with double or triple glazing, A or A+ thermal rating, tilt-in cleaning on both sashes, traditional astragal bars and decorative sash horns to match the original Edinburgh detail. Hardware is brass-finish to look heritage-appropriate. The system carries a 10-year manufacturer guarantee on the frame and a 10-year sealed-unit warranty on the glass.

Thermal performance vs timber

A-rated uPVC sash with double glazing gives a whole-window U-value of around 1.4 W/m²K. A-rated timber sash with the same glazing is about 1.5 W/m²K — effectively identical. The thermal argument is not what divides uPVC and timber: it's planning law, aesthetics on stone-built terraces, and longevity (timber 50–60 years, uPVC 20–25 years before frame replacement).

Where uPVC genuinely wins

uPVC wins on cost (typically 40–50% less than timber), on first-year thermal performance, on tilt-in cleaning convenience, and on maintenance (no re-painting). For a 1970s ex-council house in Wester Hailes or a 1990s estate in South Queensferry — both outside any conservation area — uPVC is a sensible answer. For a Victorian tenement in Marchmont or a Georgian townhouse in New Town, the council will refuse it, and even if they didn't, it would look wrong against the sandstone.

Honest pricing

From £745 per uPVC sash window (typical 1,200mm × 900mm opening). £945 per A+ triple-glazed unit. £1,145 per oversized unit. Prices include survey, manufacture, install, waste removal and 10-year guarantee. No 'today only' discounting, no high-pressure sales — every quote is fixed and valid for 90 days.

Frequently asked questions

Are uPVC sash windows allowed in Edinburgh conservation areas?
Not on principal elevations or road-facing side elevations — the council will refuse. Sometimes approved on rear elevations. Outside conservation areas, generally legal. We check your address before quoting.
How much do uPVC sash windows cost?
From £745 per window for double-glazed, £945 for triple-glazed, £1,145 for oversized. Typically 40–50% less than timber for the same opening.
How long do uPVC sash windows last?
20–25 years before the frame needs replacement, 10–15 years before the seals start to fail. Compared to 50–60 years for engineered timber with linseed paint.
Will uPVC sash windows look like timber?
Modern systems include decorative sash horns, traditional astragal bars and brass-finish hardware to match heritage detail. From the street they read as timber to most people, though a close inspection shows the difference.
Do uPVC windows match A-rated timber for thermal performance?
Effectively yes — both around 1.4–1.5 W/m²K whole-window U-value with double glazing. Triple-glazed uPVC at 0.9 W/m²K beats most timber.
Can you fit uPVC sash windows in upper-floor flats?
Yes — we install internally without scaffold using a sash-removal jig, same as timber sash work.

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