If your front door works properly and only looks tired or is the wrong colour, spraying it is far better value than replacing it: a professional respray costs from £200 for a standard uPVC or composite door, against roughly £600 to £1,500 for a new uPVC door or £800 to £2,500 for a new composite door, supplied and fitted. If the door is damaged, draughty or fits badly, replace it. This guide sets out cost, disruption and finish for both options.
- Respray: from £200 for a standard uPVC or composite door, from £250 for timber, plus £80 to £120 for the frame. Usually done in a day.
- Replace: a new uPVC door typically costs £600 to £1,500 and a composite door £800 to £2,500, supplied and fitted.
- Spray when the door works and only the colour or finish is the problem.
- Replace when the door is structurally damaged, fits badly, has failed seals or loses a lot of heat.
- Guarantee on a ColourHaus respray: 10 years on uPVC doors (Kolorbond-certified coatings), 5 years on other door types.
The Cost Comparison
For a door in sound condition, the difference in cost is usually what decides it.
Professional front door respray: ColourHaus front door spraying starts from £200 for a standard uPVC or composite door. Timber and hardwood doors start from £250 because they need more preparation, and spraying the frame adds £80 to £120. The price includes preparation, primer, topcoats in your chosen colour and a written guarantee.
New front door, supplied and fitted: typical ranges are:
- New uPVC door: £600 to £1,500
- New composite door: £800 to £2,500
- Bespoke timber or premium doors: usually more, depending on specification
Even if you respray the same door twice over the years, the total is usually well below the cost of one replacement door.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Factor | Respray | Replacement |
|---|---|---|
| Typical cost | From £200 (uPVC or composite), from £250 (timber) | £600 to £1,500 (uPVC), £800 to £2,500 (composite) |
| Time | Usually one day on site | Order lead time, then a fitting day |
| Disruption | Minimal; the door stays in its frame | Old door and frame removed, making good afterwards |
| Colour choice | Any RAL, NCS, Farrow & Ball or Little Greene colour | Limited to the manufacturer's range |
| Guarantee | 10 years on uPVC (Kolorbond); 5 years on other doors | Depends on the manufacturer and fitter |
| Structural improvement | None | New seals, locks and thermal performance |
| Waste | Existing door kept | Old door and frame disposed of |
| Best when | The door is sound and just looks dated | The door is damaged, fits badly or is inefficient |
When Replacement Wins
Replacement is the right decision in a few clear situations. If none of these apply, spraying is almost certainly better value.
The door is structurally damaged. Rot in a timber door, serious corrosion in steel, or cracks in uPVC or GRP that affect the structure or seal mean the door needs replacing. Paint will not hold on a failing structure.
The door fits badly. A door that does not close smoothly, has gaps around the frame or rattles in the wind has a fitting or structural problem that spraying cannot fix.
The seals have failed. Perished seals let in draughts and water. Spraying the surface does nothing for them. Seals can sometimes be replaced on their own, but an old door with failed seals needs a proper assessment.
The door loses a lot of heat. Older doors without an insulated core lose more heat than modern insulated composite doors. If energy performance is your priority, a new door gives an improvement spraying cannot.
The door has been forced or damaged. A damaged frame, lock housing or door after a break-in needs replacing. Security comes first.
When Spraying Wins
Most people who ask us this question have a door that is sound and works properly. They want a new colour or a fresh finish, and in those cases spraying wins clearly.
The door is the wrong colour. A white uPVC door can be resprayed in anthracite grey, black or heritage green in a day, from £200, instead of being replaced. Our guide to the best front door colours for Yorkshire stone houses can help you choose.
The finish has faded. Doors fade and dull over time, particularly on south-facing elevations. A respray restores an even, fresh finish.
You want a colour door makers do not offer. Spraying gives you any colour, and our colour matching service can match a paint chip, fabric or existing feature.
You are preparing to sell. A tidy front door helps first impressions. Our article on whether front door colour affects house value looks at what it can and cannot do.
Disruption Compared
A respray is usually completed in a day. The door stays in its frame, so your home stays secure, and there is no period without a front door.
Replacing a door means a lead time of several weeks between ordering and delivery, then a fitting day when the old door and frame come out before the new ones go in. Depending on the property, some making good around the new frame may be needed afterwards.
How Long Each Option Lasts
A new, well-made door should last many years structurally, although its factory finish may eventually need refreshing too. A professionally sprayed door should keep its finish for 5 to 10 years or more. ColourHaus gives a 10-year written guarantee on uPVC front doors sprayed with Kolorbond-certified coatings (our uPVC spray painting uses the same system on windows and frames) and a 5-year written guarantee on composite, timber, GRP and steel doors. Our post on how long front door spraying lasts explains what affects durability, and our guarantee page has the full terms.
The Environmental Case for Spraying
A front door is a large, mixed-material item that is hard to recycle. Keeping a sound door in use by respraying it avoids sending it to waste and avoids the materials and transport involved in making and fitting a new one.
For the whole process from survey to sign-off, see our complete guide to front door and garage door spraying. If the garage door needs doing too, our garage door spraying cost guide covers prices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to respray or replace a front door?
Respraying is much cheaper for a sound door. ColourHaus sprays a standard uPVC or composite front door from £200, and timber doors from £250. A new uPVC door typically costs £600 to £1,500 and a new composite door £800 to £2,500, supplied and fitted.
How long does a sprayed front door last compared with a new one?
A new, well-made door should last many years structurally, though its factory finish may eventually need refreshing. A professionally sprayed door should keep its finish for 5 to 10 years or more. ColourHaus gives a 10-year written guarantee on uPVC doors sprayed with Kolorbond-certified coatings and 5 years on other door types.
Can any front door be resprayed?
Most can: uPVC, composite, GRP, steel and timber doors can all be sprayed with the right preparation. Doors with serious structural damage, rot, failed seals or a poor fit may need replacing instead. We assess every door at the free survey and tell you honestly whether spraying is the right option.
About the author. Matthew Ramsden founded ColourHaus in 2015. He still leads the spraying work on site from the workshop in Sheepscar, Leeds, and writes the guides on this blog.
Written by Matthew Ramsden, founder of ColourHaus · Published 1 July 2026 · Updated 19 October 2026 · More articles