French doors vs bifold doors: which costs less?
French doors are the cheaper way to open a wall to the garden: a uPVC set starts around £1,100 and a typical pair is about £1,800, against roughly £4,000 for aluminium bifold doors. Bifolds fold right back to open a wide span almost fully, while French doors are a simpler two-leaf design best for openings up to about 1.8 metres. For a standard doorway French doors win on cost; for a wide opening you want to throw fully open, bifolds earn their premium.
French doors vs Bifold doors: the cost
| Option | Range | Typical | Priced |
|---|---|---|---|
| French doors | £1,100 to £4,000 | £1,800 | supplied and fitted |
| Bifold doors | £2,000 to £9,000 | £4,000 | supplied and fitted |
Costwise guide prices, reviewed June to July 2026, not quotes.
French doors vs Bifold doors: the difference
| Factor | How they compare |
|---|---|
| Typical cost | French doors about £1,800 supplied and fitted; bifold doors about £4,000, and more per extra panel. |
| Opening | French doors open as two hinged leaves, best up to ~1.8m; bifolds concertina back to open almost the whole span. |
| Frames | French doors come in cheap uPVC upwards; bifolds are usually aluminium, which is stronger but dearer. |
| Best for | French doors: lowest cost for a standard doorway. Bifolds: opening a wide span fully onto a garden or patio. |
Compare doors for one measured opening
Ask both suppliers to quote the same opening width and height, frame material, glazing, colour, threshold and fitting scope. The £1,800 typical French-door and £4,000 bifold figures describe different common products; they are not two measured quotes for the same opening.
For a wide wall opening, one alternative may be French doors with fixed side panels. That gives a different clear opening from bifolds of the same overall width. Ask for a drawing showing the actual walk-through width, panel stack and swing space.
Separate replacement from widening the wall
Replacing doors within an existing suitable opening is different from forming or widening an opening. Ask for separate costs for structural design, the support or lintel, building work, approvals and internal and external making good. Do not assume these are included in a door-set price.
Both quotes should identify removal and disposal, weather sealing, finishing around the frame and any changes to the patio or internal floor level. A low threshold still needs a suitable drainage and weathering detail for the site.
Daily use matters as much as fully opening the doors
Check how you will go into the garden on an ordinary day, where furniture can stand, how the panels move and whether handles and locks are comfortable to use. Consider ventilation and cleaning access as well as the fully open view.
Ask for the whole doorset’s thermal and security specification, hardware warranty and maintenance instructions. Material alone does not establish the performance. French doors suit a simple opening; bifolds may justify their extra cost when you will use the wider opening.
Common questions
Yes. A uPVC French door set starts around £1,100 and a typical pair is about £1,800, while aluminium bifold doors typically start near £2,000 and average around £4,000, rising with each panel. For a standard opening French doors are the clear value choice.
For a wide opening you want to open almost fully onto the garden, yes: bifolds fold right back in a way French doors cannot. For a normal doorway up to about 1.8 metres, French doors give most of the effect for far less, so the premium is only worth it on the wider spans bifolds are designed for.
These are independent guide prices based on typical UK jobs in 2026. Your actual cost depends on your property, spec, access and where you live. Always get at least three written quotes before committing.