Why do aluminium doors take longer to manufacture than windows?

Sliding and bifolding doors involve more complex fabrication, larger glass units and multi-track hardware, all of which add time compared with a standard window.

Can manufacture be expedited for an urgent project?

Some flexibility may be possible depending on factory workload, but it is not guaranteed and standard colours and sizes give the best chance of a faster turnaround.

Does ordering in winter mean a shorter lead time?

Often, yes — demand tends to ease outside the busiest spring and summer months, though this varies year to year and is worth confirming at the time.

What happens if my delivery date needs to move?

Talk to your supplier as early as possible; completed or near-complete orders can often be held or rescheduled, though this is easier the more notice you give.

Installation

How Long Do Aluminium Windows Take to Manufacture?

As a general guide, aluminium windows typically take five to eight weeks to manufacture from confirmed order — but several factors can move that figure in either direction.

3 min read

Written by Windows in the Lakes · A trading name of Home Glazing Ltd

Manufacture lead time is the period between your order being confirmed — sizes fixed, specification agreed, deposit paid — and the finished frames being ready for installation. For standard aluminium windows this typically runs five to eight weeks; sliding and bifolding doors, being more complex, usually run slightly longer at six to ten weeks.

These are typical ranges rather than guarantees, and they move with factory workload, the complexity of your specification and the time of year. Understanding what actually happens during this period, and what pushes a lead time longer or shorter, helps you plan a realistic programme rather than working to an assumed figure that may not hold.

This guide explains what happens during manufacture, what affects the timeline, and how to build a sensible allowance into your project programme.

Typical lead times by product

Product	Typical lead time
Aluminium windows	5–8 weeks
Aluminium sliding doors	6–9 weeks
Aluminium bifolding doors	6–10 weeks
Vertical sliding sash windows	5–8 weeks
Bespoke colours or oversized units	add 1–3 weeks

Typical manufacture lead time, confirmed order to delivery

What actually happens during manufacture

01Order confirmation and cutting listYour confirmed sizes and specification are converted into a cutting list for the factory.
02Frame fabricationAluminium sections are cut, machined and mechanically jointed or welded to the exact dimensions required.
03FinishingFrames are powder coated or anodised to the specified colour and finish, then cured.
04GlazingSealed glass units are fitted to the frames along with gaskets and weatherseals.
05Hardware fitting and quality checkHandles, hinges and locking mechanisms are fitted and every unit is checked for fit, function and finish before dispatch.

Frames are cut, finished and glazed to order once sizes and specification are confirmed.

What affects lead time

Time of year — spring and early summer are typically the busiest periods for the industry
Bespoke or unusual colours, which often require a separate finishing run
Oversized or non-standard configurations, which take longer to fabricate and check
Complexity of glazing specification, such as triple glazing or specialist acoustic or solar control glass
Volume of the order — a whole-house project involves more units to fabricate and coordinate than a single window

Planning your programme around lead time

Whether you are running a self-build, an extension or a whole-house replacement, the sensible approach is to treat the top end of the typical range as your working assumption, then be pleasantly surprised if manufacture completes sooner.

For self-builds in particular, see our guide on when to order windows for a self-build for how to work manufacture lead time back from a target watertight date.

Decision criteria

If your programme has little flexibility, order early and choose standard colours and sizes where possible
If you want a bespoke colour or oversized unit, build in the extra one to three weeks explicitly
If ordering a large whole-house project, ask your supplier for a specific lead time rather than relying on a generic figure
If your project timing is genuinely tight, ask at quotation stage whether current lead times can meet it before committing

Common mistakes

Assuming the lead-time clock starts at quotation rather than confirmed order
Not allowing extra time for bespoke colours or oversized openings
Booking dependent trades, such as decorators, tightly against an unconfirmed delivery date
Assuming all aluminium products carry the same lead time as standard windows

From a real Windows in the Lakes project

North West England · Full house · 4-panel slimline slider

Whole-House Aluminium Glazing, Contemporary Clad Remodel

Re-glazing a remodelled house where the cladding, canopy steelwork and pool terrace all had to align with the glazing rather than the other way round — with a full-width sliding run at ground floor and a rhythm of square apertures above that had to stay visually consistent across two elevations.

We set out the aperture sizes with the design team before the cladding battens were fixed, so every window sits centrally within the batten rhythm. The sliding run was surveyed after the canopy steel was in place and manufactured to that survey, giving a track and head detail concealed behind the soffit, and a threshold flush with the terrace paving.

Read the project story

Next step

Considering aluminium windows for your own project?

We design, specify and install across Cumbria, the Lake District and the wider North. Send drawings, photographs or simply a description of the building and we will tell you what is possible and what it should cost.

Book a Design Consultation

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