Guide
How long does a new shopfront take to install?
A typical aluminium shopfront takes around three to six weeks to make and two to four days to fit, once any consents are in place. These are typical ranges, not promises. Timber, curved glass and listed buildings take longer, and your written quote confirms the timing for your job.
Last updated 3 November 2026. General guidance only: confirm anything legal with your council or adviser.
What are the stages of a new shopfront?
Most projects follow the same order, and the biggest variable is whether consent is needed. A free survey comes first, followed by a written fixed quote and any drawings for the council. Manufacture starts once the design is approved and any consents are in hand, and fitting is booked around your trading.
The survey is where the timing really gets set. Once the opening is measured, the structure checked and the likely consents known, we can give you a realistic programme. If you have a fixed opening date or a lease deadline, tell us at the start, so the order of work can be planned around it.
- Survey and written fixed quote
- Drawings and any applications
- Manufacture of frames, glass and signs
- Fitting, testing and handover
How much time do consents add?
In England, decisions on minor planning applications, advertisement consent and listed building consent are typically due within 8 weeks of validation. Preparing drawings and getting the application validated adds to that. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run their own processes, so ask your council for its current timescales before you fix an opening date.
How long does manufacture take?
Aluminium frames are typically ready in three to six weeks, including glass. Timber joinery typically takes four to eight weeks, and curved glass typically takes six to ten weeks, because each pane is made to a template. Supplier lead times move through the year, so your quote gives the current typical range.
How long will the shop be shut?
On a typical aluminium replacement, work on site runs for two to four days, and out-of-hours, overnight and weekend fitting can be arranged so you can keep trading. The opening is made secure and weathertight at the end of each shift. Bigger structural jobs can take longer, and we agree the sequence with you beforehand.
What can hold a shopfront up?
Most delays come from things nobody can see at the start. Councils may ask for changes, and the old front may hide a rotten lintel or a beam that needs an engineer. We tell you as soon as we know, and we agree any change to the programme or price in writing.
- Consent conditions or amended drawings
- Hidden structural problems behind the fascia
- Oversized or special glass
- Pavement or parking permissions