Bay and Bow Windows across Devon

We supply and fit bay and bow windows throughout Devon, from Exeter and Newton Abbot out to the coast and the market towns. A bay projects from the wall in flat facets joined at angled corner posts, usually three or five. A bow curves through a series of shallower angles, so it reads as a soft arc rather than a set of planes. Both add floor area and both change how the elevation looks from the street.

Every quote is surveyed on site, priced per opening in writing and covered by a 10 year guarantee. If you would like the local detail for your own town, the service pages cover the housing stock, the council and the exposure in each area.

What bay and bow windows are, in plain terms

A bay projects from the wall in flat facets joined at angled corner posts, usually three or five. A bow curves through a series of shallower angles, so it reads as a soft arc rather than a set of planes. Both add floor area and both change how the elevation looks from the street.

The critical part is invisible from inside. A bay carries load from the wall or roof above through its corner posts, so replacement is a structural job first and a glazing job second. Getting the load path wrong is why badly replaced bays sag, crack the plaster above and jam within a couple of years.

The specification points that decide the price

Quotes for bay and bow windows vary widely because the specification varies widely. Ask for these lines in writing and two quotes become comparable.

• Structural corner posts or a steel jack post system sized for the load above
• Head plate and packers set out so the wall above is supported before the old frame is cut out
• Lead or GRP weathering to the bay roof, checked and renewed rather than reused blindly
• Insulated and ventilated bay roof void, not a stuffed cavity
• Facet angles measured on site, because original bays are rarely the nominal angle

Where bay and bow windows are the wrong choice

We fit several window types, so we have no reason to push one. These are the cases where we would steer you elsewhere.

• It is the slowest replacement to fit, so a bay is never a same morning job
• Where the bay roof is failing, the roof work has to be priced alongside the frame
• A curved bow in a very small opening loses more glass to posts than it gains

How we work

Every job starts with a free survey at your property. We measure each opening, look at the reveal, the drainage and the hardware, and tell you where a repair or an on site respray would serve you better than a replacement.

Pricing is per opening and in writing, dates are agreed before any money changes hands, and the work carries our 10 year guarantee. We cover Devon, Cornwall, Dorset and Somerset from our workshop at Cranbrook near Exeter.

Other window types we fit

Aluminium Windows: slim powder coated frames that carry big glass without heavy sightlines. Tilt and Turn Windows: two opening modes from one handle, secure background ventilation and inward cleaning. Flush Casement Windows: sashes that sit level with the frame, the way a traditional timber window does. Triple Glazing: three panes and two cavities where the room genuinely needs the extra performance.

Bay window types

A bay window projects out from the wall in straight sections, usually three: a wide front pane with two angled sides. Box bays have square sides, and canted bays have angled ones. A bow window is a gentler curve made from four or more equal sections. Upstairs bays in bedrooms are common on Victorian and Edwardian houses, often stacked above a ground-floor bay.

• Canted bay: three sections with angled sides
• Box bay: square-sided projection
• Bow window: a curve of four or more sections
• Ground-floor and bedroom bays, single or stacked

uPVC bay windows and aluminium bays

Bay windows in uPVC are the usual replacement choice: they are warm, low-maintenance and can be made in any RAL colour. Aluminium bays give slimmer frames and more glass. Either way, the joints between sections are reinforced so the bay carries its load properly, and each section can be a fixed pane or an opening casement.

Bay window replacement and installation

Bay window replacement starts with a survey of the structure as well as the windows. Many older bays carry the weight of the wall or roof above on the old frames, so before anything comes out we check whether temporary support or a new structural post is needed. The new bay is then fitted section by section and sealed, and the inside and outside are made good.

If the frames are sound and you only want a new colour, spraying the bay on site is an alternative to replacement.

Bay window ideas

A bay is often the main feature of the front of a house, so it is a good place to think about colour and glazing pattern. Anthracite grey or black frames make a bay stand out; matching glazing bars to the rest of the house keeps a period look; and opening side sections give good ventilation to a bay in a bedroom or sitting room.

Bay window cost

The cost of a bay depends on the number of sections, the overall size, the frame material and colour, how many sections open and whether any structural work is needed. We give a free survey and a written quote, so the structural side is priced up front.

Questions people ask