What are home security grilles?
Home security grilles are made-to-measure grilles for the windows and doors of houses and flats, usually retractable and fitted inside the glass. Folded back during the day they are barely noticeable; drawn across at night or when you are away, they stop entry through broken glass.
Most homeowners want two things: a home that is genuinely harder to get into, and a home that does not look like a fortress. Internal retractable grilles in a colour that matches the window frames do both.
We usually start with the openings a burglar would choose first: back doors, patio and French doors, and ground-floor windows out of sight of the street. Bedroom windows can be covered too, with a keyless quick-release so they still work for escape.
How much do home security grilles cost?
Our guide range is £414 to £954 including VAT (£345 to £795 plus VAT) per window, supplied and fitted. The exact figure depends on size, type, finish and locking, and your fixed price is confirmed in writing after the free survey. See all grille prices.
Specification and options
- Internal fitting so the outside of the home is unchanged
- White, black or anthracite to match frames
- Quick-release escape handles for bedrooms and upstairs rooms
- Low-profile tracks for doors and patio openings
- Locks keyed alike across the house if you prefer
- Works with sash, casement, tilt-and-turn and bay windows
- Fitting arranged around your day, with dust sheets and tidy-up
- Free survey before any price is fixed
Where home security grilles are used
- Ground-floor windows at the back of the house
- Patio, French and kitchen doors
- Flats with windows on walkways or balconies
- Homes left empty while travelling
- Bungalows, where every room is on the ground floor
What to decide before you order
Which openings first
Start with the most hidden and easiest openings, usually at the back and side.
Escape from bedrooms
Grilles over bedroom and upstairs windows need a release that opens from inside without a key.
Keys
Locks can be keyed alike so one key works every grille.
Look
Match the grille colour to your window frames and it will almost disappear.
Rules across the UK
The rules on planning, listed buildings and fire safety differ between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. These are the points most relevant to home security grilles; local pages show the version for your nation.
Grilles inside the glass
A grille fitted inside the glass does not normally need planning permission, because it does not materially change how the building looks from outside. If the building is listed, listed building consent may still be needed.
Listed buildings and conservation areas
Listed buildings need listed building consent for works that affect their character, which can include internal grilles and their fixings. In conservation areas, councils look closely at anything fitted to the outside. We recommend speaking to the council's conservation officer before ordering.
Bedroom and escape windows
Approved Document B (fire safety) expects many habitable rooms in houses, especially first-floor rooms, to have an emergency escape window with an unobstructed opening of at least 0.33 m², at least 450 mm high and 450 mm wide, with the bottom of the opening no more than 1,100 mm above the floor. We only fit grilles over escape windows with a release that opens from inside without a key.
How it works
Tell us what needs securing
Use the quote tool or form, or call. Sizes and a couple of photos help us give a guide price straight away.
Free survey
A surveyor measures every opening, checks the walls and fixings, and talks through type, colour and locks.
Fixed price in writing
You get a written quote with the grille schedule, the price and the lead time. Nothing is ordered until you accept.
Made, fitted and handed over
Grilles are made to measure, fitted by installers working under our contract with you, tested and explained.
Home security grilles: questions
How much do home security grilles cost?
Most homes pay between £345 and £795 plus VAT (£414 to £954 inc VAT) per window and £595 to £1,295 plus VAT (£714 to £1,554 inc VAT) per door for retractable grilles supplied and fitted. A typical back-of-house package is priced together after a free survey.
Do home security grilles look like prison bars?
Not when they are fitted inside the glass in a matching colour. Folded back, a grille is a slim stack at the side of the window.
Are grilles safe if there is a fire?
Yes, provided any window needed for escape has a grille with a keyless internal release. We will not fit a key-only grille over an escape window.
Will grilles affect my home insurance?
Some insurers ask about security measures. Tell your insurer about any changes; they decide whether it affects your policy.
Can grilles be fitted in a rented home?
Tenants need the landlord's permission. Landlords should make sure escape routes stay usable for tenants.
Do I need planning permission for grilles on my house?
Internal grilles usually do not need planning permission. External grilles, listed homes and homes in conservation areas may need consent, so we check first.
Find home security grilles near you
Choose your county or region for local information and the rules that apply where you are.
England
- Bedfordshire
- Berkshire
- Bristol
- Buckinghamshire
- Cambridgeshire
- Cheshire
- Cornwall
- Cumbria
- Derbyshire
- Devon
- Dorset
- Durham
- East Riding of Yorkshire
- East Sussex
- Essex
- Gloucestershire
- Greater London
- Greater Manchester
- Hampshire
- Herefordshire
- Hertfordshire
- Isle of Wight
- Kent
- Lancashire
- Leicestershire
- Lincolnshire
- Merseyside
- Norfolk
- North Yorkshire
- Northamptonshire
- Northumberland
- Nottinghamshire
- Oxfordshire
- Rutland
- Shropshire
- Somerset
- South Yorkshire
- Staffordshire
- Suffolk
- Surrey
- Tyne and Wear
- Warwickshire
- West Midlands
- West Sussex
- West Yorkshire
- Wiltshire
- Worcestershire
Wales
Scotland
- Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray
- Highland
- Dundee and Angus
- Perth and Kinross
- Fife
- Edinburgh and the Lothians
- Forth Valley
- Glasgow and Clyde
- Lanarkshire
- Ayrshire
- Argyll and Bute
- Dumfries and Galloway
- Scottish Borders
- Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles