For double glazing in Portsmouth, Inspired Glazing supplies and fits aluminium windows and doors made in our own Fifield workshop near Windsor, along with UPVC windows, composite doors and conservatories. Our fitters are our own employees, not subcontractors. We are honest about the distance: Portsmouth is roughly 70 miles from Fifield by road, typically around an hour and a half’s drive, so the team travels down from Fifield and we plan surveys and installations ahead of time around that trip.
Get a free, fixed-price quote in Portsmouth
Made in our own Fifield workshop and fitted by our own team. Aluminium windows from £400, lead times from 10 days and a 10-year guarantee. Tell us what you need and we’ll book a free survey.
An island city of terraces
Most of Portsmouth stands on Portsea Island, and it is one of the most densely built cities in the country. Through the nineteenth century the town spread across the island, swallowing Fratton, Buckland and Stamshaw, and street after street of Victorian terraces went up for dockyard and naval families. Those terraces are still the backbone of Fratton, North End, Stamshaw and much of Southsea, usually with a single bay at the front and narrow sash openings.
The war changed the rest. Air raids between 1940 and 1944 destroyed more than 6,600 houses, and large parts of Landport, Portsea and Old Portsmouth were lost. Rebuilding brought council estates such as Paulsgrove, completed in 1953, and in the 1960s and early 1970s much of Landport, Somerstown and Buckland was cleared and rebuilt as council housing. Up on the mainland, Cosham, Drayton and Farlington, which joined the city between 1920 and 1932, are mostly interwar and post-war semis and bungalows.
Southsea and the conservation areas
Portsmouth City Council lists more than twenty conservation areas, including Owen’s Southsea, Old Portsmouth, Portsea, The Terraces, East Southsea, Craneswater and Eastern Parade, The Seafront and Stanley Street. Owen’s Southsea, laid out from the 1830s by Thomas Ellis Owen and others, is a mix of stuccoed villas and terraces around the Southsea shops.
This matters for windows. Several streets in Owen’s Southsea are covered by Article 4 directions that bring replacement windows and doors on front elevations under planning control, among them parts of Grove Road South, Queen’s Crescent, Sussex Road, The Vale and Villiers Road. Other conservation areas in the city may have their own controls, so check with Portsmouth City Council before you order. Portsmouth also has a great many converted flats, and flats have no householder permitted development rights, so window changes need consent and usually the freeholder’s agreement too. Our planning permission guide sets out the basics.
Living with the sea
Much of Portsea Island is less than three metres above sea level, which is why the Southsea Coastal Scheme is rebuilding the sea defences along the seafront. Homes near the front also take salt-laden wind straight off the Solent. Well-sealed frames and good cavity closures make a real difference in these streets, and a rinse of the frames and hardware with fresh water now and then helps keep them looking right.
What we fit in Portsmouth homes
- Victorian terraces and bays: UPVC windows in the Selecta Advance 70 system are a cost-effective upgrade, with woodgrain foils available. For a slimmer frame, our aluminium windows include the Reynaers SlimLine 68 outward-opening casement, plus Cortizo and Alunet systems.
- Southsea villas: we do not make timber windows, so for stucco villas we discuss slim aluminium or woodgrain UPVC and what the council will accept on an Article 4 street.
- Front doors: a composite door is low-maintenance and stands up well to coastal weather.
- Back extensions: courtyard gardens suit Reynaers ConceptPatio 130 sliding doors, which slide rather than fold into the space, while wider openings can take Smart Visofold or Cortizo bifolds. On larger mainland plots we also build conservatories, orangeries, porches and roof lanterns.
Areas we cover
We work across the city: Southsea, Fratton, North End, Eastney, Hilsea, Cosham, Drayton and Farlington. Nearby, we also cover Gosport, Havant and Waterlooville.
How a Portsmouth job works
A surveyor visits for a free, no-obligation survey and measures every opening. Terraced streets often mean tight parking and no rear access, so we note how frames will come through the house. You get a written quote; aluminium windows start from £400, and our cost guide explains what moves the price. Aluminium frames are fabricated in Fifield with lead times from 10 days, then our own fitters travel down to remove the old windows, fit and seal the new ones and clear away. Bigger jobs run over consecutive days.
All our work carries a 10-year guarantee. Reynaers lists us as a Reynaers at Home installer partner, and we hold Constructionline Silver accreditation.
Get a free survey in Portsmouth
Ring 01753 965 005 (Mon–Fri 8am–6pm, Sat 9am–1pm), WhatsApp 07934 152 343, or request your quote online.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need planning permission to replace windows in Southsea?
It depends on the street. Parts of Owen's Southsea conservation area have Article 4 directions that bring front-elevation windows and doors under planning control, and other conservation areas may have their own rules. Flats have no householder permitted development rights. Check with Portsmouth City Council before ordering; we can provide drawings and product details for any application.
Are you based in Portsmouth?
No. Our only workshop and office are at Coningsby Farm in Fifield, near Windsor. Portsmouth is roughly 70 miles away by road, around an hour and a half's drive, so our surveyors and fitters travel from Fifield. We plan Portsmouth surveys and installations in advance so the journey does not delay your job.
I live in a converted flat in Southsea. Can you replace my windows?
Yes, but flats have no householder permitted development rights, so new windows usually need planning permission. You will normally need the freeholder's consent under your lease too, and some buildings require matching styles across all flats. Sort those approvals first; we can survey and quote early so you have the details to submit.
Which windows suit a Victorian bay in Fratton or North End?
Most terrace owners choose UPVC in the Selecta Advance 70 system, which is good value and available in woodgrain finishes. If you want narrower frames, the Reynaers SlimLine 68 aluminium casement is our slimline option. We do not make timber windows, so for a sash look we show you what each material can achieve.
Will salty air near Southsea seafront damage new frames?
Coastal air is harder on any frame and its hardware, so fitting and sealing quality matter. Aluminium, UPVC and composite doors all cope well when properly installed. Rinsing frames and handles with fresh water a few times a year helps, and clear drainage slots stop water standing in the frame.