Cat Flap Installation Costs in the UK

Quick Cost Breakdown

• Most homeowners pay between £80 and £450 for installation, with door material being the single cost
• Glaziers are needed for glass and double-glazed doors as the job cannot be done by a general handyman
• The cost of the cat flap unit itself is almost always separate so adds £10-£150

Cat Flap Cost Guide Contents

1. Cat Flap Installation Cost Overview
2. Installing a Cat Flap in Different Doors: Cost Breakdown
3. Cat Flap in a Patio Door or Brick Wall
4. What Does a Cat Flap Fitter Charge?
5. Types of Cat Flap and Their Costs
6. How to Find a Cat Flap Fitter on MyBuilder
7. FAQ: Common Questions about Cat Flap Installation Costs

Cat Flap Installation Cost Overview

Cat flap installation costs are primarily driven by the surface being cut into and the complexity of the work involved.

A handyman can fit a basic cat flap into a wooden door in around 30-60 minutes; installing one into a double-glazed unit or external wall can take two to four hours and requires a glazier or more specialist contractor.

Different door types and cat flap installation cost:

Installation Type	Typical Cost
Wooden door	£80 - £100
uPVC door	£80 - £130
Glass / double-glazed door	£150 - £250
Patio door	£150 - £220
Brick wall	£200 - £450

These figures cover labour only and exclude the cost of the cat flap itself. A basic manual cat flap costs around £10-£30 and microchip models run £50-£150+ depending on the brand and features.

See our smart cat flap installation cost guide for a full breakdown of high-tech options.

Get cat flap installation

Installing a Cat Flap in Different Doors: Cost Breakdown

The type of door you have determines both how the cat flap is fitted and what it will cost. For wooden and uPVC doors, it is a cutting job - straightforward, quick, and within the scope of any competent handyman. For glass doors, it becomes a glazing job, which involves ordering a replacement unit and waiting for it to arrive.

Cat Flap in a Wooden Door

• Average cost: £80-£100 (labour only)
• Best for: Standard back doors, side doors, and utility room doors - any solid or hollow-core wooden door where the cat flap can be positioned at the correct height.

Installing a cat flap into a wooden door is the most straightforward scenario. The door material cuts easily, no specialist equipment is required, and the job can be completed in under an hour by a competent handyman.

The process involves marking out the correct position, cutting the aperture to the right size, and fitting the cat flap with the supplied fixings.

Cat Flap in a uPVC Door

• Average cost: £80-£130 (labour only)
• Best for: Standard back and side doors with uPVC frames, where the flap can be positioned in the lower solid section of the door.

uPVC doors are a common choice for back doors and are well suited to cat flap installation. The material is easy to cut, and most fitters can complete the job in a similar timeframe to a wooden door.

One option that some homeowners choose is replacing the lower panel of a uPVC door with a panel that has a cat flap pre-cut - this can give a neater finish than cutting the existing door, and in some cases costs less than glazing work if the lower panel is a solid uPVC section rather than glass.

Cat Flap in a Glass Door

• Average cost: £150-£250 (excluding the cat flap itself)
• Best for: Homes where the main entry point for pets is a glazed door, such as a back door or conservatory entrance.

Installing a cat flap in a glass or double-glazed door is more involved than a wooden or uPVC installation. The existing glass pane cannot simply be cut, it needs to be replaced with a new sealed unit that has the cat flap aperture pre-cut and the flap factory-installed before the unit is glazed. This means the work is typically carried out by a glazier rather than a general handyman.

The process involves measuring the existing glass unit, ordering a replacement with the correct aperture, and installing the new unit once it arrives. Turnaround time from order to installation is usually one to two weeks.

Cat Flap in a Composite Door

• Average cost: £100-£150 (labour only)
• Best for: Modern front or back doors where a clean, fitted finish is important.

Composite doors contain a mix of materials, typically a foam or timber core with a GRP (glass-reinforced plastic) outer skin.

They can have a cat flap fitted, but the mixed construction means cutting requires more care than a standard wooden door. Some fitters charge a small premium for composite doors.

Cat Flap in a Patio Door or Brick Wall

For many homeowners, a patio door or an external wall is the only practical entry point for a cat, particularly in properties where the back door is glass or where there is no solid door on the garden side of the house. These installations cost more and take longer than standard door fittings, but they are both well within the scope of the right professional.

Cat Flap in a Patio Door

Patio doors typically have large glass panels, which means the process mirrors a standard glass door installation. The panel needs replacing with a new unit containing the pre-cut aperture. The average cost is around £200 If you are also considering fitting a new patio door alongside the cat flap, see our patio door installation cost guide for a full breakdown.

Cat Flap in a Brick Wall

A brick wall installation is the most involved option - less of a handyman job and more of a building task. It is worth getting quotes from someone with groundwork or building experience rather than a general handyman.

The work typically involves:

• Cutting through brick and mortar using a core drill or angle grinder
• Assessing whether a lintel is needed to support the masonry above the opening
• Fitting a tunnel section through the full wall depth (typically 225–350mm for a standard cavity wall)
• Installing the internal and external frames and sealing the aperture
• Wall thickness and construction type significantly affect the cost. A standard solid brick wall is more straightforward than a modern cavity wall with insulation, which needs a longer tunnel and more careful sealing.

What Does a Cat Flap Fitter Charge?

Most cat flap fitters, typically handymen or glaziers depending on the door type, charge either a fixed price per job or an hourly rate.

Fitter Type	Typical Charge
Handyman (wooden or uPVC door)	£50 - £100 per job
Glazier (glass or double-glazed door)	£150 - £250 per job
Specialist fitter	£80 - £150 per job
Hourly rate (general)	£30 - £60 per hour

For standard wooden and uPVC doors, a handyman is the most cost-effective option. For glass doors, a glazier is required, the work involves ordering and installing a replacement sealed unit, which is outside the scope of a general handyman.

Rates vary by region, with London and the South East typically at the upper end. Specialist cat flap fitters who work exclusively on cat and dog flaps are active in most urban areas and often provide a very clean finish, worth considering if aesthetics matter.

Types of Cat Flap and Their Costs

The type of cat flap you choose affects both the upfront purchase cost and, in some cases, the installation cost. For most homeowners, the real decision comes down to security - specifically, whether you want a flap that any cat can use or one that only opens for yours.

Here is a breakdown of the main types, what they cost, and when each one makes sense:

Cat Flap Type	Supply Cost
Basic manual flap	£10 – £30
Magnetic or infrared	£20 – £50
Microchip cat flap	£50 – £150
Smart/app-connected	£100 – £200+

Manual flaps are the most affordable and simplest to install, but offer no control over which animals can enter. Suitable for homes in lower-traffic areas where neighbouring cats are not a concern.

Magnetic and infrared flaps use a collar-mounted trigger. They are more selective than manual flaps but can still be activated by other animals wearing the right collar type.

Microchip flaps are the most popular choice for homes where unwanted animal entry is a concern. They read your cat's existing implanted microchip, no collar needed, and only unlock for registered pets.

Smart flaps offer app connectivity and usage tracking in addition to microchip security. They are at the premium end of the market and may add slightly to installation time due to the need for positioning near a power source or wireless range.

For security considerations alongside your cat flap, our burglar alarm installation cost guide covers the cost of complementary home security upgrades.

How to Find a Cat Flap Fitter on MyBuilder

It only takes a couple of minutes to post your cat flap installation job on MyBuilder, local handymen and glaziers with availability will register their interest, and you can review their profiles, read customer feedback, and compare quotes before deciding who to hire. You can also browse photos of completed cat flap and door installation jobs on MyBuilder to see the standard of work from local fitters in your area.

All tradespeople on MyBuilder undergo checks at registration - such as ID documents, company details, certifications for regulated jobs and skill assessments - allowing you to hire with confidence.

Find local cat flap fitters

FAQ: Common Questions about Cat Flap Installation Costs

Can I Install a Cat Flap Myself?

For wooden doors, DIY installation is realistic with the right tools, a jigsaw, the correct drill bits, and careful measuring. The main risks are cutting the aperture slightly off-position or at the wrong angle, which affects both the fit and the draught-proofing performance.

For uPVC doors, DIY is possible but less forgiving, the material can crack if the wrong technique is used. For glass doors or brick walls, professional installation is strongly advisable.

What Type of Cat Flap Is Best?

The right cat flap depends on your situation:

• Microchip flaps are the best all-round choice for most homes - they only open for your registered cat, require no collar, and prevent other animals from entering
• Manual flaps are fine for rural properties or homes with no neighbouring cats, and are the most affordable option
• Magnetic or infrared flaps offer more control than manual but less than microchip - suitable as a mid-range option
• Smart flaps are worth considering if you want to track your cat's movements or set curfews via an app For most urban or suburban homes, a microchip flap from a reputable brand such as SureFlap or PetSafe is the most practical choice.

How Long Does Cat Flap Installation Take?

Installation time depends on the surface:

• Wooden or uPVC door - typically 30-60 minutes
• Glass or double-glazed door - the glazier visit itself takes around 1-2 hours, but the lead time for the replacement unit means the overall process takes one to two weeks from order to completion
• Brick wall - usually 2-4 hours depending on wall thickness and construction
• Composite door - similar to wooden, around 1 hour

Do I Need Planning Permission to Install a Cat Flap?

No. Installing a cat flap in a door or wall is considered a minor domestic modification and does not require planning permission. If your property is listed or in a conservation area, it is worth checking with your local planning authority before making any external alterations, though cat flap installation is unlikely to be an issue in practice.

How Much Does It Cost to Replace an Existing Cat Flap?

Replacing a like-for-like cat flap in an existing aperture is generally cheaper than a new installation, as no cutting is required. Most fitters charge £30-£60 for a straightforward swap on a wooden or uPVC door, assuming the new flap is the same size as the old one and fits the existing hole without modification.