The best time of year to fit window grilles and extra locks
The Abimeister team · Updated · 5 min read
Most people think about window grilles and better locks at one of two moments: just before a summer holiday, or as the evenings draw in and break-ins feel more likely. Both instincts are reasonable, but both are late. A grille is not something you buy off a shelf; it is measured, ordered or welded, and fitted, and that takes real time. This guide sets out how long each stage takes and which weeks of the year actually suit the work, so the security is in place before you need it rather than after.
Why spring is the best time to order a security grille
Spring, from roughly March to May, is the quiet season for metal fitting work. Demand is lower than in autumn, steel suppliers are not backed up, and a welder can usually give you a fitting date within a week or two of measuring rather than a month.
The weather also helps. Grilles are fitted from outside on ground-floor and some first-floor windows, and welding or bolting external steelwork is easier and cleaner without rain, ice, or a frozen window reveal to work around.
If you order in spring, the grille is in place well before the summer holiday rush and well before the autumn evenings that tend to prompt everyone else to think about security at once.
How long it takes from measuring to fitting
A straightforward window grille starts with a site visit to measure the opening and check what the wall or frame can carry. That takes about an hour and is worth doing in person, since window sizes in Estonian buildings vary a good deal between Soviet-era panel blocks, prewar wooden houses, and newer developments.
After measuring, a bespoke grille is usually welded to size rather than bought ready-made, which is where the welding side of the work comes in. Depending on the design and how many windows are involved, allow one to three weeks between measuring and having steel ready to fit.
Fitting itself is normally a half-day to a full day's work per property, priced as metal fitting from 45 € per hour, with welding on site or in preparation from 55 € per hour where the design needs it. For anything beyond a single window, ask for a fixed quote once we have seen the openings or your photos.
Why autumn is the busiest season and what that means for you
From September, bookings for grilles and extra locks pick up sharply. Shorter days and darker evenings make people think about security at exactly the same time, which means everyone is calling for a measuring visit in the same few weeks.
The practical effect is a longer wait: a job that would take one to three weeks in spring can stretch to four or more in October and November, simply because there are more properties in the queue ahead of yours.
If autumn is when the idea occurs to you, it is still worth calling early in the season rather than late. A grille ordered in September has a reasonable chance of being fitted before the first proper frost; one ordered in late November may not be.
What winter conditions mean for fitting work
Grilles and locks can still be fitted in winter, but the conditions add constraints. Welding outside in sub-zero temperatures is harder to do to a good standard, and fixing into a frozen or damp wall does not hold as well as into a dry one.
Where winter fitting is unavoidable, work is often done in shorter sessions with more preparation, or steelwork is welded in a workshop and only bolted in place on site, which reduces the amount of outdoor welding needed.
None of this means winter security work should be delayed indefinitely. It means the timeline is longer and the choice of method matters more, which is exactly what a measuring visit and a proper quote are for.
Getting ready before a summer trip: what can still be done
If your holiday is a few weeks away rather than months, a full bespoke grille is unlikely to be ready in time, but there is still useful work to fit into that window.
An additional lock, a stronger strike plate, or a secondary bolt on a door can usually be sourced and fitted within days rather than weeks, and makes a real difference on its own even without a grille.
If you know your travel dates well in advance, book the measuring visit as soon as the trip is confirmed rather than the week before, since a spring or early-summer booking still has a reasonable chance of finishing before you leave.
- Book the measuring visit as soon as you know your travel dates, not the week before
- Ask what can be fitted quickly (extra lock, stronger strike plate) versus what needs weeks of lead time (bespoke grille)
- Get a fixed quote once openings are measured or photographed, valid for 30 days
- Confirm which windows or doors matter most if not everything can be done before you leave
- Remember an appointment can be cancelled free up to 24 hours ahead if your plans change
In summary: what to plan for and when
Spring is the best time to start, because lead times are shortest and the weather suits outdoor welding and fitting. Autumn brings the highest demand and the longest waits, so an early autumn enquiry beats a late one. Winter work is possible but slower and more weather-dependent.
Whatever the season, the sequence is the same: measuring, then steel preparation or welding, then fitting, each taking its own time. Planning around that sequence, rather than around the date something worries you, is what actually gets the work finished when you need it.
Order a security grille in spring if you can, expect autumn bookings to run weeks longer, and start any project by measuring, not by the calendar date you are worried about.