Window screen replacement: compare the complete visit cost
A torn living-room screen can raise a practical question: replace that screen alone, or include other windows in the same visit?
Multiplying a price per screen can miss a minimum work charge or separate call-out fee.
Replacing two small screens now and the rest later can repeat those costs, while replacing usable screens immediately increases the cash you need today.
This Korea-based calculator uses KRW, centimetres and square metres to connect measured windows with your written quotes.
It supports standard mesh, fine mesh, security screens, roller screens and magnetic screens, including separate frame and exterior-work charges.
Compare Partial now, All in one visit and Remaining later, then save a window schedule for a contractor discussion.
The result is a planning estimate rather than a booking or binding quote.
When this helps
- Deciding whether to include additional damaged screens in one installation visit
- Comparing fine-mesh quotes with different measurements and frame or labour inclusions
- Checking DIY materials against installation without omitting tools, shipping or spline
Use actual quotes and keep unknown prices unconfirmed
Installer product information distinguishes fine mesh, entrance roller products and security screens, with fabrication depending on measurements and the window structure.
Material catalogues also distinguish mesh sold by width and length, rubber spline and complete hook-and-loop products.
A roll price therefore cannot simply become an installed price for every window, and this calculator assigns no universal multiplier to a product name.
Low and high quoted rates
Use quotes for matching materials, measurements and work scope.
If you have one fixed rate, enter the same low and high value.
If the low quote excludes installation but the high quote includes it, reconcile those scopes before comparing prices.
Zero versus unconfirmed
All prices start at zero and totals remain provisional until you confirm them.
A confirmed zero can mean an included or unnecessary charge.
Leaving an unknown price at zero does not make it a completed free quote.
Load fictional example provides practice inputs for understanding the arithmetic.
These prices are neither national averages nor standard 2026 rates.
The example-origin label stays visible, so replace its measurements, prices and confirmation assumptions before sharing the schedule.
Do not treat a small initial subtotal as a final construction price.
Measurements, quantities and the five screen types
Width, height and quantity
Enter width and height in centimetres.
Area per screen = width × height ÷ 10,000; a 100cm × 100cm screen is 1m².
Use the measurement basis requested by the installer instead of mixing glass area with outer-frame dimensions.
Group screens only when size, type, frame replacement and exterior-work conditions match.
All candidates and partial quantities
Total candidates includes every screen under consideration; the partial quantity identifies those you intend to replace now.
Partial quantity cannot exceed total quantity.
A row with zero screens contributes no cost or rate-confirmation requirement.
The calculator accepts up to 20 rows and 100 screens in total; these are application limits.
- Standard and fine mesh: confirm whether replacement labour is included and select pricing per m² or per screen.
- Security screens: distinguish a complete frame, locking and mounting system from mesh-only replacement.
- Roller screens: confirm whether the quote covers mesh alone or the roller mechanism and guides.
- Magnetic screens: confirm the complete unit dimensions and included attachment parts.
With per-screen pricing, dimensions remain in your schedule but the base cost uses the unit rate.
Area pricing multiplies the measured area by the rate.
If different sizes have different unit prices within one screen type, calculate matching-rate groups separately or request a compatible quote; the model uses one rate per type.
Do not add a separate frame charge when a complete-unit quote already includes the frame.
How minimum charges and call-out fees are applied
Formula for one installation visit
- Base cost per screen = round(area × rate), or the per-screen rate, plus a separately selected frame charge
- Work total = sum of screen base costs + extra labour for every screen after the first
- Visit subtotal = max(work total, minimum work charge) + separate call-out + applicable exterior work
- Visit total = subtotal + 10% VAT only when the installation quote excludes VAT
A minimum work charge and a call-out fee are separate concepts.
Here, the minimum applies to mesh, separate frames and additional-screen labour together; only the shortfall is added.
The separately entered call-out is then added on top.
If a vendor quotes a minimum final payment that already includes travel, do not enter that same travel cost again.
Ask for a matching breakdown if the vendor applies the minimum to a different group of charges.
Extra-screen labour starts with the second screen, so the first screen does not receive that additional charge.
Use zero when installed mesh rates already cover all screen labour.
Exterior work is charged once for each visit containing at least one exterior-work screen.
A visit with no screens incurs no minimum, call-out or tool cost.
Partial now, full replacement and two separate visits
Cash needed now
Partial now uses the partial quantity in each row, while All in one visit uses all candidate screens.
The extra-cash interval runs from full low minus partial high to full high minus partial low.
Adding screens can sometimes require no extra payment while the work stays below the minimum charge.
Splitting the work
Remaining later subtracts each partial quantity from its total and calculates a separate visit.
Add the partial and remaining totals to obtain the two-visit cost.
If either group has zero screens, its empty visit costs nothing.
Exterior charges apply twice if exterior-work screens are present in both visits.
The split comparison assumes unchanged rates, minimums and conditions across both visits.
Future price changes or a different installer can change the result.
Bundle saving uses conservative bounds: split low − full high through split high − full low.
An interval including zero or a negative amount does not establish a saving.
Partial and full replacement cover different quantities, so a comparison is not a recommendation to replace screens that remain usable.
Fictional example: two urgent screens out of four
Assume four identical 100cm × 100cm fine-mesh screens with no separate frames or exterior work.
The installed rate is KRW 20,000–30,000/m², the minimum work charge is KRW 100,000, call-out is KRW 20,000 and extra labour is KRW 5,000 for each screen after the first.
Installation VAT is excluded from these fictional rates; the example is not a market-price estimate.
Fictional two-screen and four-screen installation comparison in KRW| Item | Partial: 2 | Full: 4 |
|---|
| Mesh and extra-screen labour | 45,000–65,000 | 95,000–135,000 |
| After minimum + call-out | 120,000 | 120,000–155,000 |
| Added VAT 10% | 12,000 | 12,000–15,500 |
| Visit total | 132,000 | 132,000–170,500 |
A later visit for the remaining two costs another KRW 132,000, bringing split visits to KRW 264,000.
Doing all four together saves KRW 93,500–132,000 against that split plan, while requiring KRW 0–38,500 more than replacing only two now.
The difference follows from the entered minimum and call-out structure; it does not make four screens universally preferable.
DIY includes materials, tools, shipping and frames
Enable DIY comparison to enter material rates, tools, shipping, per-screen spline and consumables, and separate frame materials.
Use final VAT-inclusive purchase prices for every DIY amount.
Your area-material allowance applies only to rates per m², not to complete products priced per screen.
A row marked for separate frame replacement adds the DIY frame-material rate, independently of the contractor frame charge.
DIY formula and example
DIY cash cost = screen materials + frame materials + per-screen consumables + tools + shipping.
For the same example, assume KRW 30,000/m² in DIY material, a 10% area allowance, KRW 50,000 in tools, KRW 5,000 shipping and KRW 1,000 consumables per screen.
DIY totals are KRW 89,000 for one, KRW 123,000 for two, KRW 157,000 for three and KRW 191,000 for four.
The first count where the contractor upper bound is no higher than DIY is three screens under these fictional assumptions.
An area allowance does not solve a cutting-layout problem.
Enough total mesh area may still be too narrow for a window, and minimum sale lengths or packs can increase the purchase total.
Use a purchase estimate that accounts for cutting allowance and packaging.
Your time, failed work, replacement purchases and quality differences are excluded from the cash total.
If you already own suitable tools and need no new purchase, enter zero for tools.
Reading marginal costs and the break-even table
The cumulative table adds screens one by one in input row order.
When large and small screens are mixed, the first break-even count can depend on which screens come first.
This sequence is independent of the Partial now selections.
Enter groups in a useful priority order when preparing your contractor discussion.
The two marginal figures are scenario differences
The low-price marginal subtracts the previous low-price total from the current low-price total.
The high-price marginal performs the same subtraction between high-price totals.
Minimum-charge top-ups can make these marginal figures appear out of ascending order, so they are not a sorted price interval.
The previous total for the first screen is zero, and each scenario’s marginal figures sum to its full total.
Pro cash cost is labelled no higher only when its upper bound is at or below DIY, including ties.
If the contractor lower bound exceeds DIY, DIY cash cost is lower; otherwise the ranges overlap.
Missing price, tax or work confirmations, or exterior work, keep the comparison pending.
The first qualifying count does not guarantee the same outcome for every later count, so inspect subsequent rows.
The model does not extrapolate beyond your actual candidates, up to 100 screens.
Confirm exterior work and product performance on site
Exterior-work batches do not receive a DIY cost ranking
Floor number is a site note, with no automatic per-floor surcharge.
Confirm indoor removal access, workspace and equipment needs before entering exterior-work costs.
Any batch containing exterior-work screens has its DIY comparison withheld and is referred for professional installation assessment.
A low floor is not automatically classified as safe for DIY.
Ordinary insect screens are not child fall-prevention devices.
CPSC advises against relying on window screens to prevent falls.
A security-screen or safety-screen product name alone does not establish fall protection, intrusion resistance or fine-particle filtration.
Check the product evidence, mounting method, fixing points and site suitability separately.
This calculator provides neither exterior screen-removal instructions nor safety certification decisions.
Step-by-step use and practical quote checks
- Record window locations and count matching sizes and types.
Separate urgent replacements from the remaining candidates.
- Ask the installer about pricing units, frames and installation inclusions, and which charges the minimum covers.
Enter a fixed rate as identical low and high amounts.
- Confirm call-out, labour after the first screen, exterior work and VAT.
Do not add costs already included in the base quote.
- If needed, enter DIY purchase prices and confirm safe indoor work and matching scope.
Open the applicable type panels to enter material rates.
- Review partial, full and split totals, count-by-count costs and type alternatives, then save the CSV.
Open and print the file to confirm the final quote and one visit date with the installer.
The type comparison changes every screen to one type while keeping the other inputs unchanged.
The difference runs from alternative low minus current high to alternative high minus current low; positive means higher cost and negative means lower cost.
An unchanged mix has an exact zero difference.
Switching from ordinary mesh to a roller product can change fittings and labour, so that table alone cannot select a suitable product.
Prepare location photos and measurement notes to avoid counting one window twice or omitting small ventilation screens.
The saved schedule includes example origin and confirmation status; resolve omissions before sharing it.
Frequently asked questions
Does this provide a national average price per screen?
No.
Enter actual low and high quotes to calculate your window total.
The fictional example is not a market average, and material, dimensions and call-out inclusions must match.
Why can another small screen leave the total unchanged?
If work stays below the minimum, adding a screen can reduce the minimum top-up without changing the total.
This is the result of your entered minimum-charge structure, not a promise of free extra screens.
What if I keep the existing frames?
Turn off separate frame replacement for that row to exclude both the contractor frame charge and DIY frame materials.
Also check for duplication if a complete-unit quote already includes frames.
Does a lower DIY cost mean I can safely do the work?
A cash comparison does not approve work or safety.
It excludes time and failure costs, and exterior-work batches remain pending.
Confirm safe indoor access and product compatibility first.
Is 10% added to a VAT-inclusive quote?
No.
Included quotes receive no extra VAT.
Only excluded taxable quotes receive 10% of the subtotal, rounded to whole KRW.
Unconfirmed VAT allows only a provisional total and withholds the final comparison.
Should I replace more screens if there is no break-even count?
No.
It means no qualifying count was established within the entered candidates.
Prices or work confirmations may be missing, or pro costs may stay higher.
It is not advice to add unnecessary replacements.
Sources, dates and checks before accepting a quote
Sources were checked September 7, 2026 (2026-09-07).
The Korean National Law Information OPEN API confirmed Value-Added Tax Act Article 30, rate 10%, law ID 001571, MST 276117, as current.
Promulgation was 2025-10-01; the law and article date used here is January 2, 2026 (2026-01-02).
The calculator does not use a statutory installation-price or productivity table.
- Value-Added Tax Act Article 30: rate for VAT-exclusive taxable quotes
- ABLY screen products and installation: product categories, measurements and window structure
- Jeil material catalogue: roll sale units, accessories and complete products
- CPSC childproofing guidance: distinction between insect screens and fall-prevention devices
Review source links and price information every six months, and reconfirm actual rates, minimum-charge scope, frame and exterior costs, and tax immediately before contracting.
If the tax or included scope changes, recalculate both language experiences with the same updated inputs.
Build your window schedule and compare visit costs