How Much Capital Do You Need to Start a PVC Window Business?
In PVC windows the capital question reduces to one decision: will you fabricate, or take a dealership? There is a threefold gap between the two routes, and either can be right. 🪟
Short answer: total capital sits in the ₺700K to ₺1.8M band; the dealership-plus-fitting model at the lower end, own fabrication at the upper.
Spending lines first, then entry bands, three mistakes, payback and who this branch is for.
What does the spending look like?
BU BÖLÜMÜN ÖZETİ
- Machines and workshop (the fabrication route)
- Showroom and display
- Stock, vehicle and runway
Line by line.
Machines and workshop (the fabrication route)
Cutting, welding and cleaning machines ₺450K-1.1M, workshop rent and deposit ₺80-200K, benches and equipment ₺40-100K. This group applies only to those who will fabricate. 📊
Showroom and display
A small sales office and display windows ₺80-220K; customers decide on the profile and glass by seeing them.
Stock, vehicle and runway
First profile and accessory stock ₺120-350K, fitting vehicle and equipment ₺100-250K, company, licensing and accounting ₺25-60K, three to six months of runway ₺80-200K.
What’s the minimum to open with?
Two routes, two bands.
Dealership plus fitting: ₺600-900K
No machines; you buy ready fabrication and fit it yourself. A showroom, vehicle, crew and runway are enough. Low margin but low risk too.
Fabrication plus fitting: ₺1.2-1.8M
Your own cutting, your own glass, your own crew. Margin at its highest, but if capacity utilisation isn’t achieved, the machine money sits idle.
Three costly opening mistakes
BU BÖLÜMÜN ÖZETİ
- 1. Buying machines before demand exists
- 2. Cutting corners on measurement responsibility
- 3. Understocking accessories
All three concern the fabrication decision.
1. Buying machines before demand exists
A machine bought without monthly volume writes depreciation and workshop rent every month. Selling as a dealer first and measuring demand is far cheaper.
2. Cutting corners on measurement responsibility
Letting an inexperienced hand measure means spending material twice. Here a skilled fitter’s wage is insurance.
3. Understocking accessories
Missing screens, shutters, sills or profiles means visiting the same house twice, eating travel and labour margin. These items are cheap, but their absence costs a day’s work each time.
How long until payback?
The model decides the period.
A realistic period
Payback runs 14-24 months in the dealership-plus-fitting model and 24-40 months with own fabrication. Fabrication takes longer but unit profit is higher. Once monthly job counts become regular, the machine amortises faster. Margin mechanics in the PVC windows margin article. 🧭
Who does this suit?
Those with production discipline.
Where do these figures come from?
The numbers rest on anonymised records, open tariffs and independent sector work. Since no two operations match, the band shows direction rather than a promise. Full method on our methodology page. 📐
📝 From the Field
An entrepreneur started straight with machines; the workshop was built and a crew assembled, but only nine jobs came in each month. Most machines stood idle while rent and wages ran. In year two he focused on gathering orders; once volume reached twenty, the machines made sense. In this branch demand calls for the machine, not the other way round. 🪟
📖 Key Terms
Capacity utilisation: how much of a machine’s capacity is actually used. Depreciation: the share of a machine’s value eroding over time. Sill: the outer ledge beneath the window. Profile stock: the PVC material held for fabrication.
⚡ The Short Version
Total capital ₺700K-1.8M. 📊 Dealership plus fitting ₺600-900K, fabrication plus fitting ₺1.2-1.8M. Three mistakes: machines before demand, cheap measuring, accessory gaps. Payback 14-24 months as a dealer, 24-40 with fabrication.
🎯 Next Step
Let’s settle the fabrication-versus-dealership decision with numbers: quote form · free digital audit. 🤝
Frequently Asked Questions
Sık Sorulan Sorular
It requires machines, measurement responsibility and crew management; this is production, not shopkeeping. For selling from stock, hardware and tools; for earning from labour at smaller scale, glass and mirror. All branches side by side on the hardware sector page.
On well-maintained machines with service support they cut capital markedly; but spare-part availability must be checked. A machine nobody services takes back its cheapness at the first breakdown.
Not at the start; it’s a separate investment and specialism. Bringing it in-house as volume grows lifts the margin but moves delivery risk onto you.
Some display area is needed, however small; customers decide by seeing the profile and glass. Selling from the workshop alone excludes retail customers from the start.