“How much does it cost to install a doggie door in glass?” is the most common first question we are asked — and the honest answer is that it depends on the glass, the flap and the finish, in that order. This guide walks through every factor that shapes a quote for a cat flap or dog door in glass in Dubai and across the UAE, and why an exact figure always follows a photo and a measurement. People also ask how much is a cat flap, what cat flap installation cost looks like, and how much does it cost to put a dog door in — the starting prices are set out below.
See our guide to double-glazed glass pet doors for the full service.
The first choice: sliding insert or replacement glass panel
The biggest fork in any quote is how the flap is carried. There are two main routes, and they are different kinds of job.
A sliding door insert is a made-to-measure panel that sits in the track of your sliding door, with the flap mounted in the insert. Nothing about your existing glass changes.
A replacement glass panel is a new pane fabricated with a cut-out for the flap, fitted in place of your existing glass in a fixed panel, a single openable door or a double-glazed unit. Your original glass comes out intact and is stored safely, so it can be swapped back in 30 minutes when you move out — keeping this route 100% rental-friendly, with no landlord NOC needed.
Our page explaining how a glass pet door installation quote is built sets out both routes in full.
Single glazing vs double glazing
A single-glazed panel is one pane of glass: a replacement is measured, fabricated with the flap cut-out, toughened and fitted — a comparatively direct piece of glass work.
Double glazing is a sealed unit of two panes with an air-gap spacer between them, and a pet door version has to be fabricated as a complete new sealed unit with the opening formed during manufacture — existing toughened or double-glazed glass cannot be cut on site. That extra fabrication is one of the main reasons a double-glazed quote sits differently from a single-glazed one, and it is decided entirely by the glass your home already has.
Clear glass vs reflective and tinted glass
Standard clear glass is the straightforward specification, and it is the glass used in the same-day sliding insert. Many UAE villa developments, however, use reflective or tinted architectural glass, and matching into it adds a factor to the quote: the replacement pane has to be specified to sit as closely as possible alongside the surrounding original panels. One point of honesty belongs here: reflective shades vary between the batches and suppliers the original developers used, so no glazier can guarantee a replacement pane will be a 100% identical shade match. We say that upfront and aim for the closest achievable match.
Frame finish: standard white vs custom powder-coating
For sliding inserts, the frame finish is a visible choice with a practical consequence. The standard finish is white, paired with clear glass — the specification held ready for same-day fitting when you book before 10 AM.
If your villa frames are bronze, charcoal, black or another colour, the insert frame can be powder-coated in a custom RAL colour to match them. Powder-coating is a separate finishing process, so a custom-coloured insert is made to order over a few days rather than fitted the same day — in practical terms, the decision is speed against a frame that disappears into your existing door.
Flap size: from a cat flap to an X-Large dog door
The flap itself scales the job. A standard cat flap is the smallest opening and the lightest hardware, and cats over 4 kg step up to a Large flap — most British Shorthairs, Ragdolls, Maine Coons, Persians and adult Arabian Maus — on both microchip and manual models.
Dog doors are sized in three steps: Medium at 23×35 cm, suited to smaller and stockier dogs; Large at 28×45 cm for mid-sized dogs; and X-Large at 36×65 cm for big breeds such as Labradors, Golden Retrievers and Huskies. Each step up means a larger opening engineered into the glass or insert and a larger, heavier flap unit — so an X-Large dog door quote and a cat flap quote describe very different amounts of glass work, even in the same door.
Hardware: manual four-way locking vs microchip
The flap’s mechanism is the other factor you choose rather than inherit. A manual four-way locking flap — set to in-only, out-only, fully open or fully locked — is the simplest hardware. Closer Pets models are supplied for manual locking only; SureFlap and PetSafe also offer manual models, and Hakuna Pets dog doors add magnetic sealing.
A microchip flap from SureFlap or PetSafe adds a reader that recognises your pet’s existing veterinary microchip and unlocks only for your pet, keeping stray cats out. That electronic hardware and its set-up at installation are a further component of the quote.
Panel size and the opening itself
Finally, the panel the flap lives in: a flap in a small fixed side panel involves less glass than the same flap in a full-height sliding leaf or a wide double-glazed unit, and awkward positions — low panels, narrow panes, openings close to a door edge — can require the pane to be engineered around the cut-out.
Why an exact quote follows a photo and a measurement
Put the factors together — route, glazing type, glass finish, frame colour, flap size, hardware and panel size — and it is clear why a responsible installer will not name a figure from the question alone. What we ask for instead is simple: a photo of the whole door or panel, a photo of the edge or track, and a rough measurement. From those we can identify the glazing, glass type and panel size, confirm the flap size from your pet, and give you an exact quote for your opening. As a starting point, cat flap installation is from AED 1,500 and dog door installation is from AED 1,700 — the exact figure for your opening depends on the factors above.
Frequently asked questions
Can you give me a figure over the phone?
Not an exact one, and you should be wary of anyone who does for glass work. Send a photo and a rough measurement on WhatsApp instead, and we will confirm the glazing, panel and flap size and quote exactly for your opening.
What is the single biggest factor in a glass pet door quote?
Usually the glazing. Whether the flap goes into an insert, a single-glazed replacement pane or a fabricated double-glazed sealed unit changes the job more than any other single decision.
Does reflective glass change the quote?
It can. A replacement pane in reflective or tinted glass has to be specified to sit as closely as possible to your surrounding original glass, and that matching work forms part of the quote. The shade cannot be guaranteed identical to a different manufacturing batch.
Does choosing a bigger flap really change the quote?
Yes. A Large cat flap, and each dog door step up from Medium at 23×35 cm through Large at 28×45 cm to X-Large at 36×65 cm, means a larger opening, a larger flap unit and more panel engineering.
Is the move-out swap-back an extra job to budget for in the quote discussion?
The rental-friendly arrangement is part of how the fitting works rather than an afterthought: your original glass is stored at installation and swapped back in 30 minutes when you move out, with no landlord NOC needed at any stage.
Talk to us for an exact quote
WhatsApp us on +971 52 443 2655 with photos of your door or glass panel, a rough measurement, and your pet’s breed and size, and we will come back with an exact quote for your opening. You can also email admin@petdoorfix.com. We install across all seven UAE emirates, and if your glass is not suitable for a flap, we will tell you plainly. For Dubai homes, see our dedicated page for cat flap installation in Dubai. For dog doors in Dubai, see our dedicated page for dog door installation in Dubai. For Abu Dhabi homes, see our dedicated page for cat flap installation in Abu Dhabi. For dog doors in Abu Dhabi, see our dedicated page for dog door installation in Abu Dhabi. If your flap itself is chewed, cracked or worn, we can help with flap repair and replacement.
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WhatsApp Photo QuoteNext guide: Round Cat Flaps for Glass Doors: Why Circular CNC Cut-Outs & Mounting Adapters Prevent Glass Cracks