How Much Do Doors Cost In Your Area?

A standard pre-hung entry door swap takes 3 to 5 hours for an experienced installer. Sliding glass and French patio doors run 4 to 8 hours because of the wider rough opening and flashing work. Custom doors with sidelights or transoms can take a full day. Add 2 to 6 weeks lead time for the door to be ordered and delivered after you sign the contract, longer for custom sizes or finishes.

Steel is the cheapest at $1,200 to $2,800 installed and offers the best security, but dents from impacts and can rust at the bottom edge over 15 to 20 years. Fiberglass costs $1,800 to $4,500, looks like real wood, and lasts 30 plus years with no painting. Solid wood costs $2,500 to $6,000, looks the best, but needs refinishing every 3 to 5 years. Most US homeowners pick fiberglass for the price-to-lifespan ratio.

A slab door is just the door panel itself and costs 30% to 50% less, but the installer reuses your existing frame and hinges. Pre-hung doors come already mounted in a new frame with hinges and weatherstripping. Pre-hung is the right call for any exterior door or any interior door over 20 years old, since old frames are usually out of square. Slab replacement only works for newer interior doors with frames in good shape.

If you have a fiberglass or steel door already, the energy savings are minimal and storm doors can actually trap heat that warps the main door over time. Where they make sense is on south or west-facing doors where you want ventilation, or on older wood doors that need protection from rain and sun. Quality storm doors run $400 to $900 installed and last 15 to 20 years. Avoid cheap aluminum models under $200 that flex and fail within 5 years.

French doors look better and add 8% to 15% to perceived home value at resale. The trade-off is that they swing into the room or onto the patio, eating 2 to 3 feet of floor space. Sliding doors keep the floor space clear and give you a wider glass view, but the rollers and tracks need replacement every 10 to 15 years. Both cost $2,200 to $6,500 installed for a standard 6-foot opening.

Late fall through winter, roughly October through February, is the slowest season for most door installers and prices run 5% to 10% below peak. Manufacturers also run end-of-year promotions on entry door packages. Avoid the spring rush when remodeling demand pushes lead times to 6 to 10 weeks. Door installs work fine year-round as long as the opening is closed back up the same day.

Confirm the brand, model, finish, and glass package in writing, not just the brand name. Get the workmanship warranty in years, separate from the manufacturer warranty. Ask whether the installer is factory-certified for the brand, since that protects your manufacturer warranty. Confirm who handles haul-away of the old door, who patches drywall and exterior trim, and what happens if rot is found in the framing during installation.