Exterior Door Replacement Cost: Materials and Labor

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An entry door does a lot of jobs at once. It keeps out weather and intruders, seals against drafts, carries daily traffic and sets the first impression of the house. When a door starts sticking, leaking air, rotting at the bottom of the frame or simply looking tired, homeowners begin pricing replacements and quickly find quotes that range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand. This guide breaks down the typical exterior door replacement cost by material and installation type, explains what pushes a quote up, covers energy ratings, security and hail and sun durability along the Colorado Front Range, and lists the signs that a door has reached the end of its useful life. All figures are general industry estimates, not quotes; local labor rates, product lines and the condition of the existing opening can move them significantly.

Part of our Structure & Exterior guide — start there for the full picture →

How Much Does Exterior Door Replacement Cost?

For a standard 36-by-80-inch single entry door, many homeowners can expect a total installed cost somewhere in the range of roughly $800 to $4,000. Basic steel slabs swapped into a sound frame sit at the low end. Custom wood doors, doors with sidelights and transoms, and jobs that uncover frame rot sit at the high end and can climb past $5,000 to $10,000 for elaborate entry systems.

The two biggest factors are the door material and whether the job is a slab swap or a full pre-hung unit. After that come glass, hardware, sidelights and the condition of the framing and subfloor at the threshold.

Cost by Door Material

Rough installed ranges for a standard single pre-hung entry door look something like this:

Steel doors

Often about $800 to $2,500 installed. Steel doors are the most common budget choice. They usually have a foam core, which gives decent insulation, and they are strong for the price. Downsides: they dent, and on the Front Range a large hailstone can leave a permanent dimple in a thin steel skin. Scratches that expose bare metal can rust if not touched up. Heavier-gauge steel resists dents better.

Fiberglass doors

Often about $1,200 to $4,000 installed. Fiberglass resists denting, does not rot or rust and holds paint or stain well. Many fiberglass doors are molded with a wood-grain texture that can be stained to resemble oak or mahogany. Fiberglass handles Colorado’s large day-to-night temperature swings and strong sun better than many materials, though finishes on any door can still fade on an exposed south or west face.

Wood doors

Often about $1,500 to $5,000 or more installed, with custom or solid hardwood doors running well beyond that. Wood looks and feels substantial, but it needs regular refinishing and is the most vulnerable to sun damage, moisture and swelling. A wood door on an unprotected west-facing entry in Colorado may need refinishing every year or two to stay sound.

Other options

Aluminum and composite doors are less common for residential entries but appear in some modern designs. Wood-clad and steel-clad doors split the difference between appearance and durability.

For patio openings, costs work differently. Our guide to sliding glass door replacement cost covers vinyl, aluminum, fiberglass and multi-slide systems.

Pre-Hung Unit vs Slab Replacement

A slab is just the door panel, without frame or hinges. Swapping a slab is cheaper on materials, often a few hundred dollars for a steel or fiberglass slab, but the labor can be fussy. The installer has to match the hinge locations, bore for the lockset and deadbolt, and trim the door to fit an existing frame that may have shifted over the years. Slab replacement works best when the frame, threshold and weather stripping are all in good shape and the opening is square.

A pre-hung door comes already mounted in a new frame with hinges, threshold and weather stripping. Installation means removing the old door and frame, setting the new unit, shimming, fastening, insulating the gap, flashing and trimming. Pre-hung units cost more upfront but usually solve more problems: a new threshold, a fresh seal on all sides and a square frame. Labor for a pre-hung installation commonly runs about $300 to $1,000 or more depending on trim work, painting and whether the opening needs repair.

When a door is being replaced because of drafts, sticking or a rotted frame, a pre-hung unit is usually the more reliable fix.

What Drives the Price Up

Beyond the door itself, these items frequently change the final number:

Frame and sill rot

Rot at the bottom of the door jamb, the brick molding and the subfloor under the threshold is one of the most common surprises when an old door comes out. Water from driving rain, snowmelt, or a missing drip cap collects there over years. Repairing a few inches of jamb may add a modest amount; replacing rotted rim joist or subfloor can add hundreds to a few thousand dollars. Our guide to wood rot repair explains how to probe for soft wood and when patching works versus replacement.

Threshold and sill pan flashing

A sill pan is a waterproof tray that sits under the door threshold and directs any water that gets past the sill back outside. Many door manufacturers call for one in their installation instructions, and its absence is a common reason door sills and subfloors rot. Adding a formed or flexible-membrane sill pan adds modest material cost and some labor, but it is cheap insurance compared with replacing subfloor later.

Sidelights and transoms

Glass panels beside or above the door can roughly double or triple the price of the unit. Replacing a door with sidelights generally means replacing the whole assembly, since matching existing sidelights is difficult.

Glass in the door

Decorative glass, full-lite panels and internal blinds add cost. Glass in or near doors generally must be safety glazing, which reputable manufacturers include as standard.

Hardware

Basic handle sets and deadbolts run modestly; smart locks, multi-point locks and premium finishes can add several hundred dollars.

Trim, paint and finishing

New interior casing, exterior brick molding, painting or staining and any drywall patching add labor. Some quotes include these; others leave them to the homeowner.

Lead-safe work in older homes

In pre-1978 homes, removing an old door frame disturbs painted surfaces. EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting program notes that old paint on friction surfaces such as doors can produce hazardous chips and dust, and that contractors paid to disturb paint in pre-1978 homes generally must be certified in lead-safe work practices. Lead-safe containment and cleanup can add to labor.

Structural changes

Widening an opening, adding a double door or relocating an entry requires a new header and possibly a permit, which moves the project into a different budget range entirely.

Energy Efficiency and ENERGY STAR Doors

An old, poorly sealed entry door can be a noticeable source of drafts. ENERGY STAR certifies residential doors based on U-factor and, where applicable, solar heat gain coefficient, with requirements that depend on the door’s glazing level, meaning how much glass it has. The program advises shoppers to determine their climate zone, look for products certified for that zone, and ask installers to break quotes down by labor and materials. It also notes that ENERGY STAR certified windows, doors and skylights may cost more than non-certified products while the labor should be comparable.

Practical points for Front Range homeowners:

• Solid or minimal-glass insulated steel and fiberglass doors generally insulate better than doors with large glass areas.
• Where a door has substantial glass, low-E insulated glass helps limit winter heat loss and reduce intense high-altitude sun.
• Weather stripping and threshold adjustment matter as much as the door rating. ENERGY STAR’s seal-and-insulate guidance lists installing weather stripping on doors among the simple fixes for drafts.
• Utility rebates and federal tax credits for certified products change over time, so it is worth checking current eligibility before buying.

If drafts seem to come from everywhere, not just the door, the house may have broader air leakage. Windows are often the next suspect; our window replacement cost guide covers that side of the budget.

Security, Hail and Sun Durability

Security

Most forced entries through a door defeat the frame, not the door itself. A solid-core or steel door matters less if the strike plate is held by short screws into thin jamb wood. Practical upgrades include a reinforced strike plate with long screws into the framing, a deadbolt with a full one-inch throw, and hinge screws that reach the stud. These add little to the cost of a new pre-hung installation and are worth requesting.

Hail

Colorado’s Front Range sees frequent hailstorms. Steel doors dent; fiberglass and well-maintained wood generally shrug off moderate hail better. A covered porch or deep overhang does more for door longevity than almost any material choice.

Sun and heat

Strong high-altitude sun breaks down finishes on all door materials, especially on south and west exposures. Dark colors absorb more heat. Some manufacturers caution that a full-glass storm door over certain door styles or dark colors can trap enough heat to damage the entry door, and some restrict warranty coverage in that setup. If a storm door is planned, check the entry door’s warranty first. Our guide to storm door installation covers ventilating designs that reduce this risk.

Repair First? Lower-Cost Fixes Worth Trying

Before committing to a new unit, it is worth separating problems that live in the door from problems that live in the opening. Several common complaints have inexpensive fixes:

• Drafts at the edges: new compression or kerf-in weather stripping often costs well under $100 in materials and can be a DIY job on many steel and fiberglass doors.
• Gap at the bottom: many thresholds have adjustable caps, and a worn door sweep can be swapped for a modest cost.
• Sticking or rubbing: replacing one short hinge screw with a 3-inch screw into the stud can pull a sagging door back into alignment. A handyman visit for hinge and strike adjustments is commonly about $100 to $250.
• Faded or peeling finish: refinishing a wood or fiberglass door, either in place or removed for a day, often costs a few hundred dollars and buys years of life.
• Small areas of soft wood: localized rot at the bottom of a jamb can sometimes be repaired with epoxy consolidant and filler or a spliced-in section rather than a full frame replacement.
• Failed glass insert: some decorative door lites can be replaced as a unit without replacing the whole door.

If several of these repairs are needed at once, or the same problem keeps returning after a fix, the economics usually tilt toward replacement.

Double Doors, French Doors and Other Openings

Not every exterior door is a single 36-inch entry. Costs scale up for larger or more complex openings:

• Double entry doors: two active or one active and one fixed panel, often about $2,000 to $8,000 or more installed depending on material and glass.
• Hinged patio or French doors: often about $1,500 to $6,000 installed, with wood-clad and fiberglass units at the upper end.
• Garage entry and side doors: the door between an attached garage and the house is frequently a simple steel or solid-core door. Many local building codes call for specific fire-resistance or self-closing features at that location, so check local requirements before swapping one out.
• Basement walkout doors: these sit close to grade, where water management and the sill pan matter even more.

A typical single-door replacement takes an installer about half a day to a full day. Custom-ordered doors may take several weeks to arrive, so homeowners planning around a sale or move should factor in lead time.

Signs It Is Time to Replace an Exterior Door

Not every tired door needs replacing. Hinge adjustments, new weather stripping, a threshold tweak or a refinish can solve many problems for a fraction of the cost. Replacement starts to make sense when several of these show up together:

• Persistent drafts even after new weather stripping, often because the door or frame has warped.
• Sticking or binding that returns after hinge adjustment, a sign the frame has shifted or swollen.
• Soft wood at the bottom of the jamb, brick molding or door itself.
• Water stains or soft flooring inside the threshold, which can point to a failed sill or missing sill pan.
• Fogged glass in an insulated glass panel, meaning the seal has failed.
• Rusted, dented or delaminating skins on steel or fiberglass doors.
• Security weaknesses such as a split jamb or a lock that will not engage reliably.

Home inspectors look at exterior doors as part of a standard inspection. The ASHI Standard of Practice lists exterior doors among the exterior items an inspector inspects, along with wall coverings, flashing and trim, so a pre-purchase inspection report is often the first place a buyer learns that a door and its threshold need attention.

Getting Accurate Quotes

Comparing door quotes is easier with a short checklist. Ask each installer to specify:

• Brand, product line, material and glass package of the door.
• Pre-hung unit or slab, and whether the existing frame stays.
• Whether a sill pan, new brick molding, interior casing and paint are included.
• How rot or subfloor damage discovered during removal will be priced.
• Hardware included, and whether a reinforced strike plate is part of the job.
• Disposal of the old door and lead-safe practices for pre-1978 homes.
• Labor warranty in addition to the manufacturer’s product warranty.

Buyers who want a professional opinion on a home’s doors, windows and exterior before closing can start with the guide to hiring a home inspector, which explains what a standard inspection covers and when to bring in a specialist.

References

• Residential Windows, Doors and Skylights — ENERGY STAR
• Seal and Insulate with ENERGY STAR — ENERGY STAR
• ASHI Standard of Practice for Home Inspection — American Society of Home Inspectors
• Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Seeing soft wood, water stains or daylight around an entry door in a home you are buying? Contact us and we can help you find a Front Range inspector to check the door, frame and threshold before you commit.