Exterior Door Installation Cost Calculator

Most exterior doors run $500 to $3,000 each installed, including the door and labor. A basic steel or fiberglass single entry door replacement is often $600 to $1,500, while double doors, sliding patio doors, and French doors cost more — a premium French patio door with decorative glass or sidelights can reach $3,000 or beyond. The main drivers are the door type, the material, whether you're replacing in the existing opening or cutting a new one, and the finish (glass, hardware, style). Labor alone is usually a few hundred dollars per door for a straightforward replacement. Enter your doors, type, material, and finish in the calculator above for a localized number.

The door type sets the base cost because it's the unit size plus the installation complexity. A single entry door is the most affordable (~$700 base). A sliding patio door (~$1,300) is a large glass unit. A double entry door (~$1,400) is two panels for a grand entrance. And French patio doors (~$1,800) are hinged glass double doors, the priciest of the common types. Patio and double doors cost more because they're bigger, heavier, glass-heavy units that take more care to set square and seal. The calculator prices each type so you can compare a simple back-door swap against a statement front entrance.

Each has a niche. Steel is the most economical (about 10% less here) with excellent security and decent efficiency, but it can dent and may rust if scratched. Fiberglass is the popular sweet spot (about 10% more) — durable, low-maintenance, energy-efficient, resistant to dents, warping, and rot, and available in convincing wood-look finishes. Solid wood is the premium, classic choice (about 35% more) with the most customization and beauty, but it costs the most and needs periodic refinishing to handle weather. For most homeowners fiberglass is the best long-term value; steel wins on budget and security; wood is for authentic high-end looks. The calculator lets you compare all three.

Yes, usually a lot less. Replacing a door in its existing opening — pulling the old unit and fitting a new pre-hung door into the same rough opening — is the common, economical case because the structural opening, header, and framing are already there. Cutting a brand-new opening is far more involved: it means framing a new rough opening, installing a structural header to carry the load above the door, possibly rerouting electrical or plumbing in the wall, and patching siding and interior finishes. That adds about $800 per door here, and more for load-bearing walls. If you're simply swapping an old door, you're in the cheaper replacement category; adding a door where there wasn't one costs considerably more.

Finish level reflects glass, decorative detail, and hardware quality. A basic finish is a solid door with no glass (the cheapest, about 10% less). A standard finish includes some glass — a small window or half-lite — and is the typical choice. A premium finish (about 30% more) has decorative or full glass, upgraded panel styling, and better hardware. Glass and decorative detailing drive a surprising amount of a door's price, so an ornate glass entry door costs well more than the same door as a plain solid slab. Pick the finish that matches the look you want; the calculator adjusts the base accordingly.

For exterior doors, pre-hung is almost always the right call and what pros install. A pre-hung door comes already mounted in a new frame with hinges and weatherstripping in place, so the whole unit goes into the opening as one piece — which is what ensures proper alignment, a tight weather seal, and correct operation, all critical for an exterior door's security and efficiency. A slab is just the door panel, meant to hang in an existing good-condition frame; it can work for a simple interior-style swap but is much harder to seal and align outdoors. Because exterior doors must seal tightly against weather, pre-hung is the standard, and this calculator's pricing reflects pre-hung installation.

Yes, especially if you're replacing an old, drafty, or poorly sealed door. Modern insulated steel and fiberglass doors have foam cores and tight weatherstripping that cut air leakage and heat transfer far better than old wood or hollow doors. A correct installation with good sealing around the frame matters as much as the door itself for stopping drafts. Look for ENERGY STAR–rated doors to lower heating and cooling costs and improve comfort, and note that adding a storm door creates an extra insulating air layer. One door won't transform your energy bill, but replacing a leaky entry door is a worthwhile efficiency, comfort, security, and curb-appeal upgrade.

Both are popular for good reasons. Sidelights are the narrow glass panels beside an entry door (~$400/door here) — they flood the entry with natural light, make the entrance feel grander and more welcoming, and boost curb appeal, though they add glass to consider for privacy and may require widening the opening. A storm door (~$250/door) is a lightweight secondary door in front of your main one; it adds an insulating air layer, protects the main door from weather and wear, and lets you open up for light and ventilation through a screen. Storm doors shine in harsh climates and for protecting nice wood or painted entry doors. The calculator offers both as add-ons.

Beyond the door itself, a few line items round out a real quote. Paint or stain for a paintable/stainable door (~$150/door) gives it a finished, sealed surface. Interior and exterior trim and casing (~$150/door) frames the opening cleanly, which matters after a new-opening cut or when old trim is damaged. Hauling away the old door and frame (~$50/door) covers disposal. And a smart lock or premium hardware (~$200) upgrades security and convenience with keyless entry. None are mandatory, but painting, trim, and haul-away in particular are easy to overlook and commonly needed — the calculator includes each so your estimate reflects the whole job.

A straightforward replacement — swapping a pre-hung door into an existing opening — usually takes just a few hours, often two to four, so a single door is typically a same-day job and even several doors can often be done in a day. The work is removing the old door and frame, prepping and checking the opening, setting and shimming the new unit level and plumb, securing it, sealing and insulating around the frame, installing hardware, and adjusting for smooth operation and a tight seal. Cutting a new opening takes considerably longer because of framing, the header, and patching siding and interior finishes. Adding sidelights, painting or staining, or trim work also extends it, but most simple replacements are working the same day.