Front Door Replacement Cost Calculator
Front Door Replacement costs $1,525 to $2,300 for a typical 1 doors job in 2026, against a national benchmark of $1,850. Labor runs 5 crew hours at $34.37 an hour. Enter a ZIP code to apply that area's measured wages for this work and its regional price level.
What makes up the price
Cost by size
National averages, before any local adjustment. Computed from the same model as the calculator above, so the two always agree.
| Number of doors | Doors | Typical | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 doors | 1 | $1,850 | $1,525 to $2,300 |
| 2 doors | 2 | $3,450 | $2,825 to $4,275 |
Steel, fiberglass or wood
This is the decision, and on the same opening it is the difference between $1,275 and $2,975.
| Steel | Fiberglass | Solid wood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Installed here | $1,275 | $1,850 | $2,975 |
| Dents | yes, permanently | no | no |
| Rusts | at cut edges and scratches | no | no |
| Rots or warps | no | no | yes, without shelter |
| Holds paint | repaint every few years | indefinitely | needs refinishing |
| Insulation | lowest of the three | best | middling |
| Security | good — it is steel | good | good |
| Looks like wood | no | convincingly | it is wood |
Fiberglass is the default and deserves to be. It does not dent, does not rust, does not rot, takes a woodgrain finish that is convincing from more than a few feet, and holds paint far longer than either of the others. It is about $575 more than steel installed, which is 45% more for a door that will still look right in twenty years.
Steel makes sense on a door nobody looks at — a side door, a garage-to-house door, a rental — and where budget is the deciding factor. Its two real weaknesses are that a dent is permanent, so a door in a tight parking lot or with children and bicycles around it will end up marked, and that any scratch through the finish to bare metal will eventually rust and streak.
Solid wood is the best-looking of the three and the most demanding. It needs shelter. A wood front door under a deep porch roof, out of direct sun and driving rain, lasts decades and can be refinished indefinitely. The same door on a south or west elevation with no overhang will cup, check and need refinishing every two or three years, and eventually it will fail. If there is no roof over the door, buy fiberglass and have it finished to look like wood.
The two things that change the price, and neither is the door
A $1,850 door becomes a $4,000 project through one of two routes, and a quote written from the sidewalk cannot see either.
The opening
- Reusing the existing opening is the cheap case and most replacements are this. A standard 36 inch pre-hung unit into a 36 inch hole.
- Making it wider or taller means altering the framing, and adds about 35%.
- Cutting a new opening means a header sized for the span, temporary support while it goes in, and then siding, flashing, insulation, interior drywall and trim to make good. It adds about 90%, and on a load-bearing wall it is a structural decision rather than a carpentry one.
If somebody is quoting you a wider door, ask whether the header is being replaced and who sized it.
What the old threshold has been leaking into
A door is the lowest penetration in a wall. Everything that gets past a worn threshold or a failed sill pan runs down into the sill plate, the rim joist and the edge of the subfloor — and none of it is visible until the old unit comes out.
Go and check before anybody quotes. Press the threshold, and the trim on each side of it, with the tip of a screwdriver. If it sinks in, the wood is gone. Look for staining on the floor inside the door, lifting flooring near the threshold, or a springy spot. Then tell the installer what you found and get the repair priced as a line rather than discovered on the day — soft framing adds about 18% and genuine rot about 40%, and the version you find out about mid-job is always the expensive version.
What you are paying for
For one fiberglass entry door into a sound existing opening, at $1,850:
| The door, pre-hung with frame and weatherstripping | $850 |
| Sill pan, flashing, foam, shims and lockset | $165 |
| Labor, about 5 hours | around $240 |
| Permit and disposal of the old door | $120 |
| Overhead and margin | the balance |
Two notes. Labor is the smallest line, which is unusual on this site and is why the door you choose moves the price more than who installs it. And the $165 kit is not optional — the sill pan in particular is the item most often left out, and it is the piece that decides whether water that gets past the threshold drains back out or goes into the subfloor.
Buy a pre-hung door, not a slab
A slab is just the door. A pre-hung unit is the door already hung in a new frame, with the hinges mortised, the sill attached and the weatherstripping fitted.
Slabs are cheaper and they are almost always the wrong choice on an exterior door:
- The existing frame is usually the part that has aged worst, because it is what the weather and the water have been working on.
- A slab has to be cut to the old opening, the hinges mortised to match, and the lock bored — hours of fitting that can still end up with uneven gaps.
- The weather seal and the threshold stay as old as they were, which is most of what you were trying to fix.
Buy a slab only when the frame is genuinely sound and recent, and the door itself is damaged.
The things worth specifying
- Energy Star rating and the U-factor. A front door is a small part of the envelope, but it is a part people stand next to. Look for a U-factor around 0.20 to 0.30 for an insulated door.
- A sill pan. Ask for it by name. It is $35 to $55 and it is the difference between a leak that drains out and a leak that rots the floor.
- Adjustable threshold. Lets the seal be tuned later as the house moves, rather than needing a new door when daylight shows under it.
- Composite or rot-proof jamb legs. The bottom six inches of a wood jamb is where exterior door frames fail. Several manufacturers offer a composite bottom section, and it is worth asking for.
- Multi-point lock, or at least a reinforced strike. Most forced entries go through the jamb rather than the door — the latch tears out of a strike plate screwed into trim. Long screws into the stud behind, or a reinforced strike box, is cheap and is the single most effective security upgrade available here.
- The swing. Which side the hinges go and whether it opens in or out. Think about where the door lands against a hall, a closet, a light switch.
- Glass, honestly. A full glass lite next to a lock is a security consideration, and glass is where most of the heat loss in a door happens. Decorative glass also adds considerably to the price, and it is the item most likely to make two quotes incomparable.
Painting and finishing
A pre-hung fiberglass or steel door usually arrives primed, not finished, and primed is not weatherproof. If it is not being painted within a few weeks, ask about a factory-finished unit instead — the finish is better, it is warranted, and it removes a job from your list at a modest premium.
Dark colors on a door in direct sun get hot enough to matter: on a fiberglass or steel door the heat can distort the slab, and most manufacturers' warranties exclude dark colors on unshaded south-facing doors. Check before you choose black.
When a repair is the better answer
Not every bad front door needs replacing:
- Drafts are usually the weatherstripping or the threshold, and both are replaceable for well under $100.
- Sticking or binding is often hinge screws that have worked loose, or settlement that a strike plate adjustment fixes.
- A door that will not latch is nearly always the strike plate, not the door.
- Peeling paint on wood is a refinishing job, not a replacement, if the door itself is sound.
Replace when the frame has rotted, the slab is damaged or delaminating, the door is a security weakness, the size is changing, or you simply want a better-looking entrance — which is a legitimate reason and the one most front doors are actually replaced for.
Questions worth asking
- Pre-hung or slab? Pre-hung, almost always.
- Is a sill pan included?
- What is the U-factor, and is it Energy Star rated for this climate zone?
- Is the threshold adjustable?
- Are the jamb legs composite at the bottom?
- Is the lockset included, and is the strike reinforced into the stud?
- Factory finished or primed? And if primed, who paints it?
- Is the exterior trim or brick molding included, and the interior casing?
- What happens if there is rot? Get a rate, not a shrug.
- Is the old door hauled away, and is that in the price?
Common questions
How much does it cost to replace a front door?
Between $1,525 and $2,300 for a fiberglass entry door into a sound existing opening, with a typical job near $1,850. Steel on the same opening is about $1,275 and solid wood about $2,975. The two things that move it beyond that are the opening — cutting a new one adds about 90% and widening an existing one about 35% — and rot in the sill or subfloor, which adds about 40% and is not visible when the quote is written.
Steel or fiberglass front door?
Fiberglass, for about $575 more installed. It does not dent, does not rust, holds paint far longer, insulates better, and takes a woodgrain finish that is convincing from more than a few feet. Steel's two real weaknesses are that a dent is permanent — so a door with bicycles or a tight parking lot around it will end up marked — and that any scratch through to bare metal eventually rusts and streaks. Steel makes sense on a side door, a garage-to-house door or a rental where budget decides.
Is a solid wood front door worth it?
Only if there is a roof over it. A wood front door under a deep porch, out of direct sun and driving rain, lasts decades and can be refinished indefinitely — and nothing else looks as good. The same door on a south or west elevation with no overhang will cup, check and need refinishing every two or three years, and will eventually fail. With no shelter, buy fiberglass finished to look like wood: it is $1,125 cheaper here and it will still look right in twenty years.
Should I buy a pre-hung door or a slab?
Pre-hung, almost always, on an exterior door. A slab is just the door; pre-hung means it arrives already hung in a new frame with the hinges mortised, the sill attached and the weatherstripping fitted. The existing frame is usually the part that has aged worst, because it is what the water has been working on, and a slab leaves the old sill, jamb and weather seal in place — which is most of what you were trying to fix. Buy a slab only when the frame is genuinely sound and recent.
What is a sill pan and do I need one?
A molded tray that sits under the door sill and drains any water that gets past the threshold back out to the exterior. It costs $35 to $55, it is the item most often left out of a door installation, and it is the piece that decides whether a future leak drains away or soaks into the rim joist and subfloor. Ask for it by name and check it is on the quote — nobody will ever see it again once the door is in, which is exactly why it gets skipped.
How do I check for rot before getting a door quote?
Press the threshold, and the trim on each side of it, with the tip of a screwdriver. If it sinks in, the wood has gone. Also look for staining on the floor just inside the door, flooring that is lifting or cupping near the threshold, and any springy feel underfoot. A door is the lowest penetration in a wall, so anything getting past a worn threshold has been running into the sill plate, rim joist and subfloor for years. Find it first and get the repair priced as a line rather than discovered on the day.
How much does it cost to cut a new door opening?
About 90% on top of the door itself, so a fiberglass door into a new opening runs near $3,525 rather than $1,850. The work is a header sized for the span, temporary support while it goes in, then siding, flashing, insulation, drywall and trim to make the wall good again. On a load-bearing wall it is a structural decision rather than a carpentry one, so ask who sized the header. Widening an existing opening is cheaper at about 35%, because the framing is altered rather than created.
How long does it take to replace a front door?
About five hours for one door into a sound existing opening — a half day, including removal, the sill pan, dry fitting, shimming to plumb, fastening, foaming, flashing, the threshold seal, the lockset and the trim. Solid wood takes a little longer because it is heavier and fitted more carefully. If the opening is being resized or there is rot to deal with, it becomes a full day or more, which is worth knowing because the door will be open while it happens.
Does a front door need a permit?
Often not for a straight like-for-like replacement, but frequently yes once the opening size changes, and the rules vary by jurisdiction. The model here allows $120 for a permit and disposal together, with permits commonly $50 to $150 and removal of the old door $50 to $150 — many installers bill the removal separately at $100 to $500. Ask whether both are in the quoted figure, because they are two of the commonest add-ons after the fact.
What is the most effective front door security upgrade?
Long screws into the stud behind the strike plate, or a reinforced strike box. Most forced entries go through the jamb rather than the door — the latch tears the strike plate out of trim that is only held by short screws. It costs almost nothing and it is more effective than a better lock on an unreinforced frame. Beyond that, a multi-point lock and thinking twice about a full glass lite within reach of the deadbolt are the things worth considering.
Can I paint a new front door any color?
Not quite. Dark colors on a door in direct sun get hot enough to distort a fiberglass or steel slab, and most manufacturers exclude dark finishes on unshaded south-facing doors from their warranty. Check the specific product before choosing black or a deep color on an exposed elevation. Also note that a primed door is not weatherproof — if it is not being painted within a few weeks of installation, a factory-finished unit is better, better warranted and one less job.
Should I repair or replace my front door?
Repair if the problem is drafts, sticking or latching. Weatherstripping and thresholds are replaceable for well under $100; binding is usually loose hinge screws or a strike plate that needs moving; a door that will not latch is nearly always the strike plate rather than the door. Peeling paint on sound wood is refinishing, not replacement. Replace when the frame has rotted, the slab is damaged or delaminating, the door is a security weakness, the size is changing — or simply because you want a better entrance, which is what most front doors are actually replaced for.
Where these numbers come from
Nothing here is copied from a contractor directory. Labor is priced from what the trades are actually paid, materials from published producer prices, and both are adjusted to your area using federal cost-of-living data.
- Finish carpentry contractors, United States: $34.37/hour, August 2026 (BLS CES CES2023835003)
- Fiberglass entry door, pre-hung: $850.00 per door (price recorded October 2026, not index-adjusted)
- Sill pan, flashing, foam, shims and lockset: $165.00 per door (price recorded October 2026, not index-adjusted)