Most of what's published about door pricing online is materials-only, national, and gathered from sources that have never installed anything. It describes a number you can't buy.
These are our numbers, from our own jobs on the Front Range.
Installed, most doors land between $1,500 and $6,000. The spread is wide because "a door" covers everything from a storm door screwed to an existing frame to a full entry system with sidelites and a transom that has to be structurally framed.
This is the research companion to our door installation page — that's the page to go to when you're ready for a quote. This one is here to give you real numbers first.
Get a real number for your doors.
We look at the opening, the door, and the hardware, price it line by line, and show you real options. No four-hour presentation, no price that expires tonight.
By configuration
This is the useful way to think about it, because the configuration drives the price far more than the brand does.
| What you're replacing | Typical installed range |
|---|---|
| Storm door | $500 – $1,200 |
| Entry door, slab and frame, existing opening | $1,500 – $3,000 |
| Entry door with sidelites or a transom | $3,000 – $6,000 |
| Sliding patio door | $2,500 – $5,000 |
| French or hinged patio door | $3,500 – $7,000 |
Above that range you're into custom sizing, structural changes to the opening, or specialty materials. We'll quote it, but it stops being a category and starts being a project.
What actually moves the number
The opening. Replacing a door in an existing, square, sound opening is the cheap version. Changing the size, replacing rotted framing, or cutting a new opening is a different job with a different number. This is the largest variable and the one nobody quotes over the phone.
Material. This is the second largest driver, and the spread inside a single material is wider than the gap between materials.
- Steel is the value end and holds up well on a protected entry. Good security, low maintenance, and the least expensive way to get a solid door.
- Fiberglass costs more and is usually the honest answer for a west- or south-facing door taking full Colorado sun. It doesn't warp and it doesn't need refinishing. It can also be finished to look like wood without behaving like wood.
- Solid wood is the premium look and a maintenance commitment. On a fully exposed Front Range entry, wood needs attention on a schedule, and homeowners are frequently not told that before they buy it.
Within any of these, a basic flush slab and a top-of-line unit with decorative glass and a multipoint lock can differ by several times over. Which is why the material question alone doesn't get you to a price.
Glass. Glass in the door, sidelites, and decorative glass all add cost, and faster than most people expect. A door with a full decorative glass insert can cost more than double the same door as a solid slab.
Hardware. Basic lockset to multipoint locking is a real spread. Smart locks add a little.
Threshold and sill work. Frequently needed on older Denver homes and frequently not in the estimate someone else gave you.
Storm doors are the cheap fix people forget about
A storm door is often the answer when the entry door itself is fine and the problem is drafts, weather exposure, or wanting airflow without bugs. It's the lowest-cost thing we install and it solves a real problem.
It's also not a fix for a failing door. If the entry door is warped, rotted, or leaking around the frame, a storm door in front of it is a screen over a problem.
We'll tell you which one you have.
Why the published numbers are wrong
National cost sites publish materials-only figures pulled from retail listings. They exclude the frame, the labor, the disposal, the threshold, the trim, the finish work, and the permit where one is required. That's most of the job.
We publish installed numbers because the installed number is the only one you can write a check for. If a quote you're comparing against ours looks dramatically lower, find out what isn't in it.
Repair before replace
A door that sticks, drags, or lets air through isn't automatically a door that needs replacing. Frequently it's hinges, a sagging frame, a worn threshold, or weatherstripping — all of which are cheap.
We do that work too, and we'd rather do the small job well and be the ones you call for the big one.
Get a real number for your doors.
We look at the opening, the door, and the hardware, price it line by line, and show you real options. No four-hour presentation, no price that expires tonight.
Common questions
Do you install doors you didn't supply?
Generally no. We warranty our own installations and that gets complicated when the product came from somewhere else.
How long does a door installation take?
Most single entry doors are a same-day job. Patio doors are usually same-day. Anything requiring structural change to the opening runs longer.
Do I need a permit?
Sometimes. Replacing a door in the existing opening usually doesn't. Changing the opening size usually does. We pull it where it's required.
What brands do you carry?
We're independent, so we can source dozens of manufacturers. On doors, ProVia is the line we know best. If you've researched something else, bring it to us.
Can you match my existing door?
Usually. Send us a photo and measurements and we'll tell you before anyone comes out.
Is it worth replacing a door for energy efficiency alone?
Rarely on its own. A door is a small share of your exterior envelope. Replace it because it's failing, because it doesn't lock properly, because it looks bad, or because it leaks. Treat any efficiency gain as a bonus rather than the reason.