How to Estimate Exterior Door Costs

Overview

Many older homes have old exterior doors that are damaged or unsightly which may need to be repaired or replaced on your rehab projects. .As a house flipper, you will need to be able inspect the exterior doors and determine whether the doors need to be repaired or replaced and estimate an approximate budget.

Basics Of Estimating Exterior Door Costs

Exterior doors are simply measured and estimated based on the count, so to estimate your exterior doors you simply need to count the # of doors you need to replace in the property.

Installation Costs

Exterior steel entry door, single, L+M ($250 - $800 each)
Exterior wood entry door, single, L+M ($300 - $1,000 each)
French patio door, L+M ($600 - $1,500 each)
Sliding glass patio door, L+M ($600 - $1,500 each)
Exterior glass storm door, L+M ($200 - $500 each)
Exterior screen door, L+M ($125 - $250 each)
Demolish existing doors ($15 - $50 each)

Installation Timeline

On a typical rehab project, you will likely replace the front entry door, a garage entry door & a patio door. Each single entry door will likely take around 2 to 3 hours to remove and replace. Exterior patio door may take 3 to 6 hours.

Other Costs

Exterior door hardware, L+M ($50 - $250 each)
Door trim kit, L+M ($75 - $125 each)

Price Considerations

#1 Type of Door Material

The most obvious factor that influences door pricing is the type of door material being installed. Steel or Fiberglass entry doors are the cheapest ($150 to $300), whereas custom wood doors can be $500 to $2,000 each.

#2 Size of Door

Single doors are obviously cheaper than double, french doors. Custom door sizes will also be a premium to in-stock door materials.

#3 Door Rough Opening Modifications

If you are changing the size of the door rough-opening this will require additional work for framing, siding, & painting.

#4 Water Damage/Wood Rot

Often times after removing an existing door you may find that the wood framing may be damaged from water, moisture & wood rot, which could result in additional cost to repair the framing and trim.

#5 Door Hardware

Door hardware prices can vary from as little as $25 to as much as $250 per door if you are installing electrified door hardware.

Writing A Scope Of Work & Getting Bids

You have 2 different options for contracting the exterior door work and handling the exterior door materials:

Option #1: The contractor is responsible for furnishing and installing all exterior door materials.
Option #2: The contractor is responsible for installation only & rough installation materials (shims, screws, fasteners, etc) and you purchase the exterior door 'finish' materials separately.

The first option passes on all material responsibility to the Contractor so they are responsible for purchasing and installing the exterior door materials.

The second option is to have the Contractor provide the rough materials (shims, screws & misc fasteners)and you (the house flipper) purchase the exterior door materials separately.

By taking responsibility for the finished materials, you have more control and flexibility with the materials and finishes that are installed on your project. However, this requires much more time commitment and coordination to ensure the doors are delivered on time when the Contractor needs them.

Here is an example of how to write a Scope of Work that ensures your Deck Contractor provides an all-inclusive bid.

Example Scope Of Work

All Exterior Door work (including door materials) is to be contractor-purchased Purchased, and Contractor Installed.

Furnish and install new exterior entry doors, patio doors, and door hardware.
The contractor to field verify, measure, and confirm doors specified below will fit in existing openings.
Front Entry Door SKU #: Input SKU #.
Patio Entry Door SKU #: Input SKU #.
Door Hardward SKU #: Input SKU #.
Remove existing doors to be replaced with new ones.
Furnish and install caulking, flashing, and trim boards around doors to provide water-tight installation.