Door Cost

Everyone needs a door to close, no matter what your budget. Luckily, doors costs vary widely depending on what you want and need. Doors are classified into three basic categories:

• Exterior
• Interior
• Utility

For any type of door, the costs are dertermined by construction, weather-tightness, function, appearance, weight, and material costs. Like most things, door costs will typically increase with quality.

Welcome Home: Exterior Doors

Exterior doors, like front doors, have one of widest variances in cost. A basic tract home might come with a fanlight wood door, available at your local home improvement store for less than $200. Custom-made, air-tight, weather-treated doors made from fine woods like mahogany with double-paned, leaded sidelight windows and brass hardware can cost thousands of dollars. You can expect the same to be true of patio doors: From aluminum sliders to weather-resistant French doors, costs will vary greatly.But between those two extremes, there is an exterior door cost suitable for every budget.

A Room of One's Own: Interior Doors

Interior door costs can also vary, but the function is so much simpler that the door cost stays relatively in control. Hollow core doors, typical in homes, can run just $25 to about $50. If you want a true-divided light door for an office or den, you can expect to spend a few hundred dollars. You'll also pay a premium for unique-shaped doors--arched tops or non-standard sizes. If pocket doors are going to help you maximize your space, then count on a $100-$300 additionally for the frame and hardware.

Function Over Fashion: Utility Doors

Utility doors are doors are more about function than about beauty. They are typically used more in industrial settings than residential ones; think of them as the back doors on commercial buildings. Usually they are fire-safe, thick, and heavily insulated doors. But for residential purposes, utility doors can be anything from closet doors to garage doors, and the door costs vary widely based on construction, appearance, and operation. Closet doors can be as affordable as $40-60, and garage doors can be as expensive as $900 or more.

• Compare warranties before buying a door replacement

  January 16, 2012

  If you are buying a front door replacement you are probably looking for style and security. Here's why a long-term warranty should be one of your decision criteria and what it should comprise.... More >>

• 3 tips for low-priced door replacement

  January 15, 2012

  Although interior and exterior doors typically last more than a dozen years, sometimes they need to be replaced. If you recently experienced "sticker shock" when shopping around, use these tips to control costs.... More >>

• Door replacement markups: reality or myth?

  January 13, 2012

  Huge contractor markups are more myth than reality. Find out why it makes good sense to have a professional handle the purchase for your door replacement.... More >>