Written by

Tom Grupa

September 4, 2024

Door Frame Repair Costs

The average cost to repair a door frame is $82 to $165 depending on the extent of the damage. Repairs to French door frames cost $210, and sliding door frame repairs run $100 to $240. Pocket door repair ranges from $40 to $280. Installing a new pre-hung door and frame costs $109 to $440.

Repairs are usually quick, such as tightening hinges, sanding, adding insulation tape, or caulking the frame, taking 1 to 3 hours of work. Sometimes, though, you’ll have to replace an interior or exterior door that is beyond repair.

Repairing a door frame can save time and money in that there is no additional cost of buying a new door or disposing of the old one. Sometimes smaller repairs like sanding or caulking you can do yourself. Most repairs like a damaged frame, sag on its hinges, or a door jam requires a handyman or carpenter.

Cost To Replace Door Frame

The average cost to install a new door frame is $170 for an interior door and $255 for an exterior door. A basic door frame costs $50 to $70, while a steel frame is $99 to $128+. Replacement takes 1 to 3 hours with a handyman charging $30 to $150 for labor and parts.

Interior Door Frame Replacement or Repair Cost

The cost to replace an entire interior door frame is $113 to $222, or $7 to $14 per linear foot. Interior door repairs range from $51 and $141 per damaged section. Final costs depend on the style and size of your door.

• Sliding or Bypass Door Repair – A bypass closet door track kit with a galvanized steel track and vinyl rollers starts at $12, while a stainless-steel sliding door track kit costs about $240. These doors are usually closet doors, and repairs needed focus on the track and rollers.

• Barn Door Repair – A barn sliding door track kit costs $170 to $300, or $600 for artisan hardware. These have rollers on a track attached to the wall above the door.

• Interior French Door Frame Repair – A professional will fill in damaged parts of the frame for around $10 per linear foot, so the cost to replace the entire frame of a 7’ x 7’ double French door could run an average of $210.

Interior Door Frame Kit

Pre-hung door frame kits cost $109 to $440 installed. Homeowners either replace the frame and door with a pre-hung door or only replace the frame. Experts recommend installing these over doors alone if the house is an older one that has shifted slightly over the years so that they are better aligned.

The prices of pre-hung doors vary by materials used and the amount of customization you would like. A flush-faced door is a door with the same plain sheet of plywood, veneer, or laminate on each side. A pre-hung door unit includes hinge hardware and a pre-drilled opening for a handle and lock.

Pocket Door Repair & Replacement Cost

Pocket door replacement costs $184 to $336, while repairs are $40 to $280. The tracks run $10 apiece, and rollers cost $9 to $209 each depending on the complexity and size of your door. A pocket door is one that slides into a pocket of space to hide it when open.

Usually, pocket door repairs are needed for the track they slide on, the rollers, or both. You can DIY this job at a much cheaper rate, but it does require at least two people to set all the parts in place. One person needs to be able to guide the door back on the track while the other person is holding it.

If only the door is damaged, then any interior door the size of the pocket opening will work as a replacement.

Exterior Door Frame Replacement Cost

• Exterior door frame replacement costs $112 to $382, or $7 to $20 per linear foot depending on the material and size.

• A wood door frame costs $212 to replace, while a metal one runs $192.

• Replacing a sliding or hinged patio door frame costs $350.

• Wooden door frame repairs cost $18 per linear foot, which covers 6” above and below the damage.

Most exterior doors are thicker and more solid than interior doors for security reasons. Locks and deadbolts are a significant part of an exterior door frame to provide strength and safety. Entry door materials are usually wood, steel, or fiberglass, with frames to match.

First, inspect the frame to see where repairs are needed. See if there are any signs of water damage, rust, or rot where the sill meets the door bottom. Rot is an indicator the caulk seam might be failing, allowing rainwater to come in and cause deterioration.

If the frame is in good shape, then only the doors will need to be replaced if they are damaged.

Sliding Door Frame Repair

A sliding glass patio door repair kit costs $35 or $8 to $14 for a sliding patio screen door repair kit. The sliding door track and roller system can be glued to the sliding door track without having to remove the door. Then a Teflon bracket is installed on each end of the door so the door will slide on the new plastic.

If you have a pet who likes to scratch at the screen door, consider installing pet-safe screen fabric, which can withstand the daily assaults better. A small 3’ x 7’ roll costs about $24 and a larger 4’ x 25' roll costs about $68.

• Finding a frame for sliding or swing patio doors is difficult since almost all patio doors come as a complete unit.

• The main repair needed on sliding patio doors is fixing a dragging door. Either the wheels/rollers and the track condition will affect the ease of sliding, so sometimes one or both of these need to be replaced. A professional might alternatively realign the rollers with the track or just clean the track.

• When it comes to parts, nylon or vinyl won’t be as durable as aluminum or steel.

Should I Repair or Replace My Door Frame?

With doors available at low prices, you might think it makes more sense to replace one, but door repairs can be cheap and give the door a much longer life.

Some homeowners happily replace hollow-core doors with solid doors to improve temperature and sound insulation. If you’re selling the home, paneled interior doors can upgrade the overall look of the house. Plus, updating the front door adds curb appeal.

Types of Door Frames

Most interior doors and frames are made of wood, with some homeowners preferring composite wood, fiberglass, vinyl, or metal doors for their durability.

• Wood doors and frames are the most common and typically made with softwoods like fir, pine, and hemlock because they are easier to work with and more economical than hardwood. They are excellent insulators.

• Vinyl or Composite frames and doors are durable, insulate well, and are less likely to show scratches or dings.

• Fiberglass doors and frames are durable, good insulators, and are unaffected by weather.

• Aluminum frames and doors are durable and light.

Common Issues To Fix Door Frames

The need for door frame repairs is commonly due to damaged doors and frames, causing the door to stick, sag, or not swing or slide properly. Other repairs focus on fixing broken hardware or locks.

Repairing the Door Slab

A professional will repair a six-inch hole in a door slab for $300 on average. Replacing the door costs $227 to $482 for parts and labor. The labor cost to plane 1/8" off a door edge so the door will close is $16. Holes up to ½” wide can be filled with wood putty or two coats of auto body filler and then smoothed out and painted once dry.

Replacing a door slab costs $32 for a hollow-core hardboard slab, up to $673 for custom ones made from more expensive woods. A slab door is simply a slab of wood or other material, likely hollow, with no drilled holes for handles or locks. Door slabs come without hardware and hinges, so keep the old hardware.

Broken Door Frame Repair Cost

• On average, the cost to repair a portion of a broken door frame is $160, or $17 per linear foot.

• Replacing metal door frames starts at $99 for drywall or blockwall and costs $216 installed.

• A composite door frame runs $192, or about $300 installed.

Wooden frames are the most structurally sound material for door frames, and they can be customized to fit different-sized openings and doors. Composite materials and metal are common materials for door frames that don’t chip as easily as wood.

Door Jamb Repair Cost

Removing and replace the casing, jamb, and stop is $360. Repair sections of the door jamb for an average labor cost of $7.40 per linear foot. Another option for exterior doors is to add a clad system over the existing jamb. A jamb cover made of recycled aluminum won’t need maintenance or painting for years.

Alternatively, a door jamb DIY kit costs $33 for a basic pine kit or up to $70 for a galvanized steel kit. BOSS sells a set of PVC jamb molding that’s break-in resistant for $330.

Jambs support the door through its hinges and are essential to security. If the jamb is rotting or decaying, then the overall structure of the frame is compromised. The hinges could rip off, and the door easily knocked down with one swift kick.

A handyman will:

1. Hand plane door edges to provide clearance

2. Add shim under the leaf to fix hinges that are routed too deeply

3. Adjust or shim the strike plate so a latch can close properly

Price varies depending on the type of wood you choose. The hardwoods will be more expensive. Softwoods are the standard because they have a bit more of a “give” in them and are easier to work with.

Rotted Door Frame Repair Cost

Sections of rotted door frames cost $15 to $45 for a DIY repair. Dark, discolored, and soft spots can be indicative of rotting wood. The rotted areas need to be replaced with small chips of wood and finished out with fiberglass filler or epoxy putty that costs $10 to $35.

Wood usually rots because of water leaks. Installing an exterior storm door will prevent future water from damaging the wood frame. If an interior frame is rotting, the water may be coming from a roof leak. An expert will be able to identify the water source and make recommendations to prevent water damage.

Casing and Trim

The cost to install door casing or trim around a door is $90 to $155. Mitered casing costs $28 to $54. It takes half an hour to remove the trim from a door and an hour to set casing on both sides of a door. The casing is the trim around a door.

When replacing the door casing, select one that is thicker than the previously installed casing to cover up wall damage from removing the casing and trim.

Fix Broken Door Hinges

The labor cost to loosen and reset a door hinge is $21 per piece. Hinges range in price from $9 to $214 per pair because they are made for different door types. Door hinges are often painted over with many layers of paint, especially in an older home. Expect to pay more if this is the case.

• Sometimes it may seem like the hinge is broken, but really the screw holes are worn or not in the right spot. Both of these are easily remedied by creating new screw holes. Hammer a trimmed shim into the original screw hole. Drill the screw back in, and the shim will take up any excess room.

• To replace the hinges, the whole door will need to come off. Put the new hinges on the frame first, then put the door back in place and secure the hinges to it.

• To stop a door from swinging open, bend the hinge pin slightly while the hinge pin is out and you have a shim holding the door in place.

Door Hardware and Locks

Hire a locksmith to handle any hardware and lock repairs for $50 to $250, depending on the type of lock, extent of damage, accessibility, and whether it involves replacement parts. Many lock set and knob issues can be resolved before they create more significant problems.

• Sometimes it’s a manufacturer defect or a bad lock that causes the problem.

• The lock might not be working because it’s not greased up inside, which can be solved by squeezing graphite into the lock.

• The latch may not sit right on the door due to the door not being installed right. This can be solved by having a locksmith take a look at your door and reinstalling it correctly, if need be.

Shower Door Repair

A pack of sliding shower door rollers costs $3 to $15 for various brackets and bottom-guide shower door assembly parts. The biggest issue is repairing a shower’s sticking sliding door, which is a DIY project.

Door Glass Repair

Broken glass in a door can be quickly replaced and installed very cleanly by a glazier, or glass specialist. Doors with glass panes are usually created with a groove for the glass to sit in, making it an uncomplicated job. This can also be an opportunity to swap out the glass for a different style or a glass pane with better insulation.

Rebuild a Door

Sometimes the glue joining the various parts of a door turn to powder and the parts need to be put back together more solidly. All old glue is removed, and new adhesive glues the pieces back together. Many carpenters will add screws to strengthen the door further. The new glue will need to dry overnight before reinstallation.

Insulate a Door

Raise a door threshold or weatherstrip the inside of the door frame for insulation. Adjust existing door thresholds by loosening the screws in the threshold until the door closes with no gaps under the door. To install weatherstrip, a professional will saw 3/8” off the bottom of the door and nail a bottom door seal and weatherstripping to it for a tight seal.

For DIY weatherstripping:

• Add a door sweep to the bottom of the door. Door sweeps can cost from $2 for a 36” vinyl sweep for a swinging shower door to $102 for a 48” pest control sweep for an exterior door.

• Add a door jamb vinyl bulb weatherstrip around the top and sides of the door for $10 to $16 per top-and-sides set.

Cosmetic Door Repairs

• Clean off wax buildup first.

• If a door has any worn finish on it, the exposed wood can absorb moisture, causing it to swell and stick. Refinishing it can prevent any further damage.

• If the door is banged up from constant kicking to hold it open, or stroller-wheel dings, a kick plate can cover it up beautifully.

Safety Additions

While most of the amputations or severe damages to children’s fingers occur from doors in commercial properties, this can happen in the home as well. Add a hinge guard/protector and door stopper to each door to provide maximum safety in the house.

Residential hinge guards cost $20 to $25.

Additional Costs

In addition to door repair, removal of old doors and door parts and cleanup can add further costs to your total.

How To Fix A Door Frame

The easiest way to fix a door frame that's warped over the years is with a little sanding or planing to restore the shape of it.

• Part of frame is damaged – Cut out the damaged area. Measure 6” above the damaged part and beneath it. Cut out this entire section and replace it with a cut piece of wood that matches that space.

• Fix A Door Frame That Sticks – If you're having difficulties opening and closing a door, sand the frame and edges of the door in the area where its sticking. Then apply a coat of varnish to seal and protect the door.

• Fix Split Door Jambs – Use carpenters glue to meld the split pieces of the jamb together. Then, tap the pieces into the door jamb using a block of wood.

• Fix A Sagging Frame – If your frame is sagging, either sand the top of the door, or replace the screws in the upper hinge of the jamb with 3-inch long decking screws.

• Fix Drafts – The easiest option is to install weather stripping, or you can replace the entire door and frame.

How To Replace a Door Frame

A weathered and worn door can take away from your home’s curb appeal and compromise your and your family’s safety. Most door frames come with instructions from the manufacturer like this:

1. Remove interior trim around the jamb. Measure the height, width, and depth of the opening. Your new door should be ½” less than the height and ¾” less than the width of your rough opening.

2. For the old door, remove it with a hammer and screwdriver. Take the hinges off the jamb too. Remove the screw in the sill and the jamb. Cut any nails between the jamb and rough opening with a reciprocating saw. Now you’re ready to remove the old door frame. Use a pry bar under the sill if needed.

3. Dry fit the new door before you secure it in place, then prep the opening. The sub sill is where the door will sit. Check that it is square and level. Make any adjustments with shims.

4. Make sure the new door will clear the finished floor. Measure from the bottom of the sill to the bottom of the door. Check that measurement against the exposed edge of the flooring in the rough opening. You can raise the door with a piece of treated wood glued to the sub sill if the new door won’t clear.

5. Apply caulk to the sub sill or treated wood and the sill on the sides and top of the rough opening. Have a friend help you set the door frame in place. Set the bottom of the door against the opening, then raise it up into position.

6. Temporarily use shims between the frame and the wall near the top of the frame to help hold the door. Insert shims at the hinge locations to help keep the door level and plumb at that area too. Make sure there is a 1/8” clearance between the jamb and rough opening.

7. Now drive screws through the shims by drilling down the hinges. Then score the shims with a utility knife and snap off the excess.

8. Seal the gaps around the frame with minimal expanding spray foam insulation. When the insulation is dry, remove any excess with a putty knife. Reattach the trim, then install the hardware.

To have a professional do it for you will cost $112 to $325 for an exterior door and $113 to $215 for an interior door.

Door frame replacement or repair FAQs

Can You Replace a Door Frame Without Replacing the Door?

You can replace a door frame without replacing the door. Take the door off its hinges, unscrew the hinges, and replace the frame before reinstalling the door on its old hinges again.

How Much Does a Pre-Hung Door Cost?

A pre-hung door costs $170 to $470 for an interior door, and it costs $440 to $1,800 to install a pre-hung exterior door. For a customized craftsman-made door made out of superior wood, expect to pay up to $2,550.

What Is a Slab Door?

A slab door is a rectangular shaped door that has no frame, hardware, or hinges and is made from steel, fiberglass, or wood.

Can You Replace an Interior Door Without Replacing the Frame?

If the jamb and casings are in good condition, then it's standard only to replace the door. You’ll need to replace the frame and door when the whole frame is in disrepair.

What Is a Standard Bedroom Door Size?

Interior doors range in width from 24” to 36”, which is 2 to 3 feet, and while the doors can range in height from 79” to 97”, the average height chosen for a home is usually 80” which is 6.67 feet. For a home with disabled persons, 36” width is standard.

What Is a Standard Exterior Door Size?

An average exterior door frame is 36 ¾” wide and 80 3/8” tall. The main parts of an exterior door frame are the side and head casing, side and head jamb, sill and sill dado, and head jamb dado.

DIY or Hire a Pro?

Whether you are welcoming people into your home or keeping them out, a door needs to do its job properly. If a door isn’t repaired quickly, insulation abilities in the house will drop, and security levels will decrease.

A professional can make door frame replacement an easy process; however, if you have carpentry skills, then you can save on labor costs. Small maintenance jobs like re-caulking, weatherstripping, replacing a lock or re-hinging the door can be simple enough, but any other repairs will require a professional.