Door costs

Treat any single 'average' as close to meaningless. A plain steel back door and a fiberglass front door with two sidelights and decorative glass are the same line item on a quote and can differ by several thousand dollars. One 2026 guide breaks entry door projects into tiers of roughly $1,200–$2,200 (good), $2,200–$3,800 (better), and $3,800–$8,000+ (best) installed, which is a more useful way to place your own project than a national average.

Options are where budgets move. The same guide prices decorative glass at roughly +$300–$1,800, sidelights at +$1,200–$2,800 per side, premium hardware at +$400–$1,200, and custom sizing at +$200–$1,000. If your quote is far above the base range, these are usually why — ask for them itemized so you can decide which you actually want.

Two things routinely blow up a door budget after the contract is signed: rot found at the sill or framing once the old unit comes out, and changing the size of the opening, which pulls in framing, header and siding work. Ask every bidder to write down their hourly rate and process for discovered rot before you sign. A contractor who refuses to price that scenario is telling you something.

One important 2026 change: the federal Section 25C energy-efficient home improvement credit, which covered ENERGY STAR exterior doors at $250 per door and $500 total, applied to qualifying property placed in service before December 31, 2025. Do not let a salesperson build a federal door tax credit into your 2026 numbers. Check your state and utility programs separately — those are their own rules.

How to choose

Get three itemized quotes, not three totals

Insist on separate lines for the door unit, labor, hardware, glass options, disposal, and interior/exterior trim. Totals cannot be compared; line items can.

Price the rot contingency up front

Ask each bidder what they charge if they find rotted framing. Written in advance, it is a rate. Discovered mid-job, it is leverage against you.

Sidelights and transoms are the expensive decision

They are a design choice, not a performance one. If budget is tight, this is the first place to cut without hurting the door's actual job.

Beware today-only pricing

High-pressure same-day discounts are common in the replacement-door sales channel. A legitimate quote survives 48 hours.

Don't assume a federal tax credit

The 25C credit for exterior doors applied to property placed in service before Dec 31, 2025. Verify any current incentive yourself with the IRS or your state energy office before it changes your budget.