Entry door replacement, decided before you shop

Everyone else ranking for this is paid when you say yes. Here's when you shouldn't.

• The door is fine and the problem is the weatherstripping. A draught along one edge is usually a $15 seal or a dropped threshold, not a $3,000 door. Replace the seal, adjust the threshold screws, and see what is left.
• You are replacing it purely for resale. Door resale figures quoted across this industry come from surveys asking real-estate agents what they think a feature adds — not from paired sale data. Treat them as sentiment, not as a return. Replace the door because it leaks, sticks or looks tired to you.
• The rot is in the framing, not the door. If the sheathing behind the trim is wet, a new door goes into a wet hole. Find the water source first — usually a missing sill pan, a failed porch flashing or grading that drains toward the house.
• You want a wood door on a fully exposed entry with no overhang. It will need refinishing every two to three years and will fail early. This is a case where fiberglass with a wood-grain finish is the honest answer, even though it is less satisfying.
• An addition or porch is planned within a couple of years. If the entry is being rebuilt anyway, doing the door twice is money burnt on a second set of trim and flashing.

• Are you quoting a slab, a pre-hung unit, or a full-frame replacement?

  These are three different jobs at three different prices. Comparing a slab quote against a pre-hung quote and picking the cheaper one is the most common way homeowners get this wrong.

• Did you measure the rough opening and check it for square?

  If the answer is "we used the door size", the quote is provisional and you will hear about it on install day.

• Is a sill pan included, and what flashing goes under the threshold?

  The one detail that decides whether the floor under the door is dry in ten years. It is invisible once fitted, so it is the easiest thing to leave out.

• Who is physically doing the work — your employees or a subcontractor?

  Worth asking of anyone, and especially of a retail install program. Home Depot and Lowe's both sell installation and both fulfil it through local contractors you do not choose and are not told about in advance. That is not automatically bad — but you should know whose insurance and whose workmanship warranty you are relying on.

• What happens to the price if the opening needs carpentry once it is open?

  Get the hourly rate and the approval process in writing before work starts. This is where a $1,200 job becomes $4,000, and it is nearly always discovered after the old door is already out.

• Who warranties the labour, and for how long, separately from the door warranty?

  The manufacturer covers the door. Almost every failure you will actually experience — binding, air leaks, water intrusion — is an installation issue, which the manufacturer will not touch.

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