I am planning a double French door replacement. What is the typical cost and return on investment of this kind of replacement?
Sophia M. ~ Portland, OR
What Kind of Cost and Return on Investment Can I Expect When Installing French Doors?
Hi Sophia.
You can keep your installation labor costs to a minimum by making sure you choose French doors with a rough opening very close to that of your existing sliding doors. Any variance should be on the smaller side, but a lot smaller is almost as bad as a lot larger. French doors that are significantly different in size than your existing doors are going to require framing work, interior finish adjustments, and work on the exterior of your home. If you have a brick, stone, or stucco exterior, this can get costly in a hurry and can also be difficult to accomplish without appearing to be a patch job.
It should only take a few hours to do a door replacement if the new doors are close to the same size as the sliding doors. I’m not sure what labor rates are like in Oregon, but I would say the project shouldn’t cost much more than about $150. This is based on it being a simple switch without any complications.
As far as the doors themselves, costs for French doors can range from several hundred to several thousand dollars — it depends on the size of the doors, the manufacturer, glass options, and the material the doors are constructed from. Metal doors are often the most budget friendly choice for a door replacement whereas wood and fiberglass models can be at the upper end of the price range.
It can be difficult to place a monetary figure on the ROI you may receive from your door replacement. Remodeling Magazine’s Cost vs. Value Survey for 2010-2011 estimates that homeowners may receive 60 to 102 percent of the costs involved in a front door replacement back when they sell their home. This amount varies depending on the door material and what region your home is located in. However, these numbers are for a front door and French doors are rarely used as entry doors.
The largest benefit you may receive from your door replacement is an improvement in your home’s appearance which should help its curb appeal. Just about any realtor may tell you that good curb appeal is an important part of getting potential purchasers out of their cars and into your home.
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$150 to remove and install an exterior french door is a ridiculously low estimate. Even in this tough economy, that price smells of substandard workers or insurance. In Illinois, Chicagoland, going rate is $400 and above. The job requires 2 persons minimum, and the old door should be hauled way. Factor labor, clean-up and travel time plus the haul away, and 400 seems very reasonable, while 150 seems suspiciously low.
Thank you for your input Harrison Architectural Support Services. Labor rates can vary depending on the part of the country you’re located in. I have no doubt that they can be high around Chicago or any large metro area, but I also believe automatically discounting a labor price of $150 for an uncomplicated door switch as being from substandard workers would be a mistake. I have seen it take less than an hour on many occasions and definitely doesn’t require more than a framer or trim carpenter and a helper. In Chicago, San Francisco, or New York that may cost $400, but in many other areas it can be done for much less.