How much does a new front door cost installed in Virginia?

No one can honestly give a single price for a new front door in Virginia, because "a new front door" covers very different jobs. A steel slab hung in your existing frame, a fiberglass pre-hung unit with sidelites, and a wood door that turns up a rotten sill are all the same request on the phone. What you can do is understand what each quote is pricing, ask for those items in writing, and make sure the business is licensed for the size of the contract.

What drives the price

The door itself. Material, glass and style set the starting point. Steel, fiberglass and wood doors differ in price, durability, finishing needs and how they insulate. Glass matters too: ENERGY STAR says, "Performance criteria for doors are based on the amount of glass they have (called glazing level)",^[2] and notes that because doors have less glass than windows, doors can generally provide more insulation than a window can.^[2] Sidelites, a transom, decorative glass or a double door add to the unit and to the labour.

Slab or pre-hung. A slab is the door alone, hung on your existing frame. A pre-hung unit comes with its own frame, sill and weatherstrip and replaces the old frame. A slab can be the cheaper path when the old frame is square and sound. A pre-hung unit costs more to install but deals with a worn sill and tired weatherstripping in one go.

How carefully it is set. A good pre-hung installation is more work than people expect. Therma-Tru's installation manual starts with a "string test" across the opening to check it is plumb,^[1] and warns: "An “out of plumb” condition is one of the most common reasons door units leak air and water."^[1] Its method then calls for three very large beads of sealant across the subfloor, a sill pan where one is used, sealant behind the brickmould around the whole unit, shims and long screws into the studs at each hinge, flashing at the head, and low-expansion foam in the gap between the frame and the opening.^[1] A quote that leaves all of that out is cheaper for a reason.

What the old door reveals. The real unknown is what is under the old sill and behind the trim. Water that has been getting past a failed sill or brickmould for years can rot the subfloor and the bottom of the jambs. Ask every installer how they price rot repair if they find it: a fixed allowance, a per-hour rate, or a written change order before they proceed.

Finishing. Many doors arrive primed or unfinished, and the maker's warranty depends on finishing them promptly. Therma-Tru steel doors must be finished within several days of installation and its fiberglass doors within 6 months.^[1] Simpson's wood door guide is stricter: "All Simpson doors must be finished within 72 hours after installation to meet manufacturer’s warranty."^[4] Ask whether painting or staining is in the quote, or whether you are expected to do it.

Exposure. Simpson's warranty for its standard wood doors expects an overhang that projects from the wall at least half the distance from the bottom of the door to the overhang.^[4] A front door with no porch roof facing afternoon sun may need a more weather-resistant door, a different material or a more expensive finish system, and that changes the price.

Extras. The lockset and deadbolt, a storm door, new interior and exterior trim, painting the trim, and hauling away the old door are often separate lines. If you also want a storm door, see how a storm door is installed.

Permits and older homes

A straight swap usually needs no permit. Under Virginia's building code, replacing a door with one of similar operation and opening dimensions that needs no change to the existing framed opening, and is not required to be fire rated, is an exempt ordinary repair for a single dwelling unit in Group R-2 and for Groups R-3, R-4 and R-5, which covers houses and townhouses.^[5] A permit application is required for installations or alterations involving the removal or addition of a wall or partition, or any structural component,^[5] which adds a permit, inspections and often a new header, and a building official may require a permit for otherwise exempt work in a special flood hazard area.^[5]

Age matters too. EPA notes: "If your home was built before 1978, it may have lead-based paint",^[9] and the federal rule requires contractors working on pre-1978 homes to be lead-safe certified.^[9] Pulling out old painted trim and a painted frame disturbs that paint, and lead-safe work practices add steps to the job.

The tax credit has ended

The federal exterior door credit covered ENERGY STAR certified doors for products purchased and installed between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2025,^[3] at 30% of the product cost, up to $250 per door and $500 a year.^[3] A door installed in 2026 is outside that window. An ENERGY STAR door can still be worth choosing for comfort and energy use, just not for that credit.

What to ask for in a written quote

DPOR recommends at least three written bids on identical specifications,^[8] so give every installer the same door and scope. Then ask each quote to list:

• The door, by make, model, size, swing, glass and material, and whether it is a slab or pre-hung unit.
• Hardware: lockset, deadbolt and strike, and who supplies them.
• Installation details: sill pan, flashing, sealant and foam, and what trim is replaced.
• How rot repair will be priced if it is found.
• Finishing: who paints or stains, with what, and when.
• Removal and disposal of the old door.
• Any permit, and who gets it.

Licences and contracts

Virginia licenses contractors by the size of the job: Class C contractors take single contracts over $1,000 but less than $30,000, and Class B from $30,000 up to $150,000.^[6] DPOR says work valued at $1,000 or more requires a valid Virginia contractor's licence,^[8] so, if the contract total (door and labour together) reaches that, check the business on DPOR's licence lookup before you sign.

The Board for Contractors also requires a written contract for residential work. Among other things, the contract states when work begins and the estimated completion date, the total cost, the amounts and schedule of payments including the down payment, and a list of the specified materials and work,^[7] and any change to cost, materials, work or completion date must be in writing and signed by both of you.^[7] For the deposit, DPOR's rule of thumb is a deposit of no more than 10% of the total price or $1,000, whichever is less,^[8] or up to 30% when the job needs custom-made or special-order items,^[8] which a made-to-order door can be.

Stop and call a pro if

• The sill or the bottom of the jamb is soft, or there is water staining on the floor inside the door. Have the opening assessed before you pick a door.
• You want a wider door, sidelites where there are none, or a different opening. That changes framing and needs a permit.
• The house was built before 1978 and the trim or frame is painted. Hire a lead-safe certified contractor.

Related on Loclis

Compare hiring a contractor or a handyman for an exterior door, and keep a new wood door looking right with how often to refinish a wood front door. Browse entry and storm door businesses, exterior businesses around Blacksburg and more exterior answers. When you know what you want, describe your door job once and licensed local businesses will send written quotes.