Should I hire a contractor or a handyman to replace an exterior door?

Hire for the job you actually have, not the title on the truck. Virginia licenses contractors by the value of the contract and the kind of work, whatever the business calls itself. For a small job, such as rehanging a slab in a sound frame or fitting a storm door, a handyman with door experience can be the right call, provided the job stays under what the law lets an unlicensed person take. DPOR says that once the work is valued at $1,000 or more, a valid Virginia contractor's licence is required.^[6] And when the job changes the framed opening or touches a structural component, you need a permit and a contractor who does structural work.

What the law says about who can do it

The rule starts in the Code of Virginia: "No person shall engage in, or offer to engage in, contracting work in the Commonwealth unless he has been licensed"^[2] under the contractor licensing chapter. The licence classes are set by contract size. Class C contractors take on a single contract or project worth over $1,000 but less than $30,000, and Class B covers $30,000 up to $150,000.^[1] DPOR's consumer guide puts the threshold plainly: if the work you are considering is valued at $1,000 or more, a valid Virginia Contractor’s License is required.^[6]

The licence also has to cover the work. The specialty most door installers hold is home improvement contracting (HIC), which the Board for Contractors defines as repairs or improvements to dwellings and townhouses.^[3] The same definition sets its limits: "The HIC specialty does not provide for electrical, plumbing, HVAC, or gas fitting functions."^[3] It also does not include new construction beyond the existing building structure, apart from decks, patios, driveways and outbuildings that need no permit.^[3] The residential building contractor (RBC) classification also covers this work.^[3]

Check the licence yourself. DPOR warns: "A license number in an advertisement or on a business card does not necessarily mean the contractor’s license is valid."^[6] The protection is practical as well as legal: "If you contract with someone who does not hold a license, the Board for Contractors may not be able to help you resolve a complaint",^[6] while hiring a licensed contractor makes you eligible for the Contractor Transaction Recovery Fund^[6] if the contractor's conduct is improper or dishonest. How to check if a contractor is licensed in Virginia walks through the lookup, and whether it is illegal to hire an unlicensed contractor covers the rest.

When the job needs a permit

Most door replacements do not. Under the Uniform Statewide Building Code, replacing a door with one of similar operation and opening dimensions, that does not require changes 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] Widening the opening, adding sidelites where there were none, or converting a window to a door changes the framed opening, and that exemption no longer applies. A permit application is also required for alterations involving the removal or addition of a wall or partition, or any structural component.^[5]

When a permit is needed, the building department checks the applicant: the person applying for a permit must show proof of a contractor's licence or file a written statement that they are not subject to licensing.^[5] DPOR's consumer guide is direct about who should apply: the permit holder becomes the general contractor and takes on responsibility for the whole job,^[6] so a contractor who asks you to pull the permit in your name is handing you the risk.

Matching the job to the right person

A handyman fits small, self-contained work: adjusting a sticking door, swapping a lockset, replacing weatherstripping or a sweep, hanging a storm door on sound trim, or hanging a new slab in a square frame, as long as the total is within what they can legally contract for; ask the Board for Contractors if you are unsure.

A licensed door installer or home improvement contractor fits a full pre-hung replacement. Done right, that is careful work. Therma-Tru's installation manual calls for a string test of the opening for plumb, a sill pan or heavy sealant under the sill, shims and long screws through the hinge jamb into the studs, head flashing taped under the water-resistive barrier, and foam in the gap.^[7] It also warns: "An “out of plumb” condition is one of the most common reasons door units leak air and water."^[7] Ask anyone you are considering how they flash and seal the sill; a clear answer is a good sign.

A contractor who does framing fits anything that changes the opening, and anything where the sill, subfloor or jamb studs turn out to be rotten. Those are structural repairs, not door installation.

An electrician is needed if the job moves or reconnects wiring for a doorbell, an entry light, or a wired lock, because the HIC specialty excludes electrical work.

Older homes. For a home built before 1978, EPA says it "recommends homeowners hire lead-safe certified contractors for all RRP projects in pre-1978 homes",^[8] and the RRP Rule requires a contractor working in a pre-1978 home to be lead-safe certified.^[8] Removing an old painted door frame and trim is that kind of work.

Getting it in writing

The Board for Contractors' rules say licensed contractors doing residential work, other than routine maintenance or service contracts, must use a written contract, signed by both sides before work starts or any payment is taken.^[4] It must include, among other things, the contractor's name, address, licence number, class and specialties, the dates, the total cost, the payment schedule and down payment, the specified materials, and a statement that the contractor will comply with local permit, inspection and zoning requirements.^[4] Name the exact door, by make, model, size, swing and glass, so the door that arrives is the one you agreed to.

DPOR also recommends at least three written bids on identical specifications,^[6] and a deposit of no more than 10% of the total price or $1,000, whichever is less, and up to 30% for custom-made or special-order items.^[6] Many entry doors are ordered to size, so ask which applies before you pay.

Stop and call a pro if

• The sill, the bottom of the jambs or the subfloor in front of the door is soft or stained. That is a repair to the structure, and it should be priced before the door is.
• You want the opening wider, taller or moved, or a window turned into a door.
• The door is wired for a doorbell, light or lock, or there is an electrical box in the trim.
• The house was built before 1978 and the frame or trim is painted.

Related on Loclis

See what a new front door costs installed in Virginia, what a handyman costs in Virginia and how to install a storm door. Browse entry and storm door businesses, handyman businesses around Blacksburg and more exterior answers. To get quotes, describe your door job once; licensed local businesses reply with written prices.