Why do doors cost so much? This is the top question we are asked by visitors to our Cary, NC door supply store.
We can understand why they’re asking. Purchasing and installing a front door or patio door can be much more expensive than many homeowners imagine.
In this article, we’ll share with you the top six reasons why doors cost so much.
1. Customization
Exterior doors are typically built to order.
Certainly, if you’re looking for a hollow-core wood panel to fit a 3-foot by 6-foot opening, you can probably find in-stock options at a big box store.
But, most people looking to replace their home’s doors want something more than this.
Most homeowners are looking for an energy efficient front door made of durable material. Or perhaps they’re looking for an oversized, 8-foot entry door.
They may be looking for something with a truly unique design. This might include:
- An arch-top or round-top door
- An ADA compliant door to ensure that disabled family and friends can easily enter the house.
- A door with a unique design feature, like a Dutch door or a vented door.
- Unique glazing (glass) options.
This means that nothing can be ‘off the rack’. Instead, every door is made to order and uniquely crafted for each individual homeowner.
That degree of customization is one of the reasons why doors are so expensive.
2. Cost of Materials
Your doors may be made of wood, fiberglass, aluminum, steel, or some combination of these materials.
Whatever material your door is made from must be sourced. This might mean that the material is farmed or mined or extruded or smelted.
Then, those materials must be processed by the manufacturer to meet your unique door specifications. Materials resourcing and production are driving factors in the cost of your new front door.
3. Cost of Glass
You may be surprised to learn that glass can be one of the biggest reasons why front doors cost so much.
This is true now more than ever. That’s because nowadays double and even triple pane windows are industry standards. This ensures that doors are energy efficient. You can read this guide to understand how to select an energy efficient door.
So, even a doors with the same size window that’s built now will require more glass than it would have in previous years.
Additionally, to ensure that these glasses (called glazing) are energy efficient, gasses like Argon or Krypton are inserted between the glass panes during construction. The use of these gasses to create highly energy efficient doors is another factor in the cost of new doors.
4. Shipping Costs
Though doors are generally durable, they are also large and can be extremely heavy. Most homeowners elect to buy a factory framed door rather than just a door panel when they are replacing their front door. The manufacturers must take special care to ensure that the door doesn’t become racked (or out of balance) during shipment.
This means that manufacturers often bolster doors with wood supports to prepare them for shipment.
Doors with glazing require additional packaging considerations to keep the glass intact.
As you can tell, shipping doors involves a ton of packaging. It also requires significant time and manpower to carefully secure them inside of large freighters. Those trucks must then transport them around the country.
The gas, supplies, and time it takes to package and ship doors is a huge driver in their cost.
5. Installation Costs
We’ve already discussed the cost of materials that go into your door. But, there are also costs associated with the materials that go around your doors.
These are the products used to complete your installation, like caulk, nails, insulation, and moulding.
It’s also true that if you are adding features like sidelites or transoms, there may be additional costs associated with those projects. And if you’re doing some major home reconstruction, like replacing a window with a door, there can be additional fees like engineering reports.
6. Additional Construction Costs
Ever wonder what happens to your old doors after the dump trailer hauls them away?
That is, unless you’re reusing them for a DIY project. We have lots of fun ideas for upcycling your old doors on our Pinterest page.
Typically, construction materials like old doors cannot be disposed of in regular garbage dumps or even at some landfills. Instead, your installation crew must dispose of them at private dumps. The cost of disposing of your old doors is an additional reason why your new doors cost so much.
Summary
There’s no denying it.
New doors for your home can be expensive.
But, that doesn’t mean you should overpay for them.
When you’re ready to replace your home’s doors, you want to work with a team you trust to help you find the best value for the money you’re spending.
We’d love to help you find just the right doors for your home.
Fill out the form below to tell us what you need today.
