You’re ready to replace your exterior doors. Now it's time to find a qualified Washington contractor and understand local considerations that could impact your project. Explore expert door replacement advice and read contractor reviews from real homeowners.
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Not sure if you're ready to replace your doors?
If you're replacing entry doors, the most common options are steel, fiberglass, and wood. For patio doors, sliding doors and french doors are also popular. If the door frame has rotted or shifted but the door itself is still in good condition, you may be able to replace the door frame and keep the existing door.
Wondering about return on investment? Explore the home improvement ROI guide.
Many homes in this region have older, ill-fitting door frames. Have a contractor check the rough opening for square before ordering a replacement door, especially in pre-1950s housing stock common across this region.
Door Replacement in Washington usually runs $1,100–$6,600 for a standard project on an average home. That is in line with the average national rate, because local labor costs track the national figure. The table below compares national averages with typical Washington pricing.
| Project type | National range | Washington estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Steel Entry Door | $1,100–$2,300 | $1,104–$2,308 |
| Fiberglass Entry Door | $1,600–$3,800 | $1,606–$3,814 |
| Wood Entry Door | $3,900–$6,600 | $3,914–$6,624 |
| Sliding Patio Door | $1,700–$3,100 | $1,706–$3,111 |
| French Patio Door | $1,700–$3,100 | $1,706–$3,111 |
| Door Frame Replacement | $200–$650 | $201–$652 |
*All cost estimates on this page are planning estimates, not quotes. Actual costs vary by location, project scope, materials, site conditions, and contractor. See methodology and sources.
Installed cost in Washington runs within about a percentage point of the national average for this trade. Here's how we got to that number.
Project costs include three main components: labor, materials, and overhead. Material ships at national prices no matter where you live, and overhead is fairly consistent as well. So the main pricing difference between metro areas is labor costs. This is why a quote from a high-wage metro is rarely as far above the national average as people expect.
To get Washington labor costs, we compared the average hourly wage in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area to the national average hourly wage for this trade. (source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025)
We found that the local trade wages are close to the national figure. Labor costs typically make up about 20% of a door replacement project cost, so the weighted difference between Washington and national averages is under 1%. See methodology and sources.
It depends on the scope of your project, so you should talk to the permitting authority to find out what your project needs. In general, Washington permitting is complex compared to other metros we cover.
Permitting for building goes through DC. Historic preservation rules apply in many DC neighborhoods and close-in Maryland/Virginia suburbs. Check with your contractor before committing to exterior changes.
You should ask each contractor if they pull the permits for you and if the fee for pulling permits is included in their quote. Also, tell them you need to see the written, approved permit before work starts.
Here are the door replacement companies DC homeowners in and around Washington turn to, ranked by real customer rating and review volume, no filler. See our Editorial Standards.
Renewal by Andersen is consistently reviewed as a premium replacement door provider, offering Ensemble® Entry Doors and Andersen® Patio Doors. The door-specific reviews echo the window ones almost exactly: homeowners often highlight the installation experience, noting that crews arrived on time, were professional and courteous, and paid close attention to fit and finish. Many reviewers point to the customized fit, quality of the finished product, and the warranty service experience, for those who used it, as reasons they feel the investment is worthwhile.
Home Genius Exteriors fits ProVia entry and patio doors (Endure, ecoLite, Aspect and Aeris) and the door reviews describe the same named-project-manager experience the company is known for elsewhere, with a straightforward process and thorough cleanup. One practical flag on pricing: their promotional discounts are tiered by trade, and doors sit outside the materials discount entirely. So ask what your door quote actually qualifies for rather than assuming the headline offer applies.
Window Nation fits its entry and patio doors with the same Installation Masters™-certified crews as its windows, and most door-specific reviews describe exactly that: a quick, clean install day with little disruption. A handful of complaints are specifically about doors: missing screw-cover plugs, a patio lock that was stiff to operate, a screen door that came loose within weeks. None of them is about the door itself. Have the exact measurements and the hardware operation checked at the final walkthrough while the crew is still there, and confirm what the limited lifetime warranty covers on the moving parts.
We match contractors serving Washington and surrounding communities, including:
Contractor service areas vary rather than following ZIP-code lines, so your community may still be covered even if it is not listed above. Start your match to see the options for your project and location.
We match homeowners in Washington across every major exterior and interior trade. You get the same simple, free, no-obligation service for every project. If you're planning more than one project, it's worth requesting a combined quote if the contractor offers both types of work. This can sometimes make a project more affordable.
Yes. In general, contractors cover a defined service area, not a ZIP code. A company working one side of the metro will usually quote the other, so go ahead and find your match even if your area isn't listed.
Choosing a door replacement contractor in Washington comes down to a few important questions: what it costs, who does it well, how to pay for it, and what to ask before you sign. The resources below cover those and the rest of the decision.
