h that most people can’t tell without touching them. Low maintenance for its whole life.
Steel — $600 to $1,800 for the unit The budget-conscious option with genuine security benefits. Insulated with a foam core, so thermal performance is decent. Downsides: it dents and the dent is permanent, scratches will rust if not touched up, and the surface gets uncomfortably hot in direct summer sun. Best on doors under an overhang.
Wood — $1,500 to $5,000+ for the unit Nothing else looks or feels the same, and on a heritage or high-end home it’s often the only appropriate choice. It also needs refinishing every three to five years in this climate, and a neglected wood door will swell, stick and eventually rot. Beautiful if you’ll maintain it, a liability if you won’t.
What a proper installation includes
Here’s where quotes diverge, and where the cheap ones cut.
A complete job covers:
- Precise measurement of the rough opening
- Removal and disposal of the old door and frame
- Inspection of the framing and subfloor beneath — this is where rot hides
- Installation of a new pre-hung unit, shimmed plumb and square
- Insulating the gap between frame and framing, properly, with low-expansion foam
- Installing the sill and threshold with correct slope for drainage
- Weatherstripping and sweep
- Interior and exterior caulking
- Exterior capping or brickmould
- Interior casing
- Hardware installation — handle set, deadbolt, strike plates
- Final adjustment so the door closes with even compression all round
The steps that get quietly omitted are the framing inspection, the insulation of the gap, and exterior capping. A door can look finished without any of them and let cold air through for the next twenty years.
The parts of a door people don’t ask about
The threshold. Adjustable thresholds let a technician raise or lower the seal after installation as the house settles. A fixed threshold is fine on day one and impossible to correct later.
The sweep. The flexible strip along the bottom. It wears out every five to eight years and is cheap to replace. If your door is drafty at the floor, this is usually why — not the door.
The strike plate. As covered in our locks guide, a reinforced strike plate with three-inch screws into the stud does more for security than upgrading the lock. Specify it while the door is being installed.
The sill pan. A flashing tray under the threshold that channels water out rather than into the subfloor. Good installers use one. It costs very little and prevents the most expensive failure a front door can produce.
Sidelites, transoms and glass
Glass makes an entryway, and it’s also where budgets go.
Sidelites — narrow fixed panels either side. Adds $800 to $2,500 depending on width and glazing. Transforms a dark entry hall.
Transom — a horizontal window above the door. Adds $500 to $1,500 and requires the header height to accommodate it.
Decorative glass inserts — patterned or leaded glass inside the door slab. $300 to $1,500 depending on complexity.
For privacy without losing light, ask about obscured, reeded or frosted glazing. It reads as a design choice rather than a compromise.
Energy performance in an Ontario winter
A new entry door is one of the more noticeable comfort upgrades in a cold-climate house, because the front hall is where cold air makes itself felt first.
Look for:
- Polyurethane foam core rather than polystyrene — better R-value per inch
- Thermally broken frame if you’re specifying steel
- Multi-point weatherstripping — a compression seal all the way round, not just at the latch side
- Energy Star certification for the door zone, which factors glazing area into the rating
Glass area is the main trade-off. A full-lite door with sidelites will never insulate like a solid slab. That’s an acceptable trade if the entry is sheltered and you value the light — just go in knowing it.
Signs it’s time to replace
- Visible daylight around the closed door
- A draft you can feel from the hallway
- The door sticks in summer and rattles in winter
- Rot at the bottom rail or the frame legs
- Dents, rust or a finish beyond touching up
- The door has been forced at some point and no longer sits square
- Multiple locks and adjustments that never quite hold
A door that merely looks dated but is sound is a candidate for refinishing and new hardware at a fraction of replacement cost.
Timeline
- Measurement: 30 to 45 minutes
- Manufacturing: two to six weeks for a custom or special-order unit; in-stock sizes can be faster
- Installation: four to eight hours for a standard single door, a full day with sidelites
- Painting or staining: allow additional time if the unit isn’t pre-finished
The house is only open to the outside for a couple of hours during install. Winter replacements are entirely normal in Ontario.
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep my existing frame? Sometimes — a slab-only replacement is cheaper and faster if the frame is sound, square and the new slab matches the hinge and lock positions. In practice most frames of replacement-worthy age have their own problems, and a pre-hung unit gives you a properly sealed assembly.
Which direction should the door swing? Most Ontario entry doors swing inward, which protects the hinges from the weather and from being removed. Outward-swing is occasionally used where space is tight, with security hinges.
Do I need a permit? Not for a like-for-like replacement in most municipalities. Changing the size of the opening usually does require one, since it affects structure. Confirm with your local building department.
How much does the door alone cost without installation? $600 to $2,500 for most residential units. The gap to the installed price covers the frame, materials, disposal, labour, and someone standing behind the weatherproofing.
Will a new front door increase my home’s value? It’s consistently among the better-returning improvements in resale studies — partly for the energy performance, mostly because it’s the first thing anyone sees. Curb appeal is not a soft factor when a buyer forms an impression before stepping inside.