ServicesEntry Doors
Entry Door Replacement in Shoreline
A front door should close with a soft click, lock without a shove and keep the rain on the porch. We replace worn entry doors with new units set square and flashed properly, and we sort out the code questions before any work starts.
When a new entry door is the right call
Most entry doors give out slowly. The bottom of a wood door soaks up water, the frame softens, the weatherstrip flattens and the deadbolt stops lining up. Adjusting hinges buys time, but once the frame or threshold is rotted, a new prehung door is usually the cleaner fix.
We install fiberglass, steel and wood doors, with or without sidelites and transoms. If your door only needs new hardware or a tighter seal, we will say so. If the frame underneath is the real problem, we will show you photos before anyone talks about replacement.
Code matters on an entry door more than people expect. Glass in or near a door has to be safety glass, your main exit door has size rules, and changing the opening usually means a permit. We handle that part so you do not have to research it.
What your entry door installation includes
- Measuring the rough opening
- We pull off interior trim where needed to measure the real opening, not just the old slab. That tells us whether a standard prehung unit fits or the opening needs work.
- Sill pan and flashing
- Rain driven against a door is the main reason thresholds rot here. Every install gets a sloped sill pan and flashing tape lapped so water drains out, not into the subfloor.
- Safety glass and egress checks
- Any glass in the door or a nearby sidelite is tempered or laminated as code requires. We also confirm your main exit door keeps the clear width and threshold height the code expects.
- Paperwork when the opening changes
- A same-size swap is usually simple. Widening an opening or adding sidelites can mean a new header and a building permit, which we pull and schedule the inspection for.
- Hardware, trim and cleanup
- We install the lockset and deadbolt, adjust the strike so it latches cleanly, insulate the gap around the frame and finish the trim. The old door leaves with us.
Signs your entry door is ready to go
Soft or dark wood at the bottom
Press a screwdriver into the lower frame or threshold. If it sinks in, water has been getting behind the door for a while.
Daylight around the edges
Light at the corners or under the door means air and rain get in too. New weatherstrip helps only if the frame is still square.
The deadbolt fights you
A lock you have to lift or push the door to turn usually means the frame has shifted or the door has swelled.
Cracked or fogged glass
Fog between panes means a failed seal. Cracked glass in an older door may not be safety glass at all, which is worth replacing for that alone.
Swelling every rainy season
A wood door that sticks each fall and frees up in summer is moving with moisture, and the paint seal is no longer protecting it.
What affects the price of a new entry door
Two doors that look alike can be priced quite differently. The material and the glass account for much of it, and what we find under the old threshold accounts for the rest. Your written estimate spells out each piece, and we offer flexible payment options.
Door material
Steel is the most budget-friendly, fiberglass resists swelling and dents, and solid wood costs the most and needs the most upkeep.
Glass and sidelites
Decorative glass, sidelites and transoms add cost, and all of it must be safety-rated where code requires.
Condition of the framing
Rotted subfloor or framing under the old threshold has to be repaired before a new door goes in. We photograph it and price it separately.
Changing the opening
Going wider or adding sidelites usually means a new header, city review and an inspection, which adds labor and a fee.
How an entry door project goes
- 1
A no-pressure visit
We look at the door, frame and threshold, measure the opening and talk through styles and glass options. You get a written estimate with each line explained.
- 2
Ordering and paperwork
Doors are usually made to order. While yours is being built, we take care of the city paperwork if the opening is changing, so everything is in place by install day.
- 3
Install day
Most installs finish in a single day. We protect the floor, remove the old unit, check the framing, set the sill pan and fit the new door plumb and level.
- 4
Final walk-through
Before we pack up, you try the latch, the deadbolt and the swing yourself while we watch for anything that catches. We point out the threshold adjustment screws for later seasons and meet the inspector if one is needed.
Entry door questions we hear most
Do I need a permit to replace my front door?
A straight swap that keeps the existing opening generally goes ahead without a building permit. Resizing, adding sidelites or relocating the door changes the framing, and that does need one. We confirm which applies before we quote and file the application ourselves when it is required.
Fiberglass or steel?
Steel is affordable and secure but can dent and rust where the paint chips. Fiberglass holds up well to wet weather, will not swell and can look like wood. We will show you both and recommend what suits your entry, not the pricier one.
Can I keep my existing door frame?
Sometimes, if the frame is square and solid. Most of the time a full prehung unit is better because it replaces the threshold and seals too. We tell you which applies after we look.
Will my house be open to the weather all day?
Only for a short stretch. The old door comes out and the new one goes in during the same visit, and most installs finish in a single day, so you lock up that evening.
Who stands behind the installation?
We do. We are licensed, insured and bonded, and our entry door installations carry a 10-year workmanship warranty. If a latch drifts or a seal we put in starts letting water through, we come back and make it right.
Ready to look at a new front door?
Tell us what is bothering you about the old one. We will come measure, explain any code questions and give you a written estimate with no pressure to sign.