Front door cost in Washington, DC
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (1 door)
- $520 – $2,600
- Per door
- $518 – $2,610
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +4%
- US $1,500
- Rank of 300 metros
- #44
- 1 = most expensive
A new front door in Washington, DC usually costs $520 to $2,600 for 1 door. That works out to about $518 to $2,610 per door before permits. Compared with the national midpoint that is $65 more. Building materials run about 5% above the US average here (BEA goods price index 104.8).
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Estimated cost for 1 door in Washington, DC, standard level
$1,150 to $2,000
About $1,145 to $1,982 per door before permits. Labor is about 26% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $780 | $1,550 |
| Labor | $370 | $450 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $1,150 | $2,000 |
Cost breakdown for 1 door in Washington, DC
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $210 | $1,150 | $2,100 | 74% |
| Labor | $310 | $410 | $510 | 26% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $520 | $1,550 | $2,600 | 100% |
Where the Washington price comes from
We price the labor side from BLS wage data for 2 trades: carpenters at 85%, general maintenance and repair workers at 15%. Weighted together, Washington wages are 1.03 times the national level. Labor makes up about 26% of the midpoint estimate (27% at national prices).
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Washington is at 104.8 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $1,100 nationally becomes $1,150 here (midpoint, 1 door). Permits follow the all-items index of 108.9: $0 to $0.
Is Washington cheap or dear? The local comparison
Same job, same size (1 door), priced for the nearest metros. Washington is the priciest of the group. Winchester is the cheapest at $1,400.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington, DCthis page | $520 – $2,600 | $1,550 | |
| Hagerstown, MD55 miles | $470 – $2,400 | $1,450 | −8% |
| Baltimore, MD60 miles | $510 – $2,550 | $1,550 | −2% |
| Winchester, VA60 miles | $450 – $2,350 | $1,400 | −10% |
| Lexington Park, MD65 miles | $510 – $2,500 | $1,500 | −3% |
| Chambersburg, PA75 miles | $460 – $2,450 | $1,450 | −7% |
| District of Columbia (statewide) | $530 – $2,650 | $1,600 | +2% |
| United States | $500 – $2,500 | $1,500 | −4% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Washington ranks #44 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Washington is 2% below the District of Columbia figure.
Washington is the only District of Columbia metro we cover, so the statewide page is the only in-state comparison. It uses statewide wages, which include rural areas.
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Washington against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston, TX | 3,289,720 jobs | $450 – $2,450 | $1,450 | −8% |
| Philadelphia, PA | 2,897,830 jobs | $500 – $2,450 | $1,450 | −6% |
| Dallas, TX | 4,049,800 jobs | $460 – $2,450 | $1,450 | −6% |
| Atlanta, GA | 2,889,670 jobs | $460 – $2,450 | $1,450 | −7% |
Front door: what moves the price in Washington
Door material
Basic steel doors run about $200-$600 for the door; fiberglass and wood go to $2,000 (HomeGuide).
Double doors
A double front door costs $1,500-$6,500+ installed; the doors alone are $1,200-$5,000.
Frame
Frame repair adds $75-$200+; rebuilding the opening for a new size costs $7-$20 per linear foot for framing.
Washington: what basic, standard and premium work costs
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Washington. Bands overlap, because plenty of standard jobs cost as much as a light premium one. Sizes run from single entry door to front and side doors.
Basic
$520 to $1,350
Basic steel door, same size opening
Standard
$1,150 to $2,000
Fiberglass door with sidelight trim or glass
Premium
$1,750 to $2,600
Wood or custom door, frame work needed
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| single entry door | $520 – $1,350 | $1,150 – $2,000 | $1,750 – $2,600 |
| front and side doors | $1,050 – $2,700 | $2,300 – $3,950 | $3,550 – $5,200 |
Washington weather and the front door calendar
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Washington Reagan Ap (5 miles from the city center). They are 30-year averages, so any one year can run hotter, colder or wetter.
For exterior installation, the comfortable months in Washington are August through June: 11 of 12. Outside them, July has an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
Washington gets about 42 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 14 inches of snow. The wettest months are May, June and July (4.3 inches in July). Inside the workable window, January and February are the driest, at 2.9 and 2.6 inches. The station averages about 40 days a year at 90°F or above.
We do not adjust the estimate by month, because we have no reliable published data on seasonal pricing. It is still worth asking contractors whether an off-peak start date changes their bid.
| Month | Avg high °F | Avg low °F | Precip (in) | For this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45 | 30 | 2.9 | Workable |
| Feb | 48 | 32 | 2.6 | Workable |
| Mar | 57 | 39 | 3.5 | Workable |
| Apr | 68 | 48 | 3.2 | Workable |
| May | 77 | 58 | 3.9 | Workable |
| Jun | 85 | 68 | 4.2 | Workable |
| Jul | 90 | 72 | 4.3 | Hot |
| Aug | 88 | 71 | 3.3 | Workable |
| Sep | 81 | 64 | 3.9 | Workable |
| Oct | 69 | 52 | 3.7 | Workable |
| Nov | 58 | 42 | 2.9 | Workable |
| Dec | 49 | 35 | 3.4 | Workable |
Planning more than one job in Washington?
Jobs that often go together with front door are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Washington wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, garage door comes out highest (+6%) and storm door lowest (+4%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Storm door | 1 door | $360 – $990 | +4% |
| Patio door | 1 door | $630 – $6,300 | +5% |
| Window replacement | 10 windows | $4,750 – $15,800 | +5% |
| Garage door | 1 door | $740 – $3,900 | +6% |
What local crews earn in Washington
The labor line is built from BLS wage data, one trade at a time. This job draws on 2 trades. We compare each trade's local median with the US median, weight the ratios by how much of the job each trade does, and apply the blend to the national labor cost. For Washington the blend is 1.03.
Carpenters (47-2031), 85% of the weighting: a median of $29.23 an hour, in line with the US median of $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $26.62 and $35.56 an hour. About 13,280 work in the metro. That is 42.3 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 43.1 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
For general maintenance and repair workers (49-9071, weighted 15%) the local median is $27.52 an hour, which is 15% above the national $23.84. The middle half of them earn between $22.10 and $33.40 an hour. BLS counts 23,100 of them working in the area, 73.7 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 98.4), so the local bench is thinner than average.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (carpenters) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $75 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $30. That is a swing of roughly 1.9% to 4.7% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria has 3,136,190 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 6th by size among the 300 metros on this site.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carpenters (47-2031) | 85% | $26.62 | $29.23 | $35.56 | $29.12 | 1.00 | metro |
| General maintenance and repair workers (49-9071) | 15% | $22.10 | $27.52 | $33.40 | $23.84 | 1.15 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.03 | |||||
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Front door in Washington: your questions
+How much does it cost to replace a front door in Washington?
For 1 door, expect $520 to $2,600 in the Washington area. A standard-spec job lands at $1,150 to $2,000. Small jobs usually cost more per door and large ones less.
+What is the price per door for front door in Washington?
About $518 to $2,610 per door for materials and labor, plus $0 to $0 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $500 to $2,500.
+Is front door cheaper in Washington or Hagerstown?
Hagerstown is 55 miles away. The midpoint for 1 door there is $1,450, which is 8% less than Washington ($1,550). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Washington?
About 26% at the midpoint, or $410 out of $1,550. Materials are 74% and permits 0%. Nationally, labor is 27%.
+What would front and side doors cost in Washington?
$1,050 to $5,200. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does front door need a permit in Washington?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $0 to $0 for fees in the Washington area (our national range of $0 to $0 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Washington expensive for front door compared with the rest of District of Columbia?
Washington is 2% below the District of Columbia statewide estimate ($1,600 at the midpoint).
+What do carpenters earn in Washington?
The BLS median is $29.23 an hour in the Washington area, compared with $29.12 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $26.62 to $35.56.
+What do basic and premium front door work cost in Washington?
For 1 door, basic work runs $520 to $1,350 and premium work $1,750 to $2,600. Basic means: basic steel door, same size opening. Premium means: wood or custom door, frame work needed.
+When is the best time to replace a front door in Washington?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are August through June. January and February are typically the driest of those months. Local contractors' schedules matter as much as the weather, so book early for the busy months.
Front door near Washington
Where these numbers come from
Base prices are national ranges from the sources below. We scale labor by local BLS wages, materials by BEA goods prices and permits by the BEA all-items price level. Full method on the methodology page.
- HomeGuide: How Much Does Front Door Replacement Cost? (2026) (accessed November 4, 2026)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
- BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020
Note on derived figures: Materials = HomeGuide's door prices, from about $200 for a basic steel door to $2,000 for higher-end fiberglass or wood.