Front door cost in Lake Charles, LA
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (1 door)
- $420 – $2,250
- Per door
- $423 – $2,266
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −10%
- US $1,500
- Rank of 300 metros
- #289
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for a new front door in the Lake Charles area: $420 to $2,250 for 1 door. The low end is a basic job on easy ground; the high end is a premium spec with harder access. The midpoint runs 10% lower than the US figure. Carpenters earn a median of $22.08 an hour in the Lake Charles area, 24% below the US median of $29.12.
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Estimated cost for 1 door in Lake Charles, LA, standard level
$980 to $1,700
About $976 to $1,713 per door before permits. Labor is about 23% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $690 | $1,350 |
| Labor | $280 | $350 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $980 | $1,700 |
Cost breakdown for 1 door in Lake Charles, LA
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $190 | $1,050 | $1,850 | 77% |
| Labor | $240 | $310 | $390 | 23% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $420 | $1,350 | $2,250 | 100% |
Why Lake Charles prices look the way they do
We price the labor side from BLS wage data for 2 trades: carpenters at 85%, general maintenance and repair workers at 15%. Weighted together, Lake Charles wages are 0.78 times the national level. Labor makes up about 23% of the midpoint estimate (27% at national prices).
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Lake Charles is at 93.7 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $1,100 nationally becomes $1,050 here (midpoint, 1 door). Permits follow the all-items index of 85.9: $0 to $0.
Lake Charles against nearby metros and the rest of Louisiana
Same job, same size (1 door), priced for the nearest metros. Houston is the priciest of the group at $1,450.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Charles, LAthis page | $420 – $2,250 | $1,350 | |
| Beaumont, TX60 miles | $470 – $2,350 | $1,400 | +5% |
| Lafayette, LA65 miles | $420 – $2,250 | $1,350 | level |
| Alexandria, LA95 miles | $420 – $2,250 | $1,350 | level |
| Baton Rouge, LA125 miles | $460 – $2,350 | $1,400 | +4% |
| Houston, TX130 miles | $450 – $2,450 | $1,450 | +7% |
| Louisiana (statewide) | $440 – $2,300 | $1,350 | +1% |
| United States | $500 – $2,500 | $1,500 | +12% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Lake Charles ranks #289 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Lake Charles is 1% below the Louisiana figure.
Elsewhere in Louisiana
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans, LA | 445,550 jobs | $440 – $2,300 | $1,350 | +2% |
| Baton Rouge, LA | 409,690 jobs | $460 – $2,350 | $1,400 | +4% |
| Lafayette, LA | 179,570 jobs | $420 – $2,250 | $1,350 | level |
| Shreveport, LA | 162,750 jobs | $430 – $2,250 | $1,350 | level |
| Slidell, LA | 98,240 jobs | $430 – $2,250 | $1,350 | level |
| Monroe, LA | 87,500 jobs | $430 – $2,300 | $1,350 | +1% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Lake Charles against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lafayette, IN | 102,200 jobs | $500 – $2,400 | $1,450 | +9% |
| Springfield, IL | 100,810 jobs | $560 – $2,500 | $1,500 | +13% |
| Clarksville, TN | 103,220 jobs | $440 – $2,350 | $1,400 | +3% |
| Santa Cruz, CA | 98,500 jobs | $580 – $2,700 | $1,650 | +23% |
Related projects, priced for Lake Charles
Jobs that often go together with front door are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Lake Charles wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, garage door comes out highest (−9%) and patio door lowest (−13%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Storm door | 1 door | $300 – $840 | −12% |
| Patio door | 1 door | $530 – $5,200 | −13% |
| Window replacement | 10 windows | $4,050 – $13,600 | −10% |
| Garage door | 1 door | $630 – $3,350 | −9% |
The best months for front door in Lake Charles
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Lake Charles (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 Lake Charles are September through May: 9 of 12. Outside them, June, July and August have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
Lake Charles gets about 60 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are January, June and August (6.5 inches in June). Inside the workable window, February and March are the driest, at 3.3 and 3.7 inches. The station averages about 88 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 | 63 | 43 | 5.9 | Workable |
| Feb | 67 | 47 | 3.3 | Workable |
| Mar | 73 | 53 | 3.7 | Workable |
| Apr | 79 | 59 | 4.4 | Workable |
| May | 85 | 67 | 5.4 | Workable |
| Jun | 91 | 74 | 6.5 | Hot |
| Jul | 92 | 76 | 5.7 | Hot |
| Aug | 93 | 75 | 6.2 | Hot |
| Sep | 89 | 71 | 5.2 | Workable |
| Oct | 82 | 60 | 4.8 | Workable |
| Nov | 72 | 51 | 4.1 | Workable |
| Dec | 65 | 45 | 4.6 | Workable |
Specs and site conditions that change a Lake Charles bid
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.
Cost by quality level and size in Lake Charles
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Lake Charles. 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
$420 to $1,150
Basic steel door, same size opening
Standard
$980 to $1,700
Fiberglass door with sidelight trim or glass
Premium
$1,550 to $2,250
Wood or custom door, frame work needed
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| single entry door | $420 – $1,150 | $980 – $1,700 | $1,550 – $2,250 |
| front and side doors | $850 – $2,300 | $1,950 – $3,450 | $3,050 – $4,550 |
Who does the work: Lake Charles trade wages
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 Lake Charles the blend is 0.78.
Carpenters (47-2031), 85% of the weighting: a median of $22.08 an hour, 24% below the US median of $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $16.13 and $28.48 an hour. About 630 work in the metro. That is 62.0 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 43.1 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
For general maintenance and repair workers (49-9071, weighted 15%) the local median is $22.20 an hour, which is 7% below the national $23.84. The middle half of them earn between $17.30 and $32.79 an hour. BLS counts 1,350 of them working in the area, 132.8 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 98.4), so the local bench is deeper 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 $70. That is a swing of roughly 5.2% to 5.6% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Lake Charles has 101,690 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 202nd 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% | $16.13 | $22.08 | $28.48 | $29.12 | 0.76 | metro |
| General maintenance and repair workers (49-9071) | 15% | $17.30 | $22.20 | $32.79 | $23.84 | 0.93 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.78 | |||||
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Front door in Lake Charles: your questions
+How much does it cost to replace a front door in Lake Charles?
For 1 door, expect $420 to $2,250 in the Lake Charles area. A standard-spec job lands at $980 to $1,700. Small jobs usually cost more per door and large ones less.
+What is the price per door for front door in Lake Charles?
About $423 to $2,266 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 Lake Charles or Beaumont?
Beaumont is 60 miles away. The midpoint for 1 door there is $1,400, which is 5% more than Lake Charles ($1,350). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Lake Charles?
About 23% at the midpoint, or $310 out of $1,350. Materials are 77% and permits 0%. Nationally, labor is 27%.
+What would front and side doors cost in Lake Charles?
$850 to $4,550. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does front door need a permit in Lake Charles?
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 Lake Charles area (our national range of $0 to $0 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Lake Charles expensive for front door compared with the rest of Louisiana?
Lake Charles is 1% below the Louisiana statewide estimate ($1,350 at the midpoint). We cover 9 metros in Louisiana; see the state page to compare them.
+What do carpenters earn in Lake Charles?
The BLS median is $22.08 an hour in the Lake Charles area, compared with $29.12 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $16.13 to $28.48.
+What do basic and premium front door work cost in Lake Charles?
For 1 door, basic work runs $420 to $1,150 and premium work $1,550 to $2,250. 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 Lake Charles?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are September through May. February and March 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 Lake Charles
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.