Garage door cost in Chicago, IL
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (1 door)
- $840 – $4,250
- Per door
- $836 – $4,036
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +15%
- US $2,200
- Rank of 300 metros
- #4
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for a garage door in the Chicago area: $840 to $4,250 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 15% higher than the US figure. Carpenters earn a median of $38.68 an hour in the Chicago area, 33% above the US median of $29.12.
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Estimated cost for 1 door in Chicago, IL, standard level
$1,850 to $3,200
About $1,796 to $3,076 per door before permits. Labor is about 35% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,100 | $2,000 |
| Labor | $690 | $1,050 |
| Permits and fees | $60 | $150 |
| Total | $1,850 | $3,200 |
Cost breakdown for 1 door in Chicago, IL
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $430 | $1,550 | $2,700 | 61% |
| Labor | $410 | $880 | $1,350 | 35% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $100 | $210 | 4% |
| Total | $840 | $2,550 | $4,250 | 100% |
What is behind the Chicago number
Labor is 35% of the midpoint bill here, against 30% nationally. The mix of trades behind this job is carpenters (60%), electricians (20%), general maintenance and repair workers (20%). We weight each trade's local median wage by that share and compare it with the national median. In Chicago the blended ratio comes out at 1.36.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Chicago is at 107.3 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $1,450 nationally becomes $1,550 here (midpoint, 1 door). Permits follow the all-items index of 103.6: $0 to $210.
Chicago: what basic, standard and premium work costs
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Chicago. Bands overlap, because plenty of standard jobs cost as much as a light premium one. Sizes run from single door to two single doors.
Basic
$840 to $2,200
Basic single door, standard steel panels
Standard
$1,850 to $3,200
Insulated double door with windows
Premium
$2,900 to $4,250
Premium insulated or wood-look door, upgraded hardware
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| single door | $840 – $2,200 | $1,850 – $3,200 | $2,900 – $4,250 |
| double door | $840 – $2,200 | $1,850 – $3,200 | $2,900 – $4,250 |
| two single doors | $1,650 – $4,300 | $3,650 – $6,300 | $5,650 – $8,300 |
Related projects, priced for Chicago
Jobs that often go together with garage door are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Chicago wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, concrete driveway comes out highest (+30%) and window replacement lowest (+10%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached garage | 576 sq ft | $35,500 – $71,100 | +22% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $4,650 – $12,000 | +30% |
| Storm door | 1 door | $410 – $1,100 | +16% |
| Front door | 1 door | $610 – $2,800 | +13% |
| Window replacement | 10 windows | $5,000 – $16,500 | +10% |
| Patio door | 1 door | $680 – $6,950 | +15% |
Optional extras in Chicago
Add-ons start from national price ranges and are scaled by 1.21 for Chicago, which is the average of the area's wage index (1.36) and goods price index (1.07). The estimator above can add them to your total.
| Add-on | Local range |
|---|---|
| Add a new opener (flat) | $360 – $1,100 |
The best months for garage door in Chicago
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Chicago Midway 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 Chicago are March through November: 9 of 12. Outside them, January, February and December have an average daytime high under 45°F.
In January, February and December the average high stays below 45°F. Sealants, adhesives and some materials, such as vinyl, are harder to install well in the cold, and short daylight cuts the working day.
Chicago gets about 34 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are May, June and August (4.1 inches in May). Inside the workable window, March and November are the driest, at 1.9 and 2.4 inches. The station averages about 20 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 | 33 | 19 | 1.5 | Cold |
| Feb | 37 | 23 | 1.5 | Cold |
| Mar | 48 | 32 | 1.9 | Workable |
| Apr | 60 | 41 | 3.6 | Workable |
| May | 71 | 52 | 4.1 | Workable |
| Jun | 81 | 62 | 4.0 | Workable |
| Jul | 85 | 68 | 3.5 | Workable |
| Aug | 83 | 66 | 4.0 | Workable |
| Sep | 76 | 59 | 2.8 | Workable |
| Oct | 63 | 47 | 3.5 | Workable |
| Nov | 49 | 35 | 2.4 | Workable |
| Dec | 38 | 25 | 1.8 | Cold |
Who does the work: Chicago trade wages
The labor line is built from BLS wage data, one trade at a time. This job draws on 3 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 Chicago the blend is 1.36.
Carpenters (47-2031), 60% of the weighting: a median of $38.68 an hour, 33% above the US median of $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $28.26 and $54.79 an hour. About 14,220 work in the metro. That is 31.5 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 43.1 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
For electricians (47-2111, weighted 20%) the local median is $49.21 an hour, which is 62% above the national $30.38. The middle half of them earn between $35.77 and $57.05 an hour. BLS counts 17,720 of them working in the area, 39.3 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 48.7), so the local bench is thinner than average.
For general maintenance and repair workers (49-9071, weighted 20%) the local median is $27.90 an hour, which is 17% above the national $23.84. The middle half of them earn between $21.67 and $34.66 an hour. BLS counts 45,710 of them working in the area, 101.3 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 98.4), so the local bench is about average.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (carpenters) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $220 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $140. That is a swing of roughly 5.5% to 8.5% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin has 4,513,280 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 3rd by size among the 300 metros on this site.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carpenters (47-2031) | 60% | $28.26 | $38.68 | $54.79 | $29.12 | 1.33 | metro |
| Electricians (47-2111) | 20% | $35.77 | $49.21 | $57.05 | $30.38 | 1.62 | metro |
| General maintenance and repair workers (49-9071) | 20% | $21.67 | $27.90 | $34.66 | $23.84 | 1.17 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.36 | |||||
Garage door: what moves the price in Chicago
Labor
Installation labor is about $200-$500, so the door itself is most of the bill.
Permit
Like-for-like replacement often needs no permit. Opening up the wall or adding wiring can.
Door size and style
A standard door with 4-5 rectangular panels is $400-$1,400 before installation; add windows and it's $600-$2,500 (HomeGuide).
How Chicago compares
Of the five closest metros, all are cheaper than Chicago. Niles is the lowest at about $2,050 (midpoint, 1 door), 55 miles away.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago, ILthis page | $840 – $4,250 | $2,550 | |
| Niles, MI55 miles | $650 – $3,450 | $2,050 | −19% |
| Kenosha, WI55 miles | $750 – $3,950 | $2,350 | −8% |
| Racine, WI70 miles | $700 – $3,600 | $2,150 | −15% |
| Rockford, IL75 miles | $740 – $3,750 | $2,250 | −11% |
| Milwaukee, WI80 miles | $710 – $3,650 | $2,200 | −14% |
| Illinois (statewide) | $810 – $4,100 | $2,450 | −3% |
| United States | $700 – $3,700 | $2,200 | −13% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Chicago ranks #4 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Chicago is 3% above the Illinois figure.
Elsewhere in Illinois
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peoria, IL | 166,020 jobs | $740 – $3,750 | $2,250 | −12% |
| Rockford, IL | 137,650 jobs | $740 – $3,750 | $2,250 | −11% |
| Champaign, IL | 105,500 jobs | $740 – $3,750 | $2,250 | −12% |
| Springfield, IL | 100,810 jobs | $740 – $3,750 | $2,250 | −11% |
| Bloomington, IL | 88,110 jobs | $730 – $3,700 | $2,250 | −12% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Chicago against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles, CA | 6,271,560 jobs | $790 – $4,100 | $2,450 | −4% |
| Dallas, TX | 4,049,800 jobs | $670 – $3,650 | $2,150 | −15% |
| New York, NY | 9,492,000 jobs | $810 – $4,200 | $2,500 | −1% |
| Houston, TX | 3,289,720 jobs | $660 – $3,600 | $2,100 | −16% |
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Garage door in Chicago: your questions
+How much does it cost to replace a garage door in Chicago?
For 1 door, expect $840 to $4,250 in the Chicago area. A standard-spec job lands at $1,850 to $3,200. Small jobs usually cost more per door and large ones less.
+What is the price per door for garage door in Chicago?
About $836 to $4,036 per door for materials and labor, plus $0 to $210 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $700 to $3,500.
+Is garage door cheaper in Chicago or Niles?
Niles is 55 miles away. The midpoint for 1 door there is $2,050, which is 19% less than Chicago ($2,550). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Chicago?
About 35% at the midpoint, or $880 out of $2,550. Materials are 61% and permits 4%. Nationally, labor is 30%.
+What would double door cost in Chicago?
$840 to $4,250. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does garage door need a permit in Chicago?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $0 to $210 for fees in the Chicago area (our national range of $0 to $200 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Chicago expensive for garage door compared with the rest of Illinois?
Chicago is 3% above the Illinois statewide estimate ($2,450 at the midpoint). We cover 6 metros in Illinois; see the state page to compare them.
+What do carpenters earn in Chicago?
The BLS median is $38.68 an hour in the Chicago area, compared with $29.12 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $28.26 to $54.79.
+What do basic and premium garage door work cost in Chicago?
For 1 door, basic work runs $840 to $2,200 and premium work $2,900 to $4,250. Basic means: basic single door, standard steel panels. Premium means: premium insulated or wood-look door, upgraded hardware.
+When is the best time to replace a garage door in Chicago?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are March through November. March and November are typically the driest of those months. Local contractors' schedules matter as much as the weather, so book early for the busy months.
+What does "add a new opener" add in Chicago?
$360 to $1,100, from a national range scaled by the local wage and goods indexes.
Garage door near Chicago
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 Garage Door Replacement Cost? (2026) (accessed November 4, 2026)
- HomeGuide: 2026 Building Permit Costs | Fees & Cost Calculator (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