Patio door cost in Dover, DE
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (1 door)
- $570 – $5,600
- Per door
- $567 – $5,619
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −6%
- US $3,300
- Rank of 300 metros
- #167
- 1 = most expensive
A patio door in Dover, DE usually costs $570 to $5,600 for 1 door. That works out to about $567 to $5,619 per door before permits. Compared with the national midpoint that is $210 less. Carpenters earn a median of $25.07 an hour in the Dover area, 14% below the US median of $29.12.
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Estimated cost for 1 door in Dover, DE, standard level
$2,100 to $4,100
About $2,083 to $4,103 per door before permits. Labor is about 47% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,150 | $2,150 |
| Labor | $950 | $1,950 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $2,100 | $4,100 |
Cost breakdown for 1 door in Dover, DE
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $390 | $1,650 | $2,900 | 53% |
| Labor | $180 | $1,450 | $2,750 | 47% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $570 | $3,100 | $5,600 | 100% |
Why Dover prices look the way they do
We price the labor side from BLS wage data for 3 trades: carpenters at 60%, glaziers at 30%, general maintenance and repair workers at 10%. Weighted together, Dover wages are 0.91 times the national level. Labor makes up about 47% of the midpoint estimate (48% at national prices).
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Dover is at 96.4 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $1,700 nationally becomes $1,650 here (midpoint, 1 door). Permits follow the all-items index of 97.5: $0 to $0.
Data note: 30% of the labor weighting for this project uses a national median because BLS has no published metro figure for that trade in Dover. The wage table below marks each row.
Planning more than one job in Dover?
Jobs that often go together with patio door are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Dover wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, window replacement comes out highest (−4%) and storm door lowest (−7%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Window replacement | 10 windows | $4,300 – $14,400 | −4% |
| Front door | 1 door | $450 – $2,350 | −6% |
| Storm door | 1 door | $320 – $880 | −7% |
| Wood deck | 300 sq ft | $7,000 – $14,100 | −7% |
| Garage door | 1 door | $650 – $3,500 | −6% |
Dover weather and the patio door calendar
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Dover (in the city). They are 30-year averages, so any one year can run hotter, colder or wetter.
For exterior installation, the comfortable months in Dover are February through December: 11 of 12. Outside them, January has an average daytime high under 45°F.
In January 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.
Dover gets about 48 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 13 inches of snow. The wettest months are June, August and September (4.9 inches in August). Inside the workable window, February and November are the driest, at 3.1 and 3.4 inches. The station averages about 25 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 | 44 | 28 | 3.4 | Cold |
| Feb | 47 | 29 | 3.1 | Workable |
| Mar | 55 | 35 | 4.2 | Workable |
| Apr | 66 | 45 | 3.7 | Workable |
| May | 74 | 54 | 3.9 | Workable |
| Jun | 83 | 64 | 4.6 | Workable |
| Jul | 87 | 69 | 4.1 | Workable |
| Aug | 85 | 67 | 4.9 | Workable |
| Sep | 79 | 61 | 4.3 | Workable |
| Oct | 69 | 50 | 4.1 | Workable |
| Nov | 58 | 39 | 3.4 | Workable |
| Dec | 49 | 32 | 4.0 | Workable |
Cost by quality level and size in Dover
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Dover. Bands overlap, because plenty of standard jobs cost as much as a light premium one. Sizes run from one sliding door to two doors.
Basic
$570 to $2,600
Standard vinyl slider, same opening
Standard
$2,100 to $4,100
Wider slider or French door with better glass
Premium
$3,600 to $5,600
Multi-panel or custom door, new opening
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| one sliding door | $570 – $2,600 | $2,100 – $4,100 | $3,600 – $5,600 |
| two doors | $1,150 – $5,200 | $4,150 – $8,200 | $7,200 – $11,200 |
Is Dover cheap or dear? The local comparison
Contractors rarely work more than an hour or two from home, so the neighboring metros set a rough ceiling and floor for your quotes. Midpoints for 1 door range from $3,100 to $3,500 across Dover and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dover, DEthis page | $570 – $5,600 | $3,100 | |
| Vineland, NJ25 miles | $620 – $6,350 | $3,500 | +13% |
| Atlantic City, NJ45 miles | $610 – $6,200 | $3,400 | +10% |
| Philadelphia, PA55 miles | $600 – $6,050 | $3,300 | +7% |
| Baltimore, MD60 miles | $620 – $6,150 | $3,400 | +10% |
| Lancaster, PA75 miles | $590 – $5,800 | $3,200 | +3% |
| Delaware (statewide) | $580 – $5,850 | $3,200 | +4% |
| United States | $600 – $6,000 | $3,300 | +7% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Dover ranks #167 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Dover is 4% below the Delaware figure.
Dover is the only Delaware 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 Dover against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traverse City, MI | 68,440 jobs | $570 – $5,700 | $3,150 | +1% |
| Burlington, NC | 67,830 jobs | $550 – $5,350 | $2,950 | −4% |
| State College, PA | 68,840 jobs | $590 – $5,850 | $3,250 | +4% |
| Winchester, VA | 67,740 jobs | $570 – $5,600 | $3,100 | level |
Patio door: what moves the price in Dover
Old door removal
Removing and disposing of the old door is $100-$500 extra.
Glass
Low-E, tempered and hurricane-rated glass cost more than basic single-pane glass.
Door type
Sliding glass doors run $1,200-$4,000 installed; exterior French doors $1,300-$5,500; telescoping doors $1,500-$5,000 (HomeGuide).
What local crews earn in Dover
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 Dover the blend is 0.91.
Carpenters (47-2031), 60% of the weighting: a median of $25.07 an hour, 14% below the US median of $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $22.87 and $32.20 an hour. About 270 work in the metro. That is 39.7 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 43.1 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
Glaziers (47-2121) carry 30% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for the Dover metro, so we used the national median: $27.44 an hour against $27.44 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $22.27 and $32.03 an hour.
For general maintenance and repair workers (49-9071, weighted 10%) the local median is $22.08 an hour, which is 7% below the national $23.84. The middle half of them earn between $18.01 and $28.34 an hour. BLS counts 410 of them working in the area, 60.2 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 $240 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $75. That is a swing of roughly 2.3% to 7.6% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Dover has 68,080 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 265th 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% | $22.87 | $25.07 | $32.20 | $29.12 | 0.86 | metro |
| Glaziers (47-2121) | 30% | $22.27 | $27.44 | $32.03 | $27.44 | 1.00 | US |
| General maintenance and repair workers (49-9071) | 10% | $18.01 | $22.08 | $28.34 | $23.84 | 0.93 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.91 | |||||
Get 3 local quotes
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Patio door in Dover: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a patio door in Dover?
For 1 door, expect $570 to $5,600 in the Dover area. A standard-spec job lands at $2,100 to $4,100. Small jobs usually cost more per door and large ones less.
+What is the price per door for patio door in Dover?
About $567 to $5,619 per door for materials and labor, plus $0 to $0 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $600 to $6,000.
+Is patio door cheaper in Dover or Vineland?
Vineland is 25 miles away. The midpoint for 1 door there is $3,500, which is 13% more than Dover ($3,100). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Dover?
About 47% at the midpoint, or $1,450 out of $3,100. Materials are 53% and permits 0%. Nationally, labor is 48%.
+What would two doors cost in Dover?
$1,150 to $11,200. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does patio door need a permit in Dover?
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 Dover area (our national range of $0 to $0 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Dover expensive for patio door compared with the rest of Delaware?
Dover is 4% below the Delaware statewide estimate ($3,200 at the midpoint).
+What do carpenters earn in Dover?
The BLS median is $25.07 an hour in the Dover area, compared with $29.12 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $22.87 to $32.20.
+What do basic and premium patio door work cost in Dover?
For 1 door, basic work runs $570 to $2,600 and premium work $3,600 to $5,600. Basic means: standard vinyl slider, same opening. Premium means: multi-panel or custom door, new opening.
+When is the best time to install a patio door in Dover?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are February through December. February 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.
Patio door near Dover
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 It Cost to Install or Replace Patio Doors? (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 $400-$3,000 for the sliding door itself, matched to the lower part of the $600-$6,000 installed range; labor is the remainder and sits above HomeGuide's $200-$1,000 labor-only figure because the installed range also covers trim, flashing and haul-away.