Patio door cost in La Crosse, WI
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (1 door)
- $580 – $5,850
- Per door
- $579 – $5,871
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −2%
- US $3,300
- Rank of 300 metros
- #117
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for a patio door in the La Crosse area: $580 to $5,850 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 lands close to the US figure. Building materials run about 6% below the US average here (BEA goods price index 93.8).
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Estimated cost for 1 door in La Crosse, WI, standard level
$2,150 to $4,300
About $2,167 to $4,284 per door before permits. Labor is about 51% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,100 | $2,100 |
| Labor | $1,050 | $2,200 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $2,150 | $4,300 |
Cost breakdown for 1 door in La Crosse, WI
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $380 | $1,600 | $2,800 | 49% |
| Labor | $200 | $1,650 | $3,050 | 51% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $580 | $3,250 | $5,850 | 100% |
What is behind the La Crosse number
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, La Crosse wages are 1.02 times the national level. Labor makes up about 51% of the midpoint estimate (48% at national prices).
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. La Crosse is at 93.8 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $1,700 nationally becomes $1,600 here (midpoint, 1 door). Permits follow the all-items index of 91.8: $0 to $0.
Data note: 30% of the labor weighting for this project uses a statewide median because BLS has no published metro figure for that trade in La Crosse. The wage table below marks each row.
Patio door: what moves the price in La Crosse
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).
New opening versus replacement
Cutting a new opening in a wall adds framing, header and finish work compared with a like-for-like swap.
Related projects, priced for La Crosse
Jobs that often go together with patio door are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same La Crosse wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, wood deck comes out highest (−2%) and front door lowest (−5%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Window replacement | 10 windows | $4,400 – $14,500 | −3% |
| Front door | 1 door | $480 – $2,350 | −5% |
| Storm door | 1 door | $340 – $910 | −4% |
| Wood deck | 300 sq ft | $7,400 – $14,800 | −2% |
| Garage door | 1 door | $690 – $3,600 | −3% |
Who does the work: La Crosse 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 La Crosse the blend is 1.02.
Carpenters (47-2031), 60% of the weighting: a median of $28.34 an hour, in line with the US median of $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $23.93 and $36.95 an hour. About 450 work in the metro. That is 53.3 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 43.1 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
Glaziers (47-2121) carry 30% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for the La Crosse metro, so we used the Wisconsin statewide median: $30.00 an hour against $27.44 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $24.52 and $44.10 an hour.
For general maintenance and repair workers (49-9071, weighted 10%) the local median is $25.56 an hour, which is 7% above the national $23.84. The middle half of them earn between $21.29 and $30.66 an hour. BLS counts 920 of them working in the area, 109.0 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 $280 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $150. That is a swing of roughly 4.5% to 8.8% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
La Crosse-Onalaska has 84,380 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 228th 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% | $23.93 | $28.34 | $36.95 | $29.12 | 0.97 | metro |
| Glaziers (47-2121) | 30% | $24.52 | $30.00 | $44.10 | $27.44 | 1.09 | state |
| General maintenance and repair workers (49-9071) | 10% | $21.29 | $25.56 | $30.66 | $23.84 | 1.07 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.02 | |||||
La Crosse: what basic, standard and premium work costs
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to La Crosse. 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
$580 to $2,700
Standard vinyl slider, same opening
Standard
$2,150 to $4,300
Wider slider or French door with better glass
Premium
$3,750 to $5,850
Multi-panel or custom door, new opening
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| one sliding door | $580 – $2,700 | $2,150 – $4,300 | $3,750 – $5,850 |
| two doors | $1,150 – $5,400 | $4,350 – $8,550 | $7,500 – $11,700 |
Is La Crosse cheap or dear? The local comparison
Of the five closest metros, 2 are cheaper than La Crosse. Waterloo is the lowest at about $3,150 (midpoint, 1 door), 105 miles away.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Crosse, WIthis page | $580 – $5,850 | $3,250 | |
| Rochester, MN65 miles | $600 – $6,100 | $3,350 | +4% |
| Dubuque, IA85 miles | $580 – $5,850 | $3,200 | −1% |
| Eau Claire, WI85 miles | $580 – $5,900 | $3,250 | level |
| Madison, WI85 miles | $610 – $6,350 | $3,500 | +8% |
| Waterloo, IA105 miles | $570 – $5,700 | $3,150 | −3% |
| Wisconsin (statewide) | $590 – $6,000 | $3,300 | +2% |
| United States | $600 – $6,000 | $3,300 | +2% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, La Crosse ranks #117 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, La Crosse is 2% below the Wisconsin figure.
Elsewhere in Wisconsin
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee, WI | 820,780 jobs | $600 – $6,200 | $3,400 | +5% |
| Madison, WI | 408,070 jobs | $610 – $6,350 | $3,500 | +8% |
| Green Bay, WI | 174,550 jobs | $580 – $5,950 | $3,250 | +1% |
| Appleton, WI | 124,230 jobs | $590 – $6,000 | $3,300 | +2% |
| Oshkosh, WI | 93,750 jobs | $630 – $6,650 | $3,650 | +13% |
| Eau Claire, WI | 86,060 jobs | $580 – $5,900 | $3,250 | level |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is La Crosse against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson, TN | 84,530 jobs | $550 – $5,350 | $2,950 | −8% |
| Waterloo, IA | 84,260 jobs | $570 – $5,700 | $3,150 | −3% |
| Eau Claire, WI | 86,060 jobs | $580 – $5,900 | $3,250 | level |
| Houma, LA | 83,440 jobs | $540 – $5,250 | $2,900 | −10% |
The best months for patio door in La Crosse
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, La Crosse Wfo (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 La Crosse are April through October: 7 of 12. Outside them, January, February, March, November and December have an average daytime high under 45°F.
In January, February, March, November 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.
La Crosse gets about 37 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 54 inches of snow. The wettest months are May, June and August (5.3 inches in June). Inside the workable window, September and October are the driest, at 4.0 and 2.9 inches. The station averages about 3 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 | 24 | 8 | 1.1 | Cold |
| Feb | 29 | 13 | 1.1 | Cold |
| Mar | 41 | 24 | 1.9 | Cold |
| Apr | 55 | 36 | 4.0 | Workable |
| May | 67 | 48 | 4.9 | Workable |
| Jun | 76 | 58 | 5.3 | Workable |
| Jul | 80 | 62 | 4.3 | Workable |
| Aug | 78 | 60 | 4.5 | Workable |
| Sep | 71 | 52 | 4.0 | Workable |
| Oct | 58 | 40 | 2.9 | Workable |
| Nov | 42 | 28 | 1.9 | Cold |
| Dec | 29 | 15 | 1.5 | Cold |
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Patio door in La Crosse: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a patio door in La Crosse?
For 1 door, expect $580 to $5,850 in the La Crosse area. A standard-spec job lands at $2,150 to $4,300. Small jobs usually cost more per door and large ones less.
+What is the price per door for patio door in La Crosse?
About $579 to $5,871 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 La Crosse or Rochester?
Rochester is 65 miles away. The midpoint for 1 door there is $3,350, which is 4% more than La Crosse ($3,250). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in La Crosse?
About 51% at the midpoint, or $1,650 out of $3,250. Materials are 49% and permits 0%. Nationally, labor is 48%.
+What would two doors cost in La Crosse?
$1,150 to $11,700. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does patio door need a permit in La Crosse?
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 La Crosse area (our national range of $0 to $0 scaled by the local price level).
+Is La Crosse expensive for patio door compared with the rest of Wisconsin?
La Crosse is 2% below the Wisconsin statewide estimate ($3,300 at the midpoint). We cover 12 metros in Wisconsin; see the state page to compare them.
+What do carpenters earn in La Crosse?
The BLS median is $28.34 an hour in the La Crosse area, compared with $29.12 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $23.93 to $36.95.
+What do basic and premium patio door work cost in La Crosse?
For 1 door, basic work runs $580 to $2,700 and premium work $3,750 to $5,850. 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 La Crosse?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are April through October. September and October 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 La Crosse
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.