Why do you want a new entry door?

Does your current door let the cold air inside?

Can you see daylight around the edges of the door?

Are you noticing rot at the bottom of the door?

Is it just time to restore your home's curb appeal?

Thermatru Entry Door

Is replacing my entry door a good investment?

Before we get into the real cost of replacing your door, we should look at the return on investment of this home improvement project.

The National Association of Realtors says that improving curb appeal is one of the top 5 most valuable upgrades you can make.
HGTV lists updating your home’s entry door as one of the best investments you could make on a budget to increase the value of your home.
Better Homes and Gardens lists upgrading your front door as the first thing you can do to increase your home's resale value.
Select an ENERGY STAR® certified doors to reduce your energy bills by up to 15%.

Watch the video below to see how a new entry door can increase your home's perceived value.

What is all involved in pricing a door?

When you begin looking for someone to replace your door you will need to make sure that everyone is on the same page. You need to verify that you are comparing apples to apples, so nothing gets missed.

Door Unit - Of course the first thing you need to do is choose a door style. I recommend homeowner's look at Masonite and ThermaTru fiberglass doors. These two companies represent the majority of fiberglass door sales in the Cincinnati market, and both have a great selection.
Door Glass - The decorative glass in these doors drive the price. Pick a glass that compliments your home and door style. Make sure that you are okay with the visibility through the glass. Imagine your home at night and how easy (or hard) it will be to see into the home.
Pre-finishing - For best results, I highly recommend that you have the entry unit pre-finished at the factory. Most companies off this service and you have unlimited color options. Factory staining or painting can carry 5 to 10-year warranties, so make sure you know what you're getting. One important thing to consider is most companies will not warranty the paint on any wooden surface, (like the door frame) or exterior trim.
Installation - This is probably the biggest challenge when purchasing a new entry door. Who is going to install the door? You do proper vetting of any individual that will install a door. The whole future of the unit will be decided by this person. The door must be square and plumb, but also proper flashing will be a must. The installer must be help responsible to follow the manufactures installation instructions to a T.
Entry Hardware - Don't forget your lock set. You can expect to pay between $150 - $250 for most entry handle sets. Of course, this amount can go higher based on your taste. Make sure you have the lock set ready to go at the time of installation.

Here is a video that covers the selection and installation of a ThermaTru door.

How much is my door going to cost?

I want to give homeowner's enough information to at least have a budgeted dollar amount for their new entry door. Many variables will factor into the price of your door, but I have compiled a few examples that should provide you with a better idea of cost.

My examples are priced using Masonite doors. I have only quoted fiberglass doors and I intentionally have selected a full composite frame. The composite frame will allow you to have the best warranty on all painted or stained surfaces.

Example #1 - This door is a standard 36" x 80" stained fiberglass door with glass. Here is the detailed quote for Example #1. The total price for this unit, pre-finishing, installation and lock set is $3104.00 plus tax.

Example #2 - This door is the same style and glass as example #1 but is a painted door. Here is the detailed quote for Example #2. The total price for this unit, pre-finishing, installation and lock set is $2727.00 plus tax.
Example #3 - This door is stained fiberglass 36" x 80" door with two side lights. Here is the detailed quote for Example #3. The total price for this unit, pre-finishing, installation and lock set is $6799.00 plus tax.
Example #4 - This door is the same as example #3 but is a painted door. Here is the detailed quote for Example #4. The total price for this unit, pre-finishing, installation and lock set is $5839.00 plus tax.

What one step can you take today?

If you are planning on replacing your entry door and need my assistance, please reach out through my contact page or use the microphone on the right hand side of your screen.

Have you heard the rumors that say composite decks are expensive? Well, the rumors are true. But it’s all relative, what’s expensive to one person is not expensive to another. The question remains, how much will it cost you and does the investment make sense?

timbertech - deck school

How much will a composite deck cost? Of course, many variables will affect the final price of your composite deck, but I am giving you the basic formulas to estimate your new deck.

Before we dive in, ask yourself these two questions.

Are you building the deck yourself?

Are you hiring a deck contractor?

Do-It-Yourself

Are you handy or have a friend that has built their deck? Before you answer this to quickly, I must caution you; there is a big difference between building a treated and composite deck. A treated deck leaves a lot of room for error. If you do mess up with treated the costs to fix are minimal. Composite, on the other hand, can cost hundreds or thousands if you make mistakes. If I haven't scared you off, then go ahead and get the sketch of your deck and figure up the square footage.

Deck sketch post image

Take the square footage of your deck and multiply that number by $25 - $30. The range in price will account for different types of deck and rail. If you tend to have expensive taste, then multiply by the higher dollar amount. This figure will give you the material cost for concrete, framing, composite deck surface and composite railing. This number will not include the stairs or stair railing. When using the example sketch above, you will find the cost to be $8,000.

Stairs must be estimated separately, and you will need to know the number of stair treads required for your project. If you need help figuring the number of stair treads visit this stair calculator on Decks.com. I have added an image below to show you how I used the calculator for the example deck. Once you have determined the number of stair treads, just multiply that number by $188 per stair riser. This dollar amount will cover the lumber, hardware, composite decking, risers, fascia, and composite railing for your stairs. The example deck above has 8 risers for the steps. If you take 8 x $188, you arrive at $1504.

Now just take the two numbers from above and add them together. This is the approximate material cost for your project. When using our example above (and using the $25 square footage figure), the cost for all materials is $9,504.

Stair Calculator Results

Is there anything that can throw the formula off?

I based this formula on using products like Trex, Timbertech, Azek, Fiberon or Dekorators composite decking. If you are looking at a less expensive alternative, then the formula won't work.
This formula is based on your deck height being no more than five feet off the ground. When using a longer 6x6 post, you will see a slightly higher per square foot dollar amount.
The formula also was anticipating the deck being fastened to your home by a ledger board and joist hangers. If you are opposed to attaching the deck to your home, you will require more concrete, posts, beams and hardware. Not connecting to your home will result in a higher cost per square foot.

So how much will a professional charge me?

Take the square footage of your flat deck area with no stairs. In the sketch above the 16x20 deck is 320 square feet. A professional deck contractor in the Cincinnati market will charge between $45 and $55 per square foot. So from our example above you take 320 square feet times $45. This deck would run approximately $14,400. Once again that would include the concrete, framing, hardware, deck surface and level railing. It does not include the stairs or stair railing. The is not an exact science and is to only provide you with an idea of what a composite deck will cost by having it built professionally. Some variables could lower or higher the total square foot pricing.

We determined from the online calculator that the stairs on our example above would require eight risers. To find out what the stairs and stair railing will cost, just take 8 X $253 for a total of $2,024. This figure will cover the labor and material for your stairs.

Based on the formula and adding the stairs, you could expect to pay between $16,424 and $19,624 for a 16x20 composite deck.

What other costs should I consider?

You should expect to pay for a building permit.

Landscaping is often overlooked but is needed to finish off your deck properly.
Be sure to budget for new chairs and tables to give your deck that finished look.

« October 2019 »

How Much Does a New Entry Door Cost?