Door Installation in Chicago
We hang the door you bought, or one we bring, in any Chicago opening.
We’re HandyBandi, the carpenters down the block, and our door installation Chicago crew takes the job most door shops skip. You bought the door yourself, online or at a big box store, and it needs hanging. A prehung door or a slab door, interior or front entry, a standard opening or a non-standard size one in a pre-war two-flat. Every job starts with a written price. If the old door only sticks or sags, our door repair team may save it first.
Why Choose Us
We’re carpenters, and door work is one branch of our carpentry services in Chicago. That helps on mixed jobs. One visit can cover hanging the door, cutting the latch bore, setting the lockset and fitting new door casing, with one invoice instead of three. If you searched door installation near me and found only window companies selling their brands, we fill that gap. Shims, a level and stop molding ride on the truck, so the door goes in plumb.
Why Choose Us:
Doors We Install in Chicago Homes
Every door below goes into an existing opening, and most jobs finish in one visit. Here is what we hang most.
What's Included with a Service?
Interior Doors
Our interior door installation covers bedroom and bath doors in hollow-core, solid-core, solid wood or MDF. We set the hinge mortise and strike plate so the reveal stays even.
Exterior and Front Doors
Exterior door installation means a new threshold, weatherstripping and a door sweep set tight for winter. Most door replacement Chicago calls are a front entry swapped in kind, frame and all.
Storm Doors
Storm door installation goes over your front or back entry, with the door closer adjusted so it shuts gently. A storm door also keeps winter wind off the main door.
Pocket, Bifold and Closet Doors
Pocket door installation starts with the pocket door track. Bifold door installation on a closet door goes faster, and a sticking bifold often needs new pivots. We mount barn door hardware too.
Door Installation Cost in Chicago
Here is what interior door installation cost looks like in practice. HomeGuide 2026 figures put a full interior door job at $155 to $2,800, and most of that spread is the door itself. When you supply the door, labor runs $100 to $300. A prehung interior door takes 1 to 2 hours, and an entry door takes 3 to 8.
Exterior work costs more. A front door replacement with a new frame runs $800 to $4,000, with $230 to $800 of that in labor. A storm door runs $350 to $950 installed, and hauling away the old door adds $40 to $80. Those are national averages, and door installation Chicago jobs move with the opening, so your written quote comes after we see it. Our handyman price list covers the rest. Emergency visits add a $250 fee.
| Type of Work | Cost in Chicago |
|---|---|
| Interior prehung door installation | From $100, labor |
| Interior slab door installation | By request |
| Closet or bifold door installation | By request |
| Pocket door installation | By request |
| Storm door installation | From $175, labor |
| Exterior door installation | From $230, labor |
| Old door removal and haul-away | From $40 |
| Emergency service | +$250 fee |
Prehung or Slab: Which Door Fits Your Opening
A prehung door comes already hung in its own door jamb, with hinges set and the latch bore drilled. A slab door is the door alone. Prehung door installation fits best when the old jamb is worn or racked. A slab fits when the jamb is sound and you want to keep the original trim.
In a Chicago bungalow the choice usually comes down to the casing. A prehung unit means pulling the casing and the old jamb, then setting the new frame into the rough opening with shims until it sits plumb and level. A slab keeps all of that, but we cut each hinge mortise by hand to match the old hinges.
| Prehung door | Slab door | |
| What you get | Door, jamb and hinges | Door only |
| Old trim | Comes off, new casing | Stays in place |
| Best for | Worn or racked jamb | Sound jamb, original trim |
| Install time | 1 to 2 hours | Depends on fitting |
Fitting a New Door Into a Pre-War Chicago Opening
Most door installation Chicago jobs meet an old opening. 38.8% of homes in the city went up before 1940, and the median year built is 1953. A pre-war two-flat often has an opening no stock door matches, and an out-of-square opening is normal after a century of settling. Here is how we fit a door into it:
- Order a custom slab or a prehung unit sized to the opening
- Trim the door or shim the jamb until the reveal is even
- Resize the opening when nothing else works, at $250 to $400
Plaster walls crack when an old jamb comes out, so our drywall repair around the frame crew patches the wall and door and trim painting finishes it. Old casing often hides lead paint, so we follow lead-safe work in pre-1978 homes before we cut anything.
Does Replacing a Door in Chicago Need a Permit?
Most door swaps need no permit. Here is the short version of the Chicago permit exemptions for doors. An in-kind replacement means a new door of the same type, size and shape.
- Interior door, with or without the frame, not fire rated: no permit
- Exterior door in the existing opening, home up to 4 stories: no permit
- Storm door installed or removed, any building: no permit
- New opening in an exterior wall, a fire-rated door, or a door within 10 feet of a fire escape: permit with architect drawings
Taller buildings use the Express Permit for exterior door replacement. These exemptions may not apply to a Chicago Landmark or a home in a landmark district. We check that before we quote, and anything needing an Express Permit or drawings goes to a licensed contractor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Straight answers from our crew on doors, openings and permits.
+− How much does it cost to install an interior door in Chicago?
Labor runs $100 to $300 with your door. Full jobs run $155 to $2,800.
+− Can you install a door I bought myself?
Yes. Most of our jobs start with a door the client already bought.
+− Is a prehung door or a slab door better for an old house?
Prehung when the jamb is worn, slab when it is sound and the trim stays.
+− Do I need a permit to replace a door in Chicago?
Not for an in-kind swap in most homes. New openings and fire-rated doors need one.
+− How long does it take to install a door?
A prehung interior door takes 1 to 2 hours, an entry door 3 to 8.
+− Can a new door fit an opening that is not a standard size?
Yes. We order a custom size, trim the door or resize the opening.
+− Do you remove and haul away the old door?
Yes, for $40 to $80, quoted in writing with the job.