How much do French doors cost?
Quick answer
Exterior French doors usually cost $1,300 to $5,500 installed, and interior French doors $600 to $3,000, according to HomeGuide. Custom pairs with decorative glass or unusual sizes run $3,000 to $15,000. The frame material, the glass and whether the opening has to be widened decide where your job falls.
GOLDGCP's national planning ranges for every door type are below. They update to local prices when you enter your ZIP code.
| Job | US average (typical range) | Typical |
|---|---|---|
| Entry door, installed | $700–$3,500 | $1,600 |
| Double entry doors, installed | $1,500–$6,500 | $4,000 |
| Patio sliding door | $1,500–$6,000 | $3,000 |
| French doors | $2,000–$7,500 | $4,000 |
| Multi-slide or bi-fold door | $5,000–$22,000 | $10,000 |
| Garage door | $900–$4,000 | $1,800 |
| Storm door | $400–$1,100 | $750 |
| Interior door, installed | $120–$570 | $350 |
| New door frame | $130–$600 | $320 |
US national averages for 2026, labor and standard materials included, from published cost guides (sources at the end of this page). Local prices differ: see the city table below, or enter your ZIP code in the calculator.
What a French door is
A French door is a hinged door with glass filling most of its height. The classic version is a pair of side-by-side hinged doors that meet in the middle, so opening both leaves clears nearly the whole width. They are used two ways: as exterior patio doors, and inside the house between a living room and a study, dining room or sunroom. Interior and exterior versions are built differently, so the price ranges are separate.
| Use | Installed cost | Door materials | Labor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interior French doors | $600 to $3,000 | $300 to $2,500 | $300 to $500 |
| Exterior French doors | $1,300 to $5,500 | $1,000 to $5,000 | $300 to $500 |
HomeGuide warns against hanging an interior French door on an outside wall to save money. Interior units are lighter and are not built to insulate or seal against weather.
Price by frame material
These are door-only prices from HomeGuide.
| Frame | Door price | Where it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Wood | $300 to $2,000 | Pine, alder and fir cost less; oak, walnut, cherry and mahogany cost more |
| Vinyl | $500 to $2,000 | Low maintenance; mostly used inside because it can warp in high heat |
| Aluminum | $650 to $2,500 | Light and low maintenance, but a poor insulator; interior or mild climates |
| Steel | $700 to $3,000 | Slim modern frames; also a poor insulator, so mild climates or interior |
| Fiberglass | $850 to $4,500 | Insulates well and needs little care, a common pick for exterior pairs |
| Clad wood | $2,500 to $5,000 | Wood inside, vinyl or aluminum cladding outside for weather protection |
For an exterior pair in a cold or hot climate, fiberglass and clad wood are the materials HomeGuide describes as built for the weather.
Price by configuration
| Style | Door price | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Single in-swing | $300 to $1,000 | One glass door that opens into the room |
| Double in-swing | $400 to $4,000 | The classic pair, opening inward |
| Double out-swing | $400 to $4,000 | A pair that opens onto the patio or deck |
| Center-hinged | $1,000 to $1,500 | Two panels with the hinge between them |
| Single sliding | $800 to $2,000 | French styling, but one panel slides past a fixed one |
| Telescopic | $1,500 to $6,000 | Heavy-duty sliding unit with three panels |
In-swing or out-swing?
An in-swing pair needs clear floor space inside the room for the full arc of both doors, so furniture can't sit in that zone. An out-swing pair needs the same space on the patio, and HomeGuide suggests out-swing doors when the room is small. Out-swing doors also make it easier to move large items through, since the doors are out of the way.
Sliding French doors
If neither swing works for your space, a sliding French door has the wide stiles and divided-light look of a hinged door but moves sideways like a patio slider. For a plain slider with a narrower frame, see our page on sliding patio doors.
Price by glass
Glass is the largest surface on a French door, so it moves both the price and how the room feels.
| Glass | Door price | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Tempered | $400 to $1,700 | Safety glass that breaks into small chunks instead of sharp shards |
| Laminated | $500 to $1,200 | Resin layers hold the glass in the frame if it breaks |
| Double-pane | $700 to $3,000 | Two panes with an air space; insulates better than one pane |
| Triple-pane | $800 to $5,000 | Three panes for very hot or very cold climates |
Other costs to plan for
| Item | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Framing a new or wider opening | $150 to $250 |
| Replacing an existing French door, removal included | $2,500 to $7,000 |
| Replacing the glass in an existing French door | $300 to $650 |
| Weatherstripping | $50 to $90 |
| Painting the doors | $200 to $400 |
| Blinds, prefabricated, per glass panel | $30 to $200 |
| Blinds, custom, per glass panel | $70 to $600 |
The standard size for a French door pair is 72 by 80 inches. Units are made from 30 to 96 inches wide and 80 to 96 inches tall, and anything outside stock sizes adds cost.
If you are converting a window into a French door opening, the job grows beyond the door itself. The wall below the window has to come out, the header may need to be larger, and siding, flooring and trim have to be patched on both sides. Get that scope written into the quote.
Energy ratings for French doors
Most exterior French doors have more than half their surface in glass, which puts them in the ENERGY STAR category for heavily glazed swinging doors. Under Version 7.0, these doors must meet the limits for your region.
| Region | Maximum U-factor | Maximum solar heat gain |
|---|---|---|
| Northern and North-Central zones | 0.26 | 0.40 |
| South-Central and Southern zones | 0.28 | 0.23 |
Swinging doors must also hold air leakage to 0.5 cubic feet per minute per square foot or less. On a pair, check the seal where the two leaves meet during the final walkthrough, a seal that a single door does not have.
Safety glass rules
Glass in swinging doors is a hazardous location under the International Building Code, so it must be safety glazing. Small panes that a 3-inch ball can't pass through and decorative glass are among the exceptions. Federal rule 16 CFR Part 1201 sets the impact test: a door whose largest single pane is 9 square feet or less is Category I and is tested at 150 foot-pounds, while a door with any larger pane is Category II and is tested at 400 foot-pounds. Most full-glass French doors with one large pane per leaf should be checked against the 9-square-foot line.
French doors or a sliding door?
| French doors | Sliding patio door | |
|---|---|---|
| Installed cost, exterior | $1,300 to $5,500 | $1,200 to $4,000 |
| Opening when fully open | Nearly the full width | About half the width on a two-panel unit |
| Floor space | Needs room for the swing | None |
| Look | Traditional, often with divided glass | Simpler and more modern |
Choose French doors when you want the full opening and a traditional look, and you have floor space for the swing. Choose a slider when space is tight. When you want to open most of a wall, a multi-slide or bi-fold system is the next step up.
How long French doors last
HomeGuide puts the life of interior French doors at 30 to 50 years and exterior pairs at 15 to 30 years. Exterior doors face sun and water every day, and vinyl doors generally don't last as long as fiberglass, metal or clad wood. Installation itself is quick, usually 2 to 5 hours when the opening is already the right size.
Find a French door installer near you
Enter your ZIP code to see what French doors cost in your area and get matched with vetted, licensed installers nearby.
Want to see frames and glass before you choose? Visit the windows and doors showroom, or run numbers in the door cost calculator.
How to hire a French door installer
- Decide on in-swing or out-swing before you get quotes, so every installer prices the same door.
- Ask whether the quote includes removing the old door, any new framing, trim, hardware and finishing.
- Get the frame material, glass type, and the NFRC U-factor and solar heat gain numbers in writing.
- Ask how the inactive leaf locks at the top and bottom, and how the sill is flashed.
- At the end, open and close both leaves several times to check that they meet evenly and latch without forcing.
GOLDGCP matches you with 3 vetted, licensed pros, each of whom has passed state license verification, an insurance check, a background and business check, a portfolio review, client reference calls, and onboarding with a quality score. You see ZIP code pricing before any visit, and you pay in milestones, paying each one after you approve that stage. See also our guides to entry doors and garage doors, or return to the doors overview.
Frequently asked questions
How much do exterior French doors cost?
HomeGuide puts exterior French doors at $1,300 to $5,500 installed, with $1,000 to $5,000 for the doors and $300 to $500 for labor. Custom pairs with decorative glass or nonstandard sizes cost $3,000 to $15,000. Widening the opening adds framing costs.
How much do interior French doors cost?
Interior French doors usually cost $600 to $3,000 installed. They are lighter than exterior units and don't need weather seals, so wood, vinyl and aluminum frames are common choices inside. Don't use an interior unit on an outside wall, since it won't seal or insulate properly.
Should French doors swing in or out?
In-swing doors need clear floor space inside the room; out-swing doors need that space outside on the patio. HomeGuide suggests out-swing doors for small rooms. Out-swing doors also leave the room clear when you carry furniture through.
Are French doors energy efficient?
They can be. Most exterior French doors are more than half glass, so ENERGY STAR requires a U-factor of 0.26 or lower in northern zones and 0.28 or lower in southern zones, plus air leakage of 0.5 cfm per square foot or less. Double-pane or triple-pane low-E glass helps meet those numbers.
How much does it cost to replace French doors?
Replacing an existing exterior French door costs about $2,500 to $7,000, including removal of the old unit. If the doors are sound and only a pane is broken, replacing the glass costs about $300 to $650.
How long does it take to install French doors?
Installing French doors in an opening that is already the right size takes about 2 to 5 hours, according to HomeGuide. Converting a window into a door opening, or widening an existing one, can add a day or more for framing and patching.
How we calculate these prices
GOLDGCP starts from national price ranges for each job, taken from published 2026 cost guides and checked against local price guides where they exist. To get a local price, we multiply the national range by the construction cost factor for the metro from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Area Cost Factors (US average = 1.00). For ZIP codes outside the 50 largest metros, the calculator uses the state's price level from the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities. Ranges include labor and standard materials but not unusual site conditions, so a written quote after an inspection is always the final price.
Sources
- Cost of French doors · HomeGuide
- Patio door installation cost · HomeGuide
- Residential Windows, Doors, and Skylights Version 7.0 Specification · ENERGY STAR / U.S. EPA
- 16 CFR Part 1201, Safety Standard for Architectural Glazing Materials · U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (eCFR)
- 2021 International Building Code, Chapter 24 Glass and Glazing · International Code Council
About this guide
Written by the GOLDGCP editorial team. Prices come from national cost guides; rules and statistics come from the agencies and reports linked in the text. We update this page when prices or codes change.
