In Saint Louis, a professionally installed replacement front door starts around $1,890 for fiberglass — the material we install most — with steel typically coming in below that and solid wood above it, up to $9,000 or more for a custom wood or glass-heavy entry. A full "grand entrance" with sidelites and a transom averages about $11,400 in our region. The door itself is only part of that number. The rest is the frame, the labor to set it square and watertight, trim, hardware and haul-away.
- Galve’s published starting price is about $1,890 installed for a standard 36"×80" fiberglass door; steel is usually quoted below that, solid wood above it.
- A steel entry door is one of the best-returning projects in the country: $2,387 average cost, $4,726 added at resale in the West North Central region (198% recouped) — 2025 Cost vs. Value Report.
- Sidelites, transoms, oversized or custom slabs, and rotted framing are what push a quote past $5,000.
- A fair quote itemizes the unit, labor, trim, hardware and disposal. If it is one lump number, ask for the breakdown.
- Insulated steel and fiberglass doors rate roughly R-5 to R-6 — more than five times a solid wood slab — so the cheaper materials are also the warmer ones.
Front door replacement cost in St. Louis: the ranges
Every honest cost article has the same problem: the answer depends on the door. So here are the numbers we actually quote, split the way we split them. These are installed prices for a standard single door (36" wide × 80" tall, the most common size), replacing an existing door of the same size, with a sound frame.
| Door material | Installed, from | What pushes it up | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steel (insulated, foam core) | Below fiberglass — quoted at the measure | Glass, custom size, frame repair | Budget, security, side and back doors, rentals |
| Fiberglass (smooth or woodgrain) | $1,890 (published) | Decorative glass, stain finish, sidelites | Most front doors — the default we recommend |
| Solid wood (mahogany, oak, fir) | Above fiberglass — quoted at the measure | Species, glass, size — custom units reach $9,000+ | Historic homes, covered entries, showpiece fronts |
| Grand entrance (door + sidelites + transom) | ≈ $11,400 regional avg. | Opening width, transom header work, glass | Two-story foyers, wide openings, full remodels |
The fourth row is not our price — it is the 2025 Cost vs. Value Report average job cost for a "Grand Entrance, fiberglass" in the West North Central region, which is the closest published benchmark to St. Louis (the report does not break out St. Louis as its own market). A grand entrance is a much bigger job — a wider rough opening, more glass, more framing — which is why it costs five to six times a single door.
What moves a front door quote up or down
After the material, six things decide where you land inside those ranges. We check every one of them at the in-home measure, and they are the reason a phone-only estimate is always a guess.
- 01GlassA solid slab is the cheapest. A half-lite adds a few hundred dollars; decorative or leaded glass adds more; a full-lite with privacy glass can double the slab price. Glass also changes the energy rating — see the materials section.
- 02Sidelites and transomsFixed glass beside or above the door. One sidelite roughly adds the cost of a second, smaller door; two sidelites plus a transom is the grand-entrance tier. If your existing opening already has them, replacing like-for-like is far cheaper than cutting a new one.
- 03Size and swingA 36×80 in-swing is stock. Unusual widths, 96" heights, double doors and out-swing units are often special orders with longer lead times and higher prices.
- 04Frame conditionThe single biggest surprise on install day. If the sill or the bottom of the jambs is soft, that rot has to come out and new framing goes in before the unit can be set. We flag it at the measure and quote the repair as its own line, so it is never a surprise on install day.
- 05FinishFactory-painted or pre-stained fiberglass costs more up front but saves a paint day. Bare wood doors need finishing on all six sides before they are hung, or the warranty is void.
- 06Hardware and extrasA handleset and deadbolt runs from under a hundred dollars to several hundred depending on brand and finish. Smart locks, a matching storm door, or a new threshold each add their own line.
Steel, fiberglass or wood: cost versus what you get
The cheapest doors are also the best insulated, which surprises people. The U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Saver guide puts most insulated steel and fiberglass entry doors at R-5 to R-6 (without a window), and notes that a 1½"-thick insulated door without glass "offers more than five times the insulating value of a solid wood door of the same size." Wood is a beautiful choice; it is not the thermal choice.
| Steel | Fiberglass | Solid wood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Installed from | Below fiberglass (quoted) | $1,890 (published) | Above fiberglass (quoted) |
| Insulation (DOE) | R-5 – R-6 | R-5 – R-6 | ≈ R-1 per inch of solid wood |
| Dents / scratches | Dents, can rust if the skin is broken | Very resistant | Dents, but can be sanded and refinished |
| Sun and rain | Fine; paint fades on south/west faces | Best — no swelling, no rot | Needs a covered entry and refinishing every few years |
| Typical warranty | Limited lifetime on slab, shorter on finish | Limited lifetime on slab and finish | Varies; often 1–5 years, and voided by an unprotected exposure |
| Best use | Back/side doors, garages, rentals | Almost every front door | Deep porches, historic districts, statement entries |
For a longer breakdown, read Fiberglass vs. steel vs. wood entry doors: the honest comparison for Missouri homes.
Is a new front door worth it? What the resale data says
Yes — and it is not close. The annual Cost vs. Value Report compares what 28 common remodeling projects cost against what they add at resale, using real estate agent valuations in 119 markets. A steel entry door replacement has been at or near the top of that list for years. For 2025:
The report's steel-door project is specific: remove the existing 3-0/6-8 door and jambs, install a new 20-gauge steel unit with a clear dual-pane half-glass panel, jambs and an aluminum threshold, factory-finished, with new brickmold and interior casing, and a new lockset. That is a very ordinary job — which is the point. Curb appeal is the first thing a buyer sees, and the front door is the first thing they touch.
The bigger "Grand Entrance" project (fiberglass door with sidelites and transom) recoups less — 66.7% regionally and 84.7% nationally — because it costs five times as much and buyers do not pay five times as much for it. It is a great project if you want it. It is not a return-on-investment project.
How to read a front door quote
A good quote is itemized so you can compare it with the next one. Ours list the unit, the labor to set it, trim and finish, hardware, and haul-away, each with a number. Here is what to look for on any quote you receive:
- Is the door specified? Brand, series, material, glass, size, swing, color. "Entry door" alone is not a spec.
- Is frame repair addressed? Either "frame inspected, sound" or a line for sill/jamb repair. Silence means a change order on install day.
- Is there a sill pan and flashing? The parts you never see are the parts that stop water from rotting the new frame in five years.
- Does it include brickmold and interior casing? New units rarely match old trim exactly; someone has to re-case.
- Hardware, paint, disposal. Three separate yes/no questions. Ask them.
- Warranty. Two of them: the manufacturer's on the door, and the installer's on the workmanship. Get both in writing.
Five ways to spend less without getting a worse door
- Stay stock size. A 36×80 in-swing unit ships in one to three weeks and costs hundreds less than a custom width or height.
- Choose fiberglass over wood for exposed entries. It costs less, insulates better, and does not need refinishing. Save wood for a porch that actually shelters it.
- Skip the transom, keep the sidelites if the opening already has them. The transom is the part that forces header work.
- Buy the door where the installer can inspect it. If you supply your own unit from a retailer, have it delivered before install day so a damaged slab is caught before the old door comes out. We install homeowner-supplied doors regularly; the quote then covers labor, trim and install materials only.
- Do two doors in one visit. Front plus back, or entry plus a storm door, shares the trip and the setup.
If you want a number for your door, not a range, send a photo and we will text back an installed price — usually within the hour. Our current starting prices and options are on the front & entry doors page.
Questions we get asked about this
- Journal of Light Construction — 2025 Cost vs. Value Report — National averages and West North Central regional figures for Entry Door Replacement (Steel) and Grand Entrance (Fiberglass). St. Louis is not a separately reported market.
- JLC — Entry Door Replacement (Steel) project description — Scope of the benchmark project.
- U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Saver — Doors — R-5 to R-6 for insulated steel and fiberglass doors; comparison with solid wood.
- St. Louis County — Residential Building Construction (permit exemptions) — Exterior door replacement within existing rough openings exempt (max U-factor 0.34); permit required to enlarge or modify an opening.
- City of St. Louis — When a Residential Building Permit is Needed — Exterior door replacement exempt when the opening is not modified; historic districts reviewed by the Cultural Resources Office.
- Galve Door Co. — Front & Entry Door Installation — Our published fiberglass starting price ($1,890); other materials are quoted at the measure.
Written by the people who measure, quote and hang doors across Saint Louis every week — installers, detailers and the office team. Every figure is sourced; every recommendation is one we would give at your kitchen table.
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