InstaBidsSliding glass door cost to replace?
PNNL, exterior-trim scope: “If the remodeling scope includes removing exterior trim around the door, flash around the exterior of the door frame with adhesive or liquid-applied waterproof flashing that is integrated with house wrap before replacing trim.”
Source: PNNL Building America Solution Center, read 5 November 2026.
PNNL, sill flashing: “For sill flashing, see the door manufacturer’s instructions.”
Source: PNNL Building America Solution Center, read 5 November 2026.
PNNL, damaged materials: “Repair any water damage or dry rot to door, framing, or wall materials.”
Source: PNNL Building America Solution Center, read 5 November 2026.
Context: all "Added or replaced doors or windows" jobs
The survey figure below covers all "Added or replaced doors or windows" jobs, not sliding glass door replacement alone.
$4,000 was the median homeowner survey figure for data years 2021-2023 in the United States. All hired-out jobs in the AHS category “Added or replaced doors or windows” reported a typical range (middle half of 1,477 American Housing Survey data points, the United States, 2021-2023) of $1,300 to $10,000.
Updated 2026-11-05
InstaBids is an AI-run marketplace for homeowners and property managers: describe a home job once, by chat or through your own AI assistant, add photos, and get multiple written quotes on the same scope, compared apples to apples, with no phone calls or home visits before you pick.
For homeowners, property managers, landlords and HOA boards.
| What was measured | Median | Typical range (middle half) |
|---|---|---|
| All hired-out jobs in the AHS category “Added or replaced doors or windows” reported | a median of $4,000 | the typical range (middle half of 1,477 American Housing Survey data points, the United States, 2021-2023) was $1,300 to $10,000 |
How measured: hired-out finished jobs, survey-weighted, not adjusted for inflation. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Housing Survey 2023, data read 5 November 2026.
These figures are estimates from U.S. Census Bureau, American Housing Survey 2023, data years 2021-2023, read 5 November 2026, for the United States. They are not a quote, and they are not a promise of what any contractor on InstaBids will charge. Your price depends on your home, the materials and the contractor. Get written bids before you decide.
- Describe it onceBy chat, or through your own AI assistant, and add photos.
- Post it and send itContractors bid in writing on that scope.
- Compare line by lineEvery quote is written against the same scope.
- You chooseContact details stay hidden until you pick and they confirm.
At a glance
- Visually inspectPNNL flashing review methodPNNL Building America Solution Center, read November 5, 2026
- labor and materialsENERGY STAR bid breakdownENERGY STAR, read November 5, 2026
- same size in the same locationBellevue replacement permit exceptionCity of Bellevue Development Services, read November 5, 2026
For your AI assistant
MCP connector · REST API · plain HTMLHand any of these to your assistant and it can help you write this job's request; you send the request yourself. What you type in the job box above goes into the prompt these buttons carry. The connector asks you to sign in to your InstaBids account the first time.
- MCP connector URL
https://instabids.ai/api/agent/mcp - Agent API (OpenAPI)
https://instabids.ai/openapi.json - Start-request link
https://instabids.ai/intake?from=cost-exterior-door-replacement&utm_source=us&utm_medium=page&utm_campaign=cost&page_type=cost&job=exterior+door+replacement - Prompt for any AI, with your job
- ChatGPTOpens with the prompt
- ClaudeOpens with the prompt
- GrokOpens with the prompt
- GeminiCopies the prompt, then opens
Every page is plain HTML. Steps for every assistant: add to your assistant.
What exterior door replacement includes
Where a quote below names a city or county, it is that office's own rule, shown as one example; the permit office for your home may set different rules.
| What the source says | Where it comes from |
|---|---|
| PNNL, door flashing: “Flash the door head and jambs as described above for windows or in accordance with the door manufacturer’s instructions.” | PNNL Building America Solution Center, read 5 November 2026. |
| PNNL, perimeter gasket: “Install a continuous gasket, such as weather stripping, around the interior perimeter of the door frame.” | PNNL Building America Solution Center, read 5 November 2026. |
On InstaBids, describe the door opening and perimeter sealing together so contractors bid on that scope in writing.
Line items a written bid should list
- PNNL, exterior-trim scope: “If the remodeling scope includes removing exterior trim around the door, flash around the exterior of the door frame with adhesive or liquid-applied waterproof flashing that is integrated with house wrap before replacing trim.”
Source: PNNL Building America Solution Center, read 5 November 2026.
- PNNL, sill flashing: “For sill flashing, see the door manufacturer’s instructions.”
Source: PNNL Building America Solution Center, read 5 November 2026.
- PNNL, damaged materials: “Repair any water damage or dry rot to door, framing, or wall materials.”
Source: PNNL Building America Solution Center, read 5 November 2026.
On InstaBids, include exterior trim removal and damaged door framing in the description contractors receive.
How to compare written bids like for like
Ask every contractor to bid in writing on the same line items listed above, then compare the written bids line by line.
PNNL, assigning air-sealing work: “Air-sealing could be done by the framer, the insulation contractor, or the contractor who installs the door. This task should be included in the contract for the appropriate trade depending on the workflow at the specific job site.”
Source: PNNL Building America Solution Center, read 5 November 2026.
ENERGY STAR, bid breakdown: “When interviewing contractors, ask them to break down the price quote by labor and materials.”
Source: ENERGY STAR, read 5 November 2026.
On InstaBids, put responsibility for door flashing and air sealing into the scope you compare in written bids.
Do you need a permit for exterior door replacement?
Bellevue, doors, skylights and windows: “A permit with plan review is required for installing or moving an exterior door, skylight or window, including making an existing window wider. No permit is required for replacements of the same size in the same location.”
Source: City of Bellevue Development Services, read 5 November 2026.
On InstaBids, describe whether the replacement keeps the existing door opening when you write the scope.
What inspections does exterior door replacement need?
PNNL, flashing inspection: “Visually inspect the window and door flashing before siding is installed to ensure that flashing is correctly installed and correctly integrated with sheathing and house wrap to direct water out and away from wall cavities.”
Source: PNNL Building America Solution Center, read 5 November 2026.
On InstaBids, include the door flashing inspection stage in the work you describe to contractors.
Get written bids
Contractors who take part bid on one written scope card, so nobody visits before you see any prices.
Sources for the figures on this page
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Housing Survey 2023, https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/ahs/data/2023/ahs-2023-public-use-file--puf-.html, read 5 November 2026. U.S. government work; no endorsement implied.
- PNNL Building America Solution Center, basc.pnnl.gov/resource-guides/windows-and-doors-are-fully-flashed, read 5 November 2026.
- PNNL Building America Solution Center, basc.pnnl.gov/resource-guides/air-sealing-doors-adjacent-unconditioned-space, read 5 November 2026.
- ENERGY STAR, www.energystar.gov/products/res_windows_doors_skylights, read 5 November 2026.
- City of Bellevue Development Services, bellevuewa.gov/city-government/departments/development/permits/faqs/work-requiring-permits, read 5 November 2026.