Are you looking to upgrade an old door in your home? Use this interior door installation cost guide to estimate the project's total cost and learn how to save.
Pre-Hung vs. Slab Door: A Complete Comparison Guide
Pre-hung doors save you trouble but may not always fit your wall opening
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A prehung door comes already attached to its frame, while a slab door includes only the door itself and requires separate hanging.
Slab doors cost $60 to $300, while prehung doors cost $125 to $400 for materials, excluding labor costs for installation.
Prehung doors are more DIY-friendly because you focus on shimming and securing the frame instead of hanging the door yourself.
Hiring a local door installation professional ensures slab door hanging stays plumb and level, providing reliable support for proper fit and operation.
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Whether you’re installing a new door or replacing one, you’ll need to decide if a slab door or a pre-hung door is the right option for you. The two differ in cost and DIY-ability, so whether you’re hiring a pro or not will be a big factor. This guide discusses the differences between a pre-hung and a slab door and how to choose the best one for your home.
Timeline for Installing an Interior Door
According to data from Angi, 38% of homeowners are looking to install an interior door within two weeks, while 29% of homeowners need door installation within one to two days. The remaining homeowners are either still planning or can wait more than two weeks.
Slab Door vs. Pre-Hung Door: Key Differences
The primary difference between these two types of doors is what they include. A slab door is just the door by itself, meaning you’ll have to install your own hinges and make sure it’s level when you attach the hinges to your doorframe.
A pre-hung door is already attached via hinges to the doorframe, which comes with the door. Installation is easier since you just level the frame and attach it rather than having to hang the door as well.
What Is a Slab Door?
A slab door is a standalone door that you buy without a frame. Before installing a slab door, you should already have a doorframe installed and shimmed inside your wall opening.
To install it, you’ll need to screw hinges into the door, prop the door up so it’s plumb, level, and centered in your wall opening, and then screw the hinges into the frame. This type of door is more difficult to DIY, so call a door installer if you’d like them to complete the installation.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Less costly | More challenging to install |
| More sizes are available | Requires additional work to prep or install the frame |
| Doesn’t require installing a new doorframe | Frame repairs are necessary |
| Fewer manufacturer defects | The installation requires additional tools |
What Is a Pre-Hung Door?
A pre-hung door comes pre-hung on a frame. Instead of just a standalone door, you also get the three-piece frame—two sides and a header—where the door will sit. The hinges are already attached to the door and the frame and should be perfectly spaced and plumb.
If you want to put in a new door yourself, installing a pre-hung door is easier than using a slab door.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Simpler to DIY | Fewer sizes are available |
| Fewer tools required | Costs more than slab doors |
| No frame repairs required | You’ll have to shim the frame in place |
| Brand-new door and visible frame | Manufacturer defects are more common |
Pre-Hung Door vs. Slab Door
Pre-hung and slab doors both have merits, so consider the following comparison points when choosing the door that’s right for your project.
Appearance: Pre-Hung Door
New slab doors and pre-hung doors will, of course, look new and fresh. However, a pre-hung door tends to look better overall because you get a brand-new door and a fresh doorframe. The frame and door will match perfectly in material and color, and there’s no risk of a damaged or worn frame, which can’t be said for a slab door.
Affordability: Slab Door
A slab door will always be less expensive than a pre-hung door because it includes fewer materials and is easier to manufacture. A slab door doesn’t include the frame material or hinges and doesn’t require hanging during manufacturing.
The cost of a slab door ranges from $60 to $300 in most cases, while a pre-hung door costs between $125 and $400 for the materials alone. Keep in mind that these prices don’t include the labor cost of door installation.
DIY-ability: Pre-Hung Door
A pre-hung door is a DIYer's dream: You get to tackle your own home improvement project, but the process is simpler. Here are a few of the steps you would follow when installing a slab door that aren’t required when installing a pre-hung door:
Routing out an area for the hinges in the door and frame
Attaching the hinges
Making sure the hinges are plumb and the door sits level inside the frame
When you buy a pre-hung door, you simply shim the door, make sure the frame is spaced properly, and attach it to your wall framing. A slab door installation will most likely require the help of a door installer near you.
Customization: Slab Door
A slab door tends to have more size options than a pre-hung door, so it’s probably the better option if you live in an older home that doesn’t have today’s standard-sized wall openings for doors or if your home has custom doors. You can order a fully custom slab door, which isn’t usually an option for a pre-hung door.
Lack of Defects: Slab Door
The quality of both a slab door and a pre-hung door is about equal, but the risk of a manufacturer defect is higher for a pre-hung door. During manufacturing, more can go wrong if the manufacturer needs to hang a door inside a frame and ensure that it’s perfectly level and plumb before shipping. Pieces of the frame can shift during shipping, leading to a poorly hung door when you install it.
Ease of Repair: Tie
Both slab doors and pre-hung doors are pretty straightforward to repair, mainly because you can simply remove a pre-hung door and replace it with a slab door if you need to. Provided the door is installed properly, repairs aren’t common for either type of door.
Resale Value: Tie
Replacing an interior door with a pre-hung or slab door will add about the same value to your home. Most buyers won’t be able to tell the difference between a pre-hung door and a slab door once it's installed unless your existing doorframe is visibly older than the slab door you installed.
Door services reviews from real Angi homeowners in Columbus, OH
4.8★ avg. • 25 total reviews
- Sue B.
Terrible experience. Walls/trim/floors/cabinets/doors all have drip marks, overspray, etc. Tiling at the fireplace had to be redone by another vendor due to incorrect and shoddy install by Profect. Contractor had his children in our house while he was on site without prior authorization or...
Profect painting & exteriors - Maggie M.
Jason has helped me with multiple household projects, with the most recent being new door installation. He has always showed up on time and organized and has done an incredible job! Jason is very professional and he's now my go-to for anything around my house that needs to be fixed or...
Huff Garage Rescue, LLC - Thomas S.
Company came to look at my garage door that was off track. They also said I needed a brace on the other garage door. They put the door back on track, and I paid to install the brace. The technician told me I needed a new garage door opener, and it would cost $1000. Red flags went off in...
Precision Overhead Garage Door Service - Lisa S.
On Sunday 2/26 I requested quotes via Angi from 4 refrigerator repair businesses. Northwest Appliance responded to me Monday morning (2/27) and my refrigerator was repaired by noon the same day. Great communication, they did everything they said they would. The technician had the parts on...
- Warren C.
Excellent customer service and knowledge. I was recommend to him from my neighbour. My front door and window came in great and were installed beautifully perfectly, I m very satisfied with their excellent work, so decided to order one more big bow window for my living room. I cant wait for...
Window Depot USA of Central Ohio - Matthew L.
Called ahead and worked quickly to install keyless locks on vintage wooden doors.
Expert Lock and Key, LLC - Lori M.
Scott did not get appropriate access to the property prior to the scheduled inspection which required us to come back later in the day to complete it. He also, unprofessionally, knocked on a neighbor?s door in his attempts to reach someone with access. His overall report was fine though the...
Security First Home Inspections - Gary K.
Door Depot was very responsive - they came out the day after my call to assess my needs, then returned at my convenience to complete the work. They arrived early, and the work was completed in a shorter period of time than estimated. Very pleased with the results. I would definitely use them...
Door Depot LLC - Jim L.
Replace garage doors: Fast response, competitive estimate, timely work done well.
Village Garage Door - Dana M.
Jeremiah did an awesome job cleaning 28 windows inside and out! He was fast, efficient and now I have a beautiful view again. This was a Groupon for $139 for 20 windows, but I had 28 windows/doors cleaned, so there was an extra $6 per window. Totally worth it.
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