Who Repairs Doors? Here’s Who to Hire

You may not think about it a lot, but your doors get a lot of activity throughout their lifetime. Whether they're carefully getting opened and closed or the wind is slamming them shut, your home's exterior and interior doors see a lot of action. But if your interior doors won't close right, your exterior door needs to be replaced, or you have a different problem entirely, you won’t need to handle the problem alone. If you’re asking yourself, “Who repairs doors?” there are several answers. You can call a few different types of pros to handle the job. Depending on the specific task, handypeople, carpenters, and door repair specialists can all help fix the problem.

Benefits of Hiring a Door Repair Pro 

Enlisting door fixers like a door repair pro near you to work on your broken door comes with many benefits. First, you know they'll do the job right since they have the experience and knowledge to tackle most door-related issues.

Second, you'll get an experienced, qualified, licensed professional like a local sliding glass door repair pro who'll be able to identify problems quickly and get them resolved. If your issue is with an exterior door, ignoring the problem or having it fixed incorrectly can lead to higher utility bills if the door lets air in and out, along with pests and even unwanted guests.

Can I Hire a Handyperson to Repair a Door?

You can hire a local top-rated handyperson to handle your door repair. But remember that a handyperson might not be insured or have specific training for your task. Handyperson services are best left to more uncomplicated or cosmetic door repairs, like replacing locks, patching up holes, fixing squeaky hinges, or hanging new doors. The cost of hiring a handyperson is about $50 to $150 per hour.

Can I Hire a Carpenter to Repair a Door?

Yes, you can hire a carpenter to fix a door. Carpenters generally know how to repair doors, especially wood ones, although their main area of expertise is typically in framing doors, windows, and cabinetry. If you have a damaged wooden door, a carpenter might be able to restore it without needing to replace it. The average cost to hire a carpenter is $75 to $125 per hour.

How Do Door Repair Pros Fix Doors?

Typically, anyone repairing your door will want to do a thorough inspection of your door to understand the root cause of the problem, of which there might be more than one. The pro will also assess whether it’s better to repair or replace your door, weighing factors such as the extent of the problem, the door’s age, and much more. Here are some common issues that a door repair pro will look for:

• Holes, dents, and dings

• Sticking doors

• Sagging doors

• Hardware removal

• Door frame repair

• Door installation

How Much Does Door Repair Cost?

Your door repair cost will depend on many factors, including the scope of the work, labor prices, materials, door disposal (if needed), and the type of door. On average, most homeowners spend between $50 and $700 on door repair.

Most Common Parts of a Door That Need Repair

Based on data from Angi, about 31% of homeowners need to repair the frame of their doors. Locksets and hinges are the next most common parts of a door that need repair, at 10.7% and 9.6%, respectively. Check out the other most common parts of a door that need repair. 

DIY vs. Hiring a Pro 

Some door repair is DIY-able, as long as you know what you're doing. How to fix a door that sticks, squeaking doors, or air leaks are the most straightforward problems to solve, and you can repair those issues with relatively little effort, tools, and knowledge.

Tasks like replacing broken door locks or repairing screens might take a little more effort. If you're not comfortable changing out a door lock or using a screen repair kit, call a front door repair pro near you to make your life easier, as well as keep you and your family safe.

Leave problems like damaged door jambs and soft or rotting wood to a pro. A broken door jamb could require a replacement, and soft or rotting wood may mean an underlying problem like termites or a leak you may not be able to see.

Replacing an exterior door or replacing an interior door entirely can be DIY-ed, but you'll have to line up hinges, use a screw gun, and hang the door yourself. Again, it all depends on your comfort level. If you're confident in your abilities, you can go for it.