What decides the cost of internal doors
Replacing the internal doors changes how a whole house feels more than almost any other single upgrade, and it is also a job where quotes vary far more than people expect. Almost all of that variation comes from four things, and none of them is the door.
The door is often the smallest part
On a typical job the doors themselves are less than half of it. Hanging, ironmongery, frames and making good are the rest.
A quote that looks cheap per door is usually quoting supply, or supply and a quick hang into whatever is there. A quote that includes trimming to out of square openings, new ironmongery, adjusting or replacing frames and taking the old doors away is a different piece of work.
That is the single most common reason two door quotes are far apart.
Solid, semi solid or hollow
The core of the door decides how it feels, how it sounds and what it costs, more than the finish does.
A hollow core door is light and cheap and sounds like it when you close it. A semi solid has a denser core and feels considerably better for a modest increase. A solid core is heavier again, blocks more sound, and needs heavier hinges.
For bedrooms and bathrooms where sound matters, the core is the upgrade worth paying for before the finish is.
Glazing adds cost and usually earns it
A glazed door costs more than a solid one, and in a dark hallway it is often the best money in the job.
Most Irish hallways have no window. Glazing one or two of the doors in the order, on the rooms off the hall, borrows light from those rooms and changes the feel of the whole ground floor without any building work.
The glass is toughened safety glass to CE standard. Frosted or reeded gives the light without the sightline. See our glazed internal doors page.
Ironmongery is where budgets quietly go
Handles, latches, hinges and any door stops, multiplied by every door in the house.
It is easy to forget that a ten door house needs ten sets of handles, and that the difference between basic and good handles across ten doors is a real number. Hinges matter too, because a heavier door needs a heavier hinge and three rather than two.
This is worth deciding deliberately rather than defaulting, because it is the part you physically touch every day.
Frames, linings and making good
Rehanging into existing frames costs least. New linings, altered openings and made good architrave all add.
Most jobs rehang into existing frames, and that is fine where the frames are sound and square enough. Where a frame is damaged, or the opening size is changing, a new lining goes in and the architrave is renewed.
Older Irish houses rarely have square openings, so trimming each door to its own opening is normal work rather than an extra. A quote that has not allowed for it is a quote that will change on the day.
How to compare door quotes
Ask what is included beyond the door: hanging, ironmongery, frames, removal of the old doors, and making good.
Get the quote itemised per door and per extra. Two quotes on the same house with the same doors can differ by a large margin purely on whether hanging and ironmongery are in or out.
Ask about the core as well as the finish, because a hollow door and a semi solid look identical in a brochure and do not feel remotely the same in a hallway.
What we do instead of publishing a price
We measure every opening, quote the doors, the ironmongery, the hanging and the making good as separate lines, and give you the lot on one quote.
Nothing is charged for the visit or the quote. You can see exactly what each part costs and change any of it before anything is ordered, as long as the order stays at 5 windows or doors or more.
Doors carry a ten year warranty against defects, and the same team that supplies them hangs them, so there is no question of whose responsibility a problem is.
Everything we supply is premium and made to the highest spec, and it is priced to that standard: semi-solid and solid core doors, new hardware, frames checked and replaced where needed, and a 10-year warranty on doors and windows. Quality at this level is not a budget purchase, and we would rather say so here than after you have waited for a quote. If you are working to a tight budget, we are honestly not the right fit.
Frequently asked questions
Why is fitting internal doors more expensive than the doors themselves?
On a typical job the doors are less than half the total. Hanging, ironmongery, adjusting frames, removing the old doors and making good are the rest, and they are real work.
What is the difference between hollow, semi solid and solid core doors?
The core decides how the door feels, how much sound it blocks and what it costs, more than the finish does. A semi solid feels considerably better than a hollow core for a modest increase.
Do I need new frames or can you rehang into the existing ones?
Most jobs rehang into existing frames where they are sound. New linings are only needed where a frame is damaged or the opening size is changing.
Why do glazed doors cost more, and are they worth it?
The glass and the extra making put the price up. In a hallway with no window of its own they are usually the best money in the job, because they borrow light from the rooms either side.
Is there a minimum order for windows and doors?
Yes. The minimum order is 5 windows or doors, in any mix: 5 windows, 5 doors, or 3 doors and 2 windows. We do not quote for one or two on their own, because the freight alone would cost more than the door or window.