A new door is one of the better-looking returns you can get on a house, and it's also one of the easiest jobs for a quote to hide things in. Here's what door installation actually costs in Bellingham in 2026, broken out by type, plus what a fair installed quote should include so you're not comparing apples to oranges.
Quick version: entry and exterior doors run about $1,200 to $4,500 installed, patio and sliding glass doors $1,800 to $5,500, and storm doors $350 to $1,100. The spread is wide because the door material, whether it's a slab swap or a full pre-hung system, and what we find in the opening all move the number.
Entry and exterior doors: $1,200 to $4,500.
The big cost lever on an entry door is the material and whether you keep the frame.
| Door type | Typical installed cost |
|---|---|
| Steel slab swap | $1,200 to $2,000 |
| Fiberglass, pre-hung | $2,000 to $3,500 |
| Solid wood, pre-hung | $3,000 to $4,500+ |
| Door with sidelites or transom | add $800 to $2,000 |
For our damp climate, fiberglass is the workhorse: it won't rot or rust, it insulates well, and it can be finished to look like wood. Steel is budget-friendly and secure but can dent and rust at the edges. Wood looks best and costs the most, and it needs upkeep facing Bellingham weather. A slab swap (just the door, keeping your existing jamb) is cheaper and works when the frame is solid and square; a full pre-hung replacement costs more and is the right call when the frame is rotted, racked, or leaking.
Patio and sliding glass doors: $1,800 to $5,500.
A patio door is a big piece of glass that moves, so it costs more and has to be set right or it drags and leaks.
| Patio door type | Typical installed cost |
|---|---|
| Vinyl two-panel slider | $1,800 to $3,000 |
| Fiberglass or clad slider | $2,800 to $4,500 |
| French patio door | $3,000 to $5,500 |
| Three or four-panel / oversized | $4,000 to $5,500+ |
Patio door glass is always tempered for safety because it's a big pane at floor level, and we spec Low-E coatings and argon so a wall of glass doesn't bleed heat in winter. Old aluminum sliders almost always hid a scuffed track, a rotted sill, or an opening gone out of square, so part of the cost is fixing what the old door covered up.
Storm doors and screens: $350 to $1,100.
A storm door adds a weather layer, airflow, and a little efficiency to an existing entry. Basic aluminum storm doors run $350 to $600 installed; full-view glass and retractable-screen models run $600 to $1,100. On exposed westside entries in Edgemoor or Fairhaven, a storm door also protects the main door from wind-driven rain.
A door that's out of plumb drags, won't latch, and leaks air. Most of what you pay a good installer for is getting it square.
What drives the install cost.
- Slab vs. pre-hung. Keeping a sound frame saves money; replacing the whole system costs more but seals better when the frame is bad.
- Opening condition. Rot at the sill or threshold, or an out-of-square opening, adds repair labor.
- Hardware and security. Multipoint locks, smart locks, and heavier hardware add cost.
- Glass and sidelites. Decorative glass, sidelites, and transoms add to both the door and the install.
What a fair door quote includes.
- The door material, brand, and whether it's a slab or full pre-hung unit
- Threshold, weatherstripping, and how the door is sealed to the opening
- Hardware and lock set, stated
- Any rot or out-of-square repair the opening needs
- Haul-away of the old door and a final adjustment so it latches clean
- Warranty on the door and the labor
For the bigger picture on what your front entry says about the house and how we hang one plumb and weather-tight, see our entry and exterior doors service page. If your project is a slider, the patio and sliding glass doors page covers the glide-and-seal details.
Frequently asked questions.
How much does it cost to install a front door in Bellingham?
Installed entry and exterior doors run about $1,200 to $4,500 in Bellingham in 2026. A steel slab swap is at the low end, a fiberglass pre-hung in the middle, and a custom wood door or one with sidelites at the high end. The frame condition and whether it's a slab or pre-hung install move the price.
How much is a patio door installed in Bellingham?
Patio and sliding glass doors run about $1,800 to $5,500 installed. A standard two-panel vinyl slider is at the low end; a wide multi-panel or French patio door in fiberglass or clad wood is at the high end. The glass is always tempered and we spec Low-E for energy savings.
Should I replace just the door slab or the whole frame?
If your jamb and threshold are solid and square, a slab swap is faster and cheaper. If the frame is rotted, racked, or leaking, a full pre-hung replacement is the right call so the new door seals and latches. We check the frame before we recommend either.
Is fiberglass, steel, or wood the best exterior door for Bellingham?
Fiberglass is the workhorse here: it handles the damp climate, won't rot or rust, and insulates well. Steel is budget-friendly and secure but can dent and rust at the edges. Wood looks best and is the priciest, and it needs the most maintenance in our weather.
For a free measure and a written, line-item quote on your Bellingham home, request a quote or call (360) 927-0588. We aim to reply within 15 minutes during business hours.