Interior Door Replacement Cost: 2026 Pricing by Door Type

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between slab and pre-hung doors?

A slab door is just the door itself — no frame, no hinges. You install it in your existing frame using existing hinges. $75-$300 per door. A pre-hung door comes with the frame, hinges, and strike plate pre-installed — just slides into a rough opening. $150-$450 per door. Pre-hung is faster and cleaner if you're also replacing the frame; slab is cheaper if your existing frame is in good shape.

Is it worth upgrading to solid core interior doors?

Yes if sound control matters. Solid core doors weigh 50-80 lbs, cut room-to-room sound transmission by 8-15 decibels, and feel substantial like a high-end home. Hollow core doors weigh 20-30 lbs, transmit sound easily, and feel hollow when knocked. Upgrade cost: about $80-$150 extra per door. Worth it for bedrooms, bathrooms, and home offices.

Can I install an interior door myself?

Slab doors: yes, a beginner project. Budget 2-3 hours per door. Pre-hung doors: moderate difficulty — you need level, plumb, and square installation. Budget 2-4 hours if you're experienced. The hardest part is shimming the frame correctly. For rough openings that are out of square, hire a carpenter for the first door, then DIY the rest.

How long does interior door replacement take?

Slab door (reuse frame): 1-2 hours per door for a pro. Pre-hung door: 2-4 hours per door including trim work. Whole-house 12-door replacement: 1-2 days with a 2-person crew. Painting/staining adds another 1-2 days depending on finish.

How much does it cost to replace all interior doors in a house?

For a typical 3-bedroom home with 10-12 interior doors: $1,800-$7,800 installed. Budget hollow-core slabs replaced with same: $1,500-$3,000. Mid-range solid-core upgrades: $3,500-$5,500. Full pre-hung replacement with new frames and trim: $5,500-$10,000+. Doing them all at once is more efficient than one at a time.

Interior doors are one of the easiest upgrades to overlook — until you realize how much room-to-room noise bleeds through hollow-core builder doors, or how dated the old 6-panel pine looks. Replacing interior doors runs $150-$650 per door installed, and the ROI on modern shaker or solid-core doors is among the best small-renovation upgrades you can do. This guide breaks down the real cost, the slab-vs-pre-hung decision, and when DIY saves meaningful money.

Interior door replacement cost at a glance

Door category	Door cost	Labor	Total installed
Hollow-core slab, basic	$35-$80	$75-$150	$110-$230
Hollow-core slab, 6-panel	$60-$130	$75-$150	$135-$280
Hollow-core pre-hung	$80-$180	$150-$300	$230-$480
Solid-core slab	$120-$300	$100-$200	$220-$500
Solid-core pre-hung	$200-$450	$175-$350	$375-$800
Shaker-style or designer	$200-$500	$150-$300	$350-$800
French doors (pair)	$250-$800	$250-$500	$500-$1,300
Pocket door (new install)	$250-$700	$400-$1,000	$650-$1,700
Barn door kit	$150-$400	$100-$300	$250-$700

Most single-door replacements land between $200 and $450 installed. Whole-house 10-12 door projects run $2,000-$5,500.

Slab vs. pre-hung: the first decision

Slab doors ($75-$300 each)

A slab door is just the door itself — no frame, no hinges. You reuse the existing jamb and hardware. Installation involves:

1. Remove old door from hinges (usually just tap out the hinge pins)
2. Mark new hinge mortises on the slab door (if not factory-mortised)
3. Chisel mortises and install hinges
4. Mark and bore latch/lock holes
5. Hang the door in the existing frame

Best for:

• Replacing existing doors when the frames are fine
• DIY upgrade projects where budget is primary
• Matching existing hardware

Tools needed: Chisel set, hammer, drill, 1” spade bit and 2-1/8” hole saw, hinge template (optional but helpful)

Pre-hung doors ($150-$450 each)

A pre-hung door comes as a complete unit: door + frame + hinges + strike plate, all pre-assembled. You install the whole unit in a rough opening. Labor involves:

1. Remove old door and frame (or demo old frame if new construction)
2. Shim and plumb the new frame in the rough opening
3. Nail frame to framing
4. Install casing/trim
5. Set strike plate and hardware

Best for:

• New construction or additions
• Rooms where the existing frame is damaged or warped
• Upgrading trim style (e.g., swapping colonial for shaker casing)
• Matching all doors to the same brand and style

Tools needed: Level, shims, finish nails, miter saw (for trim), caulk gun

Cost by door type

Hollow-core doors

The standard builder-grade interior door. Hollow interior with honeycomb cardboard for structure, covered with thin luan or masonite.

Pros: Cheap ($35-$130 per slab), lightweight, easy to cut and trim. Cons: Transmits sound, dents easily, hollow feel when closed, can’t hold heavy hardware.

Typical cost installed: $110-$280. Best for: closets, utility rooms, budget rentals.

Solid-core doors

Particleboard or MDF core covered in luan or primed masonite. Much heavier and more substantial than hollow-core.

Pros: Better sound insulation (8-12 dB reduction), holds hardware well, feels premium, modestly priced. Cons: 2-3× cost of hollow-core, heavier (50-80 lbs), harder to install alone.

Typical cost installed: $220-$500. Best for: bedrooms, bathrooms, home offices — basically everywhere except closets.

Solid wood doors

Traditional construction with real wood panels and stiles/rails. Usually pine, oak, mahogany, or other hardwoods.

Pros: Best sound insulation (12-15 dB), beautiful natural wood grain, very durable, holds hardware indefinitely. Cons: Expensive ($300-$1,500 per door), heavy, can warp with humidity changes, requires finishing.

Typical cost installed: $500-$2,000+ per door. Best for: high-end homes, architectural focal points.

Shaker-style doors

Any door in the shaker style (typically 5-panel flat design). Available in hollow-core ($80-$180), solid-core ($150-$350), or solid wood ($300-$1,500).

Pros: Clean modern aesthetic, timeless style, works in almost any decor. Cons: Shows dust on flat panels, price premium over 6-panel colonial.

Currently the most popular interior door style for 2020s homes.

French doors (pair)

Two doors hinged side-by-side with glass panels. Used for offices, dining rooms, and en suites.

Pros: Light transmission between rooms, elegant appearance, good for rooms that need some separation without full visual blockage. Cons: Expensive ($500-$1,300 installed), poor sound insulation due to glass, need frame wider than standard.

Pocket doors

Door that slides into a wall cavity. Space-saving alternative to swing doors.

Pros: Saves the floor space a swing door takes; great for tight bathrooms and closets. Cons: New install requires opening the wall to add a pocket frame — $400-$1,000 just for the frame system before the door itself. Retrofitting a pocket door in an existing wall often requires re-routing electrical and plumbing. Replacement of an existing pocket door is easy; first-time installation is a small renovation.

Barn doors

Sliding door mounted to an exterior track on the wall.

Pros: Trendy aesthetic, good for closets and bathrooms where swing space is tight, easier install than pocket doors. Cons: Don’t fully seal (sound, light, and air pass around edges), require wall space beside the opening equal to the door width.

Cost: $250-$700 for the full kit installed. Track hardware alone runs $80-$250.

DIY vs. hiring

Slab door replacement (DIY-friendly)

Tools needed:

• Chisel set — $25-$60
• Hammer — $15-$35
• Drill + bits — if you don’t own one, $80-$150
• Hole saw kit (2-1/8”) — $20-$50
• Hinge installation template — $30-$60 (optional but game-changing)
• Door latch/handle set — $20-$60 per door

DIY savings per slab door: $75-$150 in labor. Whole-house 10 doors: $750-$1,500 saved.

Time per door: 2-4 hours the first time, 1-2 hours once you have the process down.

Pre-hung installation (intermediate DIY)

Requires these additional tools:

• 4-foot level — $25-$60
• Cedar shim pack — $8-$15
• Miter saw for trim — $150-$350 buy, $40-$60/day rent
• Finish nailer — $100-$250 or compressor + nailer kit

DIY savings per pre-hung door: $150-$300 in labor. Whole-house: $1,500-$3,000 saved.

Time per door: 3-5 hours first time, 2-3 hours after practice.

When to hire a carpenter

• Your rough openings are badly out of square (older homes)
• You’re replacing 12+ doors and want consistent quality
• Stain-grade solid wood doors where scratches and dings matter
• You’re installing pocket doors (complex framing)
• You’re also doing baseboard/crown molding refinish work

Carpenter rates: $40-$90/hour. A 2-door job takes a pro 2-4 hours. A 12-door whole-house job: 1.5-2 days.

Material and hardware costs

Hinges and hardware

• Standard interior hinges (3 per door): $10-$30 per door
• Upgraded hinges (brass, black, satin nickel): $20-$70 per door
• Interior door handle/knob: $15-$50
• Privacy lock (bathroom, bedroom): $20-$60
• Barn door hardware kit: $80-$250

Trim and finish

If replacing casing with the pre-hung:

• Primed MDF casing: $0.75-$1.50/linear ft
• Solid pine casing: $1.50-$3/linear ft
• Hardwood casing (oak, maple): $3-$6/linear ft
• Painter’s caulk and filler: $10-$25 total
• Paint for doors: $30-$80 per gallon (one gallon does 4-6 doors)
• Primer if painting: $20-$40

Add $30-$80 per door in trim materials for pre-hung replacements with new casing.

Cost by project scope

Single door replacement

Hollow-core slab:

• Door: $60
• Hardware (hinges + knob): $30
• Paint: $10 (from existing can)
• Labor: DIY (2 hours)
• Total: $100 DIY, $250-$350 hired

Solid-core slab, primed/painted:

• Door: $180
• Hardware: $40
• Paint: $15
• Labor: DIY
• Total: $235 DIY, $400-$500 hired

Whole-house 12 doors

Replacing 12 hollow-core builder doors with solid-core shaker-style:

Item	Cost
12 solid-core slab shaker doors @ $150	$1,800
12 hinge sets @ $25	$300
12 door handle sets @ $30	$360
Paint (2 gallons + supplies)	$120
Labor (DIY)	0
Total DIY	$2,580
Total hired	$4,200-$5,800

Pre-hung whole-house

Replacing existing hollow-core pre-hung units with solid-core pre-hung:

Item	Cost
12 solid-core pre-hung doors @ $275	$3,300
Hardware (hinges + knobs for each)	$720
New casing materials	$400
Caulk, nails, shims	$80
Paint	$180
Labor (DIY or hired)	$0-$3,600
Total DIY	$4,680
Total hired	$7,500-$10,000

Cost drivers that affect pricing

• Door size: Standard interior is 28”, 30”, 32”, or 36” wide × 80” tall. Non-standard sizes (older homes, 6’8” short doors) cost 20-40% more and may need custom order.
• Glass inserts: Any glass adds $50-$250+ per door.
• Pre-finished vs. primed: Pre-finished (stain or painted) costs 30-70% more but saves finishing labor.
• Custom hardware positioning: ADA-height handles, unusual strike plates: $25-$75 extra per door.
• Re-sizing or cutting down: Trimming a door to fit a non-standard opening: $25-$75 per door.
• Hardware mounting holes: Pre-bored at standard heights; non-standard positioning requires fresh drilling.

When to replace vs. refinish

Consider refinishing instead of replacing if:

• The door is solid wood and only needs sanding + fresh stain/paint
• Hardware is dated but the door is structurally fine (new hardware is $30-$60)
• The door is out of style (6-panel colonial) but you love the solid feel — cut flat panels over the raised panels to modernize

Replace if:

• Door is hollow-core and you want sound reduction (refinishing won’t fix this)
• Door is warped, cracked, or delaminated
• You’re updating the entire house to a new style
• Frame is damaged too

Quick upgrade wins

Instead of full replacement, these smaller upgrades refresh dated doors cheaply:

• New hardware alone: $30-$60 per door. Changes the whole feel of the room.
• Fresh paint: $20 per door for 1-2 coats on primed white doors.
• Add shoe molding and fresh casing: Makes older frames look finished.
• Swap knobs for levers: ADA-friendly and feels more modern.
• Door sweeps or weatherstripping: $10-$30 per door. Cuts light and sound bleed.

Related Reading

• How to Stop a Squeaky Door
• Cost to Replace Front Door
• How to Install a Storm Door
• How to Install Crown Molding
• Best Smart Locks for Home Security
• How to Install a Smart Doorbell

Bottom line

Interior door replacement runs $150-$650 per door installed, with solid-core slabs typically hitting the $220-$500 sweet spot. DIY slab replacement saves $75-$150 per door and is fully reasonable for most homeowners. If you’re doing the whole house, buy doors in bulk from Home Depot or a local lumberyard for 10-20% off list, and upgrade to solid-core for bedrooms — the sound-reduction difference alone is worth the $80-$150 per-door premium.