What Does It Cost to Replace a Door and Frame?

Replacing a door and its frame costs more than a plain door swap, because the old jamb comes out and a new one is fitted and squared. Door maker Sparky says that when the frame also needs replacing, you should allow about half a day per door, which "roughly doubles the cost per opening" over a simple hang.

Below are the prices to rehang a door, to fit a new door, and to replace the whole door and frame, plus why frames fail on the Gold Coast and the Queensland licence rule. These are market prices from cost guides, checked on 3 November 2026. They are not a quote from us.

How much to replace a door and frame?

A plain door install runs about $245 to $635 supplied and fitted, according to What's The Damage (Gold Coast page, October 2026). Replacing the frame as well roughly doubles that per opening (Sparky), so a full door and frame swap often lands around $500 to $1,300 for an internal door, and more for an external one.

The figures above are market rates, not our quote. For a new door in a fresh opening, rather than a replacement, see our door installation cost guide.

What does a new frame or jamb add?

The frame (the jamb) is what pushes the price up. Hanging a new door in a frame that is already square and sound takes a carpenter 1 to 2 hours, Sparky says. Once the frame has to come out and a new one go in, the job grows: the old jamb and architraves are removed, the new jamb is set plumb and square, packed and fixed, and the architraves are cut and refitted. That is why Sparky allows half a day per door and says it roughly doubles the per-opening cost.

A door maker like Corinthian supplies a pre-hung set that "includes jambs, hinges, latch, and striker plate", machined ready to fit. A pre-hung set speeds up a full replacement because the door and frame arrive matched, but the opening still has to be the right size and square.

Can you replace the door without the frame?

Yes, if the frame is straight, solid and square. Swapping just the door (a slab or a new pre-hung door into the old opening) is the cheaper path, and a repair or rehang runs about $98 to $295 (What's The Damage, Gold Coast). Keep the frame when it is sound and you only want a new look or a door that shuts properly.

Replace the frame when it is rotted, termite-damaged, out of square or badly packed, because a new door hung in a bad frame will still stick or gap. If your door sticks but the frame looks fine, the fix may be simpler than a replacement.

Why do door frames fail on the Gold Coast?

Three things get frames here: water, termites and movement. A frame near a wet area, an exposed entry or a leaking sill can soak up water and rot at the base. Timber frames are also a target for termites, which are active across the Gold Coast. And a house that settles over the years can pull a frame out of square, so the door binds.

If the damage is termites, the frame is rarely the one piece of timber affected, so it pays to have the surrounding structure checked. Our guide to termite damage repair cost covers what that involves.

What about an external or front door frame?

An external or front door costs more to replace, about $500 to $1,500 (What's The Damage), because the frame carries more load, needs weather sealing, and often a new threshold and weather strip. Near the beach, the hinges, lock and screws should be a corrosion-resistant grade, because standard galvanised hardware rusts in salt air. Grade 316 stainless is the safe pick within a kilometre or so of the surf.

A cavity or pocket sliding door is a different job again, with its own frame kit. Sparky puts a complete cavity slider at about $800 to $1,200 per opening, and our sliding door installation cost guide covers those.

Do you need a licence to replace a door frame?

For a small single-door job, usually not, but a licence is needed once the work is worth more than $3,300. In Queensland, the QBCC carpentry licence class covers "Install windows and doors including framing" and "Restore and renovate doors, windows and frames", so a licensed carpenter is the right trade for frame work. Building work valued at more than $3,300, including labour, materials and GST, must be done by a licensed contractor.

A single internal door and frame usually sits under that figure, so a licence is not required by value, but you still want someone who hangs doors for a living, because a frame that is out by a few millimetres means a door that never shuts cleanly.

What does Field Carpentry do with doors and frames?

We replace internal and external doors and frames across the Gold Coast, fit pre-hung sets, rehang doors in sound frames, and repair or replace jambs that have rotted, been eaten by termites or dropped out of square. See our carpentry page for the door and timber work we do.

Where do these prices come from?

Checked on 3 November 2026: What's The Damage (door installation and repair, Gold Coast and national pages, October 2026), Sparky (doors and windows costs, 2026) and Corinthian (pre-hung door information). The licence scope is from the QBCC carpentry licence page and the $3,300 threshold from the QBCC building work page. We will check the prices again every three months.

See our carpentry work, or check what your job will cost.