Residential Door Installation & Repair in Wilmington, DE
Front Doors · Storm Doors · Interior · Sliding · French · Bi-Fold · Barn · Pella · Andersen · Jeld-Wen · Larson · Rotted Door Jamb Repair (Featured Specialty) · 1-Year Warranty
Doors are one of the most-called Precision Home Worx services. Front door replacement, storm door installation before winter, an interior door that won't latch, a sliding patio door that's come off the track, or — most often in Wilmington — a rotted door jamb that's letting water and cold air into the house. Jimmy Grubb has been installing and repairing residential doors for 35 years. Pella, Andersen, and Jeld-Wen entry and interior doors; Larson, Andersen, and Pella storm doors; Pemko and Real Sliding Hardware for barn doors.
We are 100% residential — no commercial door work, no school entrance work. Both lanes were on the original site; both are scrubbed in the new build. If you are a property manager or commercial site needing door work, we'll refer you to a contractor who handles that scope.
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Window repair is also in scope and lives on this page as a section below — rotted frame, failed seal, broken sash cord, screen, weather stripping. Repair is often the right answer instead of whole-home, and Jimmy will tell you that straight at the estimate. Call (302) 321-3577 or request a free in-home estimate.
When Wilmington Homeowners Call About Their Doors
Most door service calls fit one of these patterns:
Rotted door jamb — the most common Wilmington call
Per Jimmy, rotted door jamb is one of the most common service calls across Northern Delaware. Bottom of the jamb soft to the touch, visible peeling paint on the outside, light visible at the corner where the jamb meets the threshold. Pre-1978 Wilmington row homes are the biggest source — original wood jambs that have seen 100+ years of weather. The fix is usually a partial jamb replacement ($250 single side), not a full frame swap ($2,500).
Front door that doesn't latch, drafts, or looks dated
Original 1970s steel front doors, 1990s builder-grade fiberglass that's faded and chipped, or a wood door whose hinges have worn the screws loose so it sags and won't latch. Front door replacement is a high-impact upgrade — curb appeal plus better insulation plus security.
Storm door before winter
Adding a storm door before winter is one of our most-requested fall jobs. Larson, Andersen, and Pella all stocked regionally. A good storm door cuts winter heat loss through the front door by 30–40% and protects the primary door from weather. Most installs take 2–3 hours.
Interior door that won't latch or stays stuck
Hinges have shifted, the strike plate is off-aligned, or the door has swelled from humidity. Sometimes a hinge adjustment fixes it; sometimes the door needs to be replaced. $300 for a standard interior pre-hung swap including hardware.
Sliding patio door off the track or hard to slide
Common on 1985–2005 builds in Bear, Newark, Hockessin. The track has worn down, the rollers have died, or the bottom rail has bent. Sometimes a roller replacement is enough; sometimes the whole door unit needs to come out.
French doors, bi-fold, or barn doors
French door pairs for primary suites or home offices. Bi-fold doors on closets. Barn doors for sliding closet conversions or aesthetic accents. We install all three with brand hardware — Pemko and Real Sliding Hardware are our barn-door track standards.
Local Conditions That Affect Door Work in Northern Delaware
Northern Delaware's door problems are shaped by housing era, freeze-thaw exposure, and a few hyper-local factors most chains don't account for.
Pre-1978 Wilmington row homes — original wood jambs
Wilmington's pre-1978 row homes — Brandywine, Trolley Square, the Highlands, Forty Acres — typically have original wood door frames that are now 80–120 years old. Bottom 6 inches of the jamb is the failure zone. Water runs down the door, sits at the threshold, wicks up into the bottom of the jamb, and slowly rots the wood. The visible symptom is peeling paint; the actual damage is below the paint. Pre-1978 also triggers EPA lead-paint protocols on any disturbed wall surface during the repair.
Brandywine Hundred premium custom front doors
Hockessin, Greenville, Centreville, and Chadds Ford homes built between 2000 and 2020 frequently came with semi-custom or custom entry doors — oversized fiberglass, decorative glass inserts, or solid wood. Replacement requires matching the original sightlines and sometimes the original handset hardware. Pella Reserve and Andersen A-Series cover most of this tier; Jeld-Wen Custom is the value alternative.
Freeze-thaw rot acceleration
Northern Delaware sees 30+ freeze-thaw cycles per winter. Each cycle expands the wood fibers in a wet jamb, creating micro-cracks that absorb more water on the next thaw. A jamb with minor surface rot in October often has structural rot by April. We see a spike in rotted-jamb calls in late winter and spring as homeowners notice the damage.
HOA door restrictions in 55+ communities
Concord-area 55+ communities — Columbia Place, Village of Brandywine, Rockland Place, Foulkstone Park — typically have HOA rules on front door color and storm door style. Some require specific manufacturer color matches; some require all storm doors to match across the community. We coordinate with the HOA on color and material approval before ordering the door.
1990s sliding patio doors approaching end-of-life
Builder-grade sliding patio doors installed in the 1985–2005 era are now 20–40 years old. The dominant failure modes here are worn rollers (door drags or won't slide smoothly), failed seals (drafts at the bottom of the slider), and bent bottom rails (door comes off the track entirely). Replacement is more common than repair on doors past 20 years old.
Our Reviews
What's Covered
Front Door (Slab or Full Unit)
Slab replacement (door panel only, reusing existing frame and hardware): $800–$2,500 depending on tier. Full unit (door, frame, hinges, threshold): $2,500–$5,000 depending on brand and tier. Steel, fiberglass, and wood all in scope.
Interior Doors
Hollow-core pre-hung (builder grade): $600 installed. Solid-core pre-hung (mid-tier): $800. Bypass / sliding closet door pair: $1,200. Bi-fold pair: $1,200. French door pair (interior): $1,800.
Barn Doors
Barn door plus track and hardware installation: $1,500. We work with Pemko, Real Sliding Hardware, and Specialty Doors for the track systems.
Rotted Door Jamb Repair (Featured Specialty)
Partial jamb replacement (single side, threshold area): $250. Full frame replacement: $2,500. Most calls turn out to be partial-jamb work.
Storm Door
Larson basic aluminum: $800. Larson Tradewinds or ProVia Spectrum mid-tier: $1,200. Pella or ProVia premium with full-view glass and heavy-duty closer: $1,800. Install typically takes 2–3 hours.
Sliding Patio Doors
Vinyl standard sliding patio door: $5,000 installed. Premium multi-slide or oversized: $6,500+. Exterior French patio door pair: $3,000.
Shower Doors (Cross-Link)
Framed slider $1,000; frameless glass $2,000.
Hardware and Adjustment
Lock or handle replacement: $200. Hinge or alignment adjustment: $100 (often resolves a sticking interior door without replacement). Weather stripping replacement: $250 per door.
What's NOT included: Academy and school entrance work is NOT in our scope. Commercial door work is NOT in our scope. Garage doors are NOT in our scope. Storefront/commercial glass doors are NOT in our scope. If you need any of these, we'll refer you to a Delaware commercial contractor.
Pricing
Published per-door pricing. Every estimate is written and good for 30 days.
| Service | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hinge / alignment adjustment | $100 | Quick visit |
| Lock or handle replacement | $200 | Per door |
| Weather stripping replacement | $250 per door | Resolves drafts |
| Rotted door jamb repair (single side) | $250 | Featured specialty |
| Interior pre-hung door (hollow core) | $600 | Builder grade |
| Interior pre-hung door (solid core) | $800 | Mid tier |
| Front door — slab only | $800–$2,500 | Reuses existing frame |
| Storm door — basic aluminum (Larson) | $800 | Entry tier |
| Storm door — mid (Larson Tradewinds) | $1,200 | Mid tier |
| Bi-fold or sliding closet pair | $1,200 | Per pair |
| Barn door + hardware | $1,500 | Pemko / Real Sliding |
| French door — interior pair | $1,800 | Per pair |
| Storm door — premium (ProVia / Pella) | $1,800 | Heavy-duty |
| Front door — full unit (steel/fiberglass) | $2,500–$5,000 | By brand tier |
| Rotted door jamb — full frame replacement | $2,500 | Full unit if jamb is unsalvageable |
| French door — exterior patio pair | $3,000 | Per pair |
| Sliding patio door — vinyl standard | $5,000 | Per opening |
| Discount stack: 10% off first $1,000 labor (new customers, military, seniors 65+) + bundled multi-door pricing | — | Applied on eligible jobs |
How a Door Job Actually Happens
Free in-home estimate
Jimmy comes to your home with sample catalogs from Pella, Andersen, Jeld-Wen, and Larson. Booties on. Door measurements taken (rough opening verified — sometimes the listed nominal size is off). Existing condition assessed. Slab-versus-full-unit decision discussed.
Brand and tier recommendation
Pella, Andersen, or Jeld-Wen for entry and interior doors based on your budget and style. Larson, Andersen, or Pella for storm doors. Pemko, Real Sliding Hardware, or Specialty Doors for barn-door track systems. We recommend based on your home, not on which brand pays the best dealer commission.
Written quote within about a week
Itemized estimate: door, frame (if full unit), hardware, weather stripping, threshold, install labor, paint or stain touch-up, and disposal of the old door. Every selection comes with a link to the exact product.
Order lead-time
Stock interior doors and standard storm doors: in-stock at regional supply. Pella, Andersen entry doors: typically 2–4 weeks. Custom-sized or special-finish doors: 4–8 weeks.
Install day
Drop cloths from your entry to the work area. Old door removed (full opening protected — we never leave the house exposed overnight). New door set, leveled, shimmed, fastened. Threshold sealed. Weather stripping installed. Hardware mounted. Paint or stain touch-up where the work disturbed the existing finish.
Walk-through and warranty
Door operation tested with the homeowner — lock test, latch test, weather seal demonstrated by closing on a piece of paper. One-year workmanship warranty dated from completion. Manufacturer warranty on Pella, Andersen, Jeld-Wen, Larson passes through directly to you.
Why Precision Home Worx for Your Doors
Four real brands — Pella, Andersen, Jeld-Wen, Larson.
Brand names with parts available at every regional supplier. When a handle breaks in 8 years (it happens), any local hardware store can find a matching trim piece. Off-brand doors from "a great deal" disappear from the market within 5 years, and you can't find replacement parts.
Storm door done right — for Northern DE winters.
Storm doors take a beating in Northern Delaware winters. Multiple freeze-thaw cycles, wind gusts off the Delaware River, and 30+ winter cold snaps per season. We install with proper insulation behind the mounting frame, threshold caulk, and a heavy-duty closer that won't fail in cold weather. About 2–3 hours per install.
100% residential — no commercial scope creep.
Some Precision Home Worx legacy content advertised Academy/School entrance and Commercial Door work. Per Jimmy, both lanes are dropped. The reason matters: residential doors and commercial doors have different code requirements, different hardware standards, and different liability profiles. A handyman who does both well is rare; one who does residential exceptionally well is what you actually want.
FREE 2nd opinions on outside quotes.
Already have a quote from a chain contractor or another local installer? Email it to Jimmy. He'll review it for free — what's included, what's missing (paint touch-up, weather stripping, threshold seal), and whether the price is fair.
Rotted door jamb is our featured specialty.
Per Jimmy — rotted door jamb repair is one of our most-called services and one of our featured specialties. We've done a lot of these. The work takes about 4 hours for a single-side jamb repair, $250 installed. Most other contractors don't even quote partial jamb work — they just propose the $2,500 full frame replacement.
Slab-or-full-unit honesty.
Sometimes the existing frame is in great shape, and only the door panel needs replacing — slab-only saves $1,500–$2,500 vs. a full unit. Sometimes, the frame is the actual problem, and a slab swap is throwing money away. Jimmy tells you which one your house is at the estimate, not after the work starts.
Rotted Door Jamb: Why Most Contractors Charge $2,500 for What's Often a $250 Repair
Rotted door jambs are one of the most common Wilmington-area door problems.
They're one of the most overpriced. Most contractors quote a $2,500 full-frame replacement when the actual repair is a $250 partial jamb piece. Understanding the difference saves real money — and tells you which contractors actually know how to do the work.
The anatomy of a jamb
A door frame has three pieces: the head jamb (top), and two side jambs (left and right). Each side jamb has a brick mold or trim on the outside and a stop on the inside. The bottom 6 inches of each side jamb is the rot zone — it's where water sits at the threshold and slowly wicks up into the wood. Rot rarely propagates above 8 inches; it almost never reaches the head jamb. That means when a homeowner has "rotted door jamb," what they actually have is a localized 4–6 inch rotted section at the bottom of one side jamb.
The repair, done right
Cut out the rotted section back to clean wood — usually a 6–8 inch section of the side jamb. Replace with a matching cedar or pressure-treated wood piece, properly primed and painted before reinstall. Reseal the threshold underneath, refresh the weather stripping. Total job: about 4 hours of labor, $250 installed (per Jimmy's). The door, the frame, the brick mold, the threshold — everything else stays. The repair is invisible once the paint cures.
Why most contractors quote $2,500 instead
Full frame replacement is the catalog answer at most general contracting outfits. The estimator sees rot, writes "replace door frame," the homeowner gets a $2,500 line item. That works for the contractor — bigger ticket, simpler scope, no surgical wood-repair skill needed. It just usually doesn't work for the homeowner, who pays $2,250 more than the actual problem required.
How to tell which one you actually need
Push a flathead screwdriver into the jamb at multiple heights. If it goes in easily only at the bottom 6 inches, partial-jamb repair is the right answer. If it goes in easily 12 inches up or higher, or if the brick mold itself is rotting, or if the head jamb shows rot — that's full frame territory and the $2,500 number is honest. The free Precision Home Worx estimate includes this exact assessment in writing.
Brands We Install
Four brand lines covering every residential door scope:
Pella — Premium and architectural tier; Reserve and Architect Series for custom.
Andersen — Mid-to-premium; A-Series for premium, 200 Series for mid-tier.
Jeld-Wen — Value-tier and stock interior pre-hungs; reliable parts availability.
Larson — Entry to mid-tier (Basic, Tradewinds lines); homeowner favorite.
Andersen — Mid-tier storm doors.
Pella — Premium tier; full-view glass models with heavy-duty closers.
ProVia — Premium Spectrum and Decorator lines (where homeowner requests).
Pemko — Standard track systems.
Real Sliding Hardware — Premium track and roller assemblies.
Specialty Doors — Custom and decorative hardware finishes.
FAQ’s
No. Precision Home Worx is 100% residential. Both Academy/School entrance work and Commercial Door work were dropped from our scope. If you need commercial door work in Wilmington, we'll refer you to a contractor who handles that scope.
$250 for single-side partial jamb repair (the most common scope). $2,500 only when the entire frame is rotted, which is rare. Most homeowners get quoted $2,500 by other contractors when they actually need a $250 partial repair.
Depends on the frame condition. If the existing frame is plumb, the threshold seals, and the jambs aren't rotted — slab-only replacement saves $1,500–$2,500 vs. a full unit. If the frame has any of those issues, slab-only is throwing money away because the new door won't operate correctly. Jimmy assesses this at the estimate.
Storm door: 2–3 hours. Interior pre-hung: 1–2 hours. Front door slab swap: 2–3 hours. Front door full-unit replacement: 4–6 hours. Sliding patio door replacement: 4–6 hours. Multiple doors in one visit qualify for bundled pricing.
Touch-up paint where the install work disturbs the existing finish — yes, included. Full repaint of the door itself — that's separate; we handle it under interior painting scope (see /handyman-services). Most homeowners do paint a new exterior door before install while the door is sitting flat on sawhorses — easier and better finish.
No, in most cases — door-for-door replacement in an existing opening doesn't require a permit in Delaware. Exceptions: changing the rough opening size (rare) or work in a Wilmington historic district overlay (sometimes requires HDC review). We handle any permit paperwork that does apply.
Interior doors: pre-hung doors come with primed jambs that can be finished to match your existing trim. Exterior doors: stained wood doors can match adjacent wood elements; painted doors get color matched. Per Jimmy's standard customer-question answer: "yes — however there may be a slight sheen difference between old and new."
Not currently. We accept major credit cards, Zelle, checks, and cash. For multi-door projects over $5,000, standard terms are 50% on order, balance at completion.
Our work is backed by a one-year comprehensive workmanship warranty dated at end of project completion. The warranty covers the install, the weather stripping, the threshold seal, and any paint touch-up. Manufacturer warranties on Pella, Andersen, Jeld-Wen, and Larson pass through directly to you.
Where We Do Door Work
Precision Home Worx serves Northern Delaware and southern Chester County, PA — within roughly a 15-mile radius of Wilmington:
Wilmington (19801–19809)
pre-1978 row homes, rotted door jambs, historic district considerations
Claymont (19703)
post-war homes, front + storm door replacements
Greenville/Centreville/Montchanin
premium Pella Reserve and Andersen A-Series entry doors
Winterthur/Rockland/Yorklyn
Brandywine Hundred premium
Hockessin
Pike Creek and Hockessin Greens entry-door refreshes
Newark
University area + Pencader Hundred, mid-tier installs
Bear, New Castle, Delaware City
1990s–2000s homes, sliding patio replacements
Garnet Valley, Glen Mills, Chadds Ford (PA)
Brandywine Valley premium
Need a Door Installed or Repaired? Call Precision Home Worx
Call Jimmy directly at (302) 321-3577, or fill out the contact form. We respond within 24–48 hours and schedule your free in-home estimate within about a week.
Monday – Sunday, 7 AM – 8 PM
221 New York Ave, Claymont, DE 19703
