Door jobs we do
Replacing internal doors
Hollow-core or solid-core doors hung on the existing frames: trimmed to size, hinge recesses cut, handles and latches fitted, and the old doors taken away. Doing several at once is usually cheaper per door.
Pre-hung doors and new jambs
When the old frame is damaged or out of square, a pre-hung door comes with its own jamb. We pack and level it in the opening and refit the architraves.
Front and back doors
A new entry door in the same opening, with the weather seals, the lock and any sidelight trims. Tell us the door you've chosen, or we can suggest one to suit the house.
Sliding, cavity and bifold doors
Wardrobe and cavity sliders that jump the track, bifolds that drag, and barn-style sliders on wall tracks. Often it's a worn roller or guide that needs replacing.
Doors that stick, drag or won't latch
A house that's moved, a loose hinge screw or new carpet under the door. We plane, re-hang or adjust the strike plate so the door closes properly.
Door installation costs
Internal and front door installation prices
| What's charged | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Internal door swap on an existing frame, Canberra (labour only) | $180 – $350 per door | Mates Rates (national guide, Canberra row) |
| Internal hollow-core door, labour only | $150 – $280 | Mates Rates (national) |
| Internal hollow-core door, supply and install | $250 – $450 | Mates Rates (national) |
| Internal solid-core door, labour only | $200 – $350 | Mates Rates (national) |
| Internal solid-core door, supply and install | $400 – $800 | Mates Rates (national) |
From a national jobs marketplace's 2026 price guide, last reviewed June 2026, checked 8 October 2026. It says the figures are "informed by real carpentry and handyman jobs posted" on its marketplace, "cross-checked against current published tradie rate cards", and doesn't say whether GST is included. Its typical quote includes removing the old door, hanging and trimming the new one and fitting the handle; the door itself, a new frame and painting usually aren't. We couldn't find a Canberra business that publishes per-door prices.
The door itself, the frame, the hardware and how many doors you're doing change the price. The door installation cost guide lists every door type, including front, sliding and bifold doors.
Changing a doorway: what needs approval
Replacing a door in the same opening is ordinary carpentry. The ACT building-approval exemptions cover changing an external door or window on a house with a certificate of occupancy where the opening span is no more than 2 m, and the planning exemption covers widening or raising an opening by no more than 340 mm (ACT Planning).
New openings and load-bearing walls
A new opening wider than 2 m, a doorway cut into a load-bearing wall, or any work on a home listed on the loose-fill asbestos register needs a building approval and a licensed ACT builder. Get a quote from a licensed builder for that work.
Door costs in older Canberra homes
Many 1960s and 1970s homes have door frames that have moved a little over fifty years, so a new slab usually needs trimming rather than dropping straight in. WorkSafe ACT says homes built before 2003 must be assumed to contain asbestos, so tell us the year before any old frame or wall lining is cut. See the asbestos guide.
What to send us
- How many doors, and which kind: internal, sliding, bifold or front
- One door's height and width, and its thickness if you can measure it
- Whether the frames stay or are being replaced
- The doors and handles you've chosen, or whether we should supply them
- The year the house was built
Questions about doors in Canberra
What size are standard internal doors?
Common Australian internal doors are 2040 mm high, in widths such as 720, 770, 820 and 870 mm, but older homes often have non-standard openings. Measure the old door or the frame before buying.
Can I buy the doors myself?
Yes. Tell us the doors and hardware you've bought, and we'll check they suit the frames before you collect them.
Can you fix a door that sticks only in winter?
Seasonal sticking usually means the door or frame swells with moisture. We'll plane it to suit and seal the cut edge, so it doesn't swell again.
Do you paint the new doors?
Pre-primed doors are ready for paint. Tell us if you want them painted, and we'll include it in the quote or leave them ready for your painter.
Can you move a doorway?
Widening a doorway in a non-load-bearing wall can be exempt if the house has a certificate of occupancy and the opening stays within 2 m; in a load-bearing wall it needs a building approval and a licensed builder. Tell us which wall it's in.
Where this information comes from
The rules and figures on this page come from these published pages, checked on 8 October 2026.
- Mates Rates: door installation cost in Australia (2026 price guide) · National jobs marketplace cost guide with a Canberra row, last reviewed June 2026
- ACT Planning: check if you need a building approval · Territory Planning Authority guide to exempt building work
- WorkSafe ACT: identify and remove asbestos before residential renovations · WorkSafe ACT safety alert, 16 January 2025
