Door refinishing: a guide for pros

What customers ask, how to win the job, and what to put on your profile.

Offering door refinishing

Door refinishing is a surface prep job where the stripping, the repair and the topcoat decide how the door looks and how long the finish holds. Your win is testing the old finish, showing the homeowner the stain or paint options, and explaining the care the finish needs.

What customers ask

  • Can you bring my door back to its original color?
  • Will the old finish come off completely?
  • How long will the new finish last on a sunny door?
  • Can you fix the dings and the splits?
  • Is it safe to sand the old paint in my house?
  • Do you take the door off the hinges?

How to win the job

  • On the first call, ask for the door material, its age, the exposure, the finish it has now, and whether they want stain or paint, so you bring the right samples.
  • Bring stain and paint samples on a sample board, and show the homeowner how each one looks in daylight and in shade.
  • Test the old finish for lead on the site visit, and photograph the dings, splits and damage before you quote.
  • Put the stripping or sanding method, repairs, stain or paint, coat count, topcoat and hardware work in the quote as separate lines.
  • Explain the topcoat and the UV protection in plain words, and how often the homeowner should expect to refresh the finish.
  • Label all hardware when it comes off, and show the homeowner the labeled bag before the door leaves the house.
  • Send a closeout packet with the stain or paint product names, color codes, topcoat, and the care schedule.

What to put on your profile

  • Before and after photos of refinished doors that show the stripping, the repairs and the final finish
  • Stain and paint types you use, with the topcoats for sun-facing doors
  • Whether you refinish doors on-site or take them to a shop
  • Service area and whether you handle hardware refinishing

Follow-up that helps the customer

  • Offer a yearly topcoat refresh for doors on the sunny side of the house, to keep the finish protected.
  • Suggest a weatherstrip and sweep replacement when the door is refinished, since the seals age along with the finish.
  • Recommend a hardware refinish or lock update when the door goes back into service.

Licenses and permits

Door refinishing is commonly done by painters, woodworkers and general home service companies, and it does not usually need a special license. Check your state and local licensing requirements for paint and lead work, since older paint can carry lead risks and rules vary by place.

Questions

How do I handle lead in old paint during the work?

Test the paint before sanding. If lead is present, use the containment, dust control and cleanup steps the local rules require, and explain the process to the homeowner in writing.

Can I refinish a door that is badly warped?

No. Refinishing will not fix warp. Show the homeowner the warp, and quote a repair or a replacement instead of covering the damage.

What do I do if the stain blotches?

Blotching happens on some woods. Clean and condition the wood before staining, use a pre-stain conditioner, and test the process on a hidden area first.

About this guide

This national guide is written and checked by infinibell. Rules and conditions differ by place, so local pros are credited on guides for the cities they serve, not on national ones.

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