Interior door installation: a guide for pros

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

Offering interior door installation

Interior door installation is a careful fit job where the plumb of the frame and the evenness of the reveal decide how the door looks and works for years. Your win is a precise install that closes smoothly, with trim that looks like it was always there.

What customers ask

  • Will the door close smoothly, and will it stay that way?
  • Can you match the trim and hardware to my other doors?
  • Do you replace the frame, or hang the door in the old one?
  • How long will the install take for all the doors in the house?
  • Can you make the door quieter?
  • Will the door swing clear of the carpet?

How to win the job

  • On the first call, ask how many doors there are, their sizes, the frame type and the finish they want, so you bring the right door and hardware samples.
  • Bring a sample of the door, the hinge and the latch to the visit, and show the homeowner how the hinge sits in the mortise.
  • Check the openings for plumb and square on the site visit, and photograph any frame or wall that needs repair first.
  • Put each door, its frame, hinges, hardware, trim and any framing repair in the quote as separate lines, with each room named.
  • Explain how you set the reveal and why the even gap matters, so the homeowner sees the work when they look at the door.
  • Adjust the door and the strike before you leave, and check the clearance over the floor with the homeowner watching.
  • Send a closeout packet with the door product names, the hardware finish, the trim profile and the warranty.

What to put on your profile

  • Photos of finished interior door installs that show the reveal, the trim and the hardware
  • Door types you install, such as solid core, hollow core and paneled, with the finishes available
  • Hardware finishes and brands you install
  • Service area and whether you do pocket doors, custom doors and trim matching

Follow-up that helps the customer

  • Offer a door adjustment visit after the first season, since humidity can change how the door fits.
  • Suggest a closet or bath door upgrade when the homeowner is already remodeling the room.
  • Recommend a sound or weatherstrip upgrade for bedroom doors that let through noise.

Licenses and permits

Interior door installation is commonly done by carpenters, general contractors or home improvement businesses, and it does not usually need a special license for an interior door. Check your state and local licensing requirements, and check the local building office if the work changes a wall or framing.

Questions

Do I need a permit to hang an interior door?

Usually not for a like-for-like door. Moving an opening, cutting a new one or changing a wall can need one. Check with the local building office before you start that work.

How do I handle an opening that is out of square?

Show the homeowner the gap, then shim and frame the opening square before you set the door. Do not force a door into an opening that is out of square.

Should I offer a pocket door?

Offer it where the wall can take it and the framing can carry it. Check the wall for wiring and plumbing first, and put the risk in the quote if the wall is hard to open.

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.

Edit history

More windows and doors guides for pros

Start here

About this guide

Get interior door installation requests

Customers pick you by name. Signup is free, and you pay only for leads you accept.

Join as a pro
Sign up free