Storm door installation: a guide for pros

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

Offering storm door installation

Storm door installation is a fit and adjust job where the square of the frame and the setting of the closer decide whether the door seals and stays shut. Your win is measuring the frame carefully, showing the homeowner the closer and latch options, and leaving a door that closes without a slam.

What customers ask

  • Will the storm door fit my frame?
  • Can you set the closer so the door does not slam?
  • Can I switch between glass and screen?
  • Will the door stay square after a few years?
  • What happens to the lock on my main door?
  • What warranty do I get on the closer and the glass?

How to win the job

  • On the first call, ask for the door size, the frame material, the entry's exposure, and whether the homeowner wants glass, screen or both, so you bring the right storm door and insert samples.
  • Bring a sample of the closer, the latch and the sweep to the visit, and show the homeowner how each one adjusts.
  • Check the frame, the threshold and the handle clearance on the site visit, and photograph any soft or out-of-square spots before you quote.
  • Put the storm door, closer, latch, lock, glass or screen insert, sweep and any frame repair in the quote as separate lines.
  • Explain how the closer and latch set the speed and the seal, in plain words the homeowner can follow.
  • Adjust the closer and latch with the homeowner watching, and show them how to make small changes themselves.
  • Send a closeout packet with the product name, the insert types, the warranty and the closer setting.

What to put on your profile

  • Photos of finished storm door installs that show the hinge side, the closer and the latch detail
  • Storm door types you install, such as full view, retractable screen and security storm doors
  • Glass and screen insert options you offer
  • Service area and whether you handle frame repair and threshold work in the same visit

Follow-up that helps the customer

  • Offer a closer and seal check after the first season, since the closer and the sweep wear with use.
  • Suggest a weatherstrip and sweep check on the main door, since its seal matters as much as the storm door's.
  • Recommend a wind stop or door holder for entries that catch wind.

Licenses and permits

Storm door installation is commonly done by general home improvement businesses and exterior or door contractors, and it does not usually need a special license on an existing frame. Check your state and local licensing requirements, and check the local building office if the work changes the opening or the frame.

Questions

Do I need a permit to install a storm door?

Usually not for a storm door on an existing frame. Changes to the opening, the framing or the threshold can need one. Check with the local building office first.

How do I handle a frame that is out of square?

Show the homeowner the gap, then shim or repair the frame before the storm door goes on. Do not force a storm door into a frame that will not square.

Should I include the main door in the job?

Offer to check the main door's seal and lock while you are there. Quote any repair as a separate line, so the homeowner can choose.

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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