Slab swap versus prehung — pick the right job
A slab swap reuses the existing frame, jamb, and casing. The new door gets its hinges mortised to match the old, gets bored for the latch and knob, and hangs on the existing hardware locations. It is faster, cheaper, and leaves the trim and wall untouched.
A prehung unit is a door already hung in its own frame. The old frame and casing come out, the rough opening gets checked, the new unit is set plumb and level and shimmed, and then new casing goes on and the drywall edge gets patched and painted. It is the right choice when the existing frame is damaged, badly out of square, or you are changing the door size.
Most homeowners asking for a "new door" want a slab swap and are surprised by prehung pricing. A good pro explains the difference at the estimate.
Getting the slab to match
The new slab must match the old in width, height, thickness, and swing direction. Swing is the one people get wrong: stand outside the door as it opens toward you, and note which side the hinges are on. Left-hand and right-hand doors are not interchangeable once the hinges are mortised.
Pre-bored slabs come with the knob hole and latch mortise already cut at standard heights, which saves considerable time when they line up with the existing strike. Blank slabs need boring, which requires a hole saw kit and a jig.
Hinge mortises are the precision step. They must match the existing jamb mortises exactly in position and depth. Too shallow and the door binds against the jamb; too deep and the door has a gap and the hinge screws strain.
What a good installation includes
A properly hung door has an even reveal — the gap around the perimeter — of roughly an eighth of an inch at the top and sides, and enough clearance at the bottom for the flooring plus any rug. It stays where you leave it rather than swinging on its own, which means the hinges are plumb.
It latches with a light push, without needing to be pulled or lifted. The hardware is aligned so the latch enters the strike centered. If the door is solid-core or over about 40 pounds, at least one screw per hinge goes long into the framing.
Ask whether the quote includes painting or finishing. A primed slab still needs two coats, and the edges — especially the top and bottom — should be sealed to control moisture movement.
Signs you need this work
- A hollow-core door with a punched-through or cracked skin
- Doors that are warped and no longer sit flat in the frame
- Water-damaged or swollen doors, especially in bathrooms and laundry rooms
- Dated flat or louvered doors you want updated to panel doors
- A door frame that is damaged from a forced entry or a failed lock
- Doors painted so many times the edges no longer clear the jamb
- A doorway you need widened for accessibility
Cost by property type
| Property | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Apartment / condo | $165 – $925 | Unit entry doors are usually fire-rated and building-controlled. Interior doors are typically fair game but check the lease. |
| Small home (under 1,500 sq ft) | $175 – $975 | Standard 30- or 32-inch hollow-core doors in square openings are the easy case. |
| Midsize home (1,500–2,500 sq ft) | $180 – $1,000 | The baseline for this estimate — one interior slab replaced and hung in an existing frame. |
| Large home (2,500+ sq ft) | $200 – $1,125 | Taller 8-foot doors and solid-core units cost more in both material and labor, and they need three hinges rather than two. |
| Older home (pre-1978) | $210 – $1,175 | Non-standard door sizes are the norm. Frames are rarely square, so a prehung unit needs careful shimming and a slab often needs to be trimmed to a custom size. |
| Rental / turnover unit | $160 – $875 | Hollow-core prefinished doors are the economical choice. Buying several at once for a whole unit reduces per-door cost. |
| Small commercial / office | $215 – $1,200 | Commercial doors involve ratings, closers, and hardware standards that place them outside typical handyman scope. |
Ranges assume national-average handyman labor rates ($60–$100/hr) and mid-grade materials.
Cost by state
| State | Typical range | |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $170 – $925 | |
| Alaska | $200 – $1,075 | |
| Arizona | $180 – $975 | |
| Arkansas | $165 – $900 | |
| California | $200 – $1,125 | |
| Colorado | $190 – $1,025 | |
| Connecticut | $195 – $1,050 | |
| Delaware | $180 – $975 | |
| Florida | $180 – $1,000 | |
| Georgia | $170 – $950 | |
| Hawaii | $210 – $1,125 | |
| Idaho | $170 – $950 | |
| Illinois | $190 – $1,025 | |
| Indiana | $170 – $925 | |
| Iowa | $165 – $925 | |
| Kansas | $165 – $925 | |
| Kentucky | $165 – $925 | |
| Louisiana | $170 – $950 | |
| Maine | $180 – $975 | |
| Maryland | $195 – $1,050 | |
| Massachusetts | $200 – $1,100 | |
| Michigan | $170 – $975 | Find a handyman in Michigan |
| Minnesota | $180 – $1,000 | |
| Mississippi | $165 – $900 | |
| Missouri | $170 – $925 | |
| Montana | $170 – $950 | |
| Nebraska | $165 – $925 | |
| Nevada | $190 – $1,025 | |
| New Hampshire | $190 – $1,000 | |
| New Jersey | $200 – $1,075 | |
| New Mexico | $170 – $950 | |
| New York | $200 – $1,100 | |
| North Carolina | $170 – $975 | |
| North Dakota | $170 – $925 | |
| Ohio | $170 – $950 | Find a handyman in Ohio |
| Oklahoma | $165 – $925 | |
| Oregon | $190 – $1,025 | |
| Pennsylvania | $180 – $1,000 | |
| Rhode Island | $190 – $1,025 | |
| South Carolina | $170 – $950 | |
| South Dakota | $165 – $925 | |
| Tennessee | $170 – $950 | |
| Texas | $180 – $1,000 | |
| Utah | $180 – $975 | |
| Vermont | $180 – $975 | |
| Virginia | $180 – $1,000 | |
| Washington | $195 – $1,075 | |
| Washington DC | $210 – $1,125 | |
| West Virginia | $165 – $900 | |
| Wisconsin | $170 – $975 | |
| Wyoming | $170 – $925 |
State ranges reflect typical independent handyman labor rates for a midsize home.
Common questions
How much does it cost to replace an interior door?
A slab swap into an existing frame typically runs $200 to $450 in labor plus $60 to $250 for the door. A full prehung replacement runs $400 to $900 including new casing, patching, and paint.
Can I reuse my existing door frame?
Usually yes, if it is square and undamaged. Reusing the frame is the difference between a slab swap and a prehung install, and it saves substantially on both labor and trim work.
What is the difference between hollow-core and solid-core?
Hollow-core doors are light, inexpensive, and transmit sound easily. Solid-core doors weigh three to four times as much, block noise far better, and feel substantially more solid — worth the upgrade for bedrooms, bathrooms, and home offices.
How do I know if I need a left-hand or right-hand door?
Stand on the side where the door opens toward you. If the hinges are on your left, it is a left-hand door. If they are on your right, it is right-hand. Get this wrong and the door will not work in the opening.
Related project cost guides
Sources and further reading
Primary sources behind this page. Federal safety, emissions and consumer-protection references — worth reading before you authorize any repair.
- US Department of Energy — weatherization Federal guidance on air sealing, weatherstripping, and where home energy is actually lost.
- EPA Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting rule Certification required to disturb paint in most housing built before 1978.
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