Free in-home measure and quote - PGT, CGI and CWS impact lines compared on your actual openings, style by style
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AfterEntry Doors in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Our Door Installation services for a new entry door in Fort Lauderdale typically run between $800 and $3,500 installed, depending on the material, impact rating, and frame condition. Most jobs are completed in a single day, and every door we install meets Florida’s strict wind-load and impact requirements for Broward County. If your current door is letting in light around the frame, struggling to latch, or simply looks like it belongs to a different decade, it’s time to talk.
At Winslow Windows & Doors, we’ve been installing entry doors across Fort Lauderdale since 2011. Ed Winslow started this company because he was tired of watching homeowners get burned by crews who showed up late, quoted one price, and billed another. That’s not how we operate. Upfront pricing, background-checked technicians in uniform, and a live person who answers the phone at any hour – including 2 a.m. if that’s when you need us. Our Door Installation in Fort Lauderdale service covers the full range of exterior door work, and entry doors are where most homeowners start.
Call us at (904) 747-8989 to schedule a free on-site estimate. No trip charge inside Broward County, no pressure, no surprises on the invoice.
When You Need Entry Doors
Some situations are obvious. Others sneak up on you. Here’s what we see most often when Fort Lauderdale homeowners finally make the call:
- Visible daylight or airflow around the frame. In a Fort Lauderdale summer, even a small gap around your door frame means your air conditioner is fighting a losing battle. We regularly find failed weatherstripping and warped frames in homes near the Intracoastal where humidity and salt air accelerate deterioration faster than inland properties.
- The door won’t latch without lifting or forcing it. A door that requires a shoulder-check to close is a door that’s drifted out of plumb – usually because the frame has shifted or the hinges have given out. It’s a security issue, not a cosmetic one.
- Your current door is not impact-rated. Broward County enforces Florida Building Code Section 1609 for wind-borne debris regions, and many Fort Lauderdale homes built before 2002 have standard hollow-core or wood doors that won’t pass inspection after a re-roofing or remodel permit is pulled. If a storm or permit upgrade puts your door on the inspector’s radar, it has to go.
- Energy bills keep climbing despite a functioning HVAC system. An older steel or wood door with a degraded thermal break transfers heat directly into your entryway. We’ve installed CGI impact-rated fiberglass doors in homes along the Victoria Park corridor and watched homeowners report measurable drops in cooling costs the following month.
- The door was damaged in a storm or break-in attempt. Fort Lauderdale sees an average of six named storms or tropical systems per season that produce wind gusts capable of stressing a standard door’s deadbolt zone. Splintered frames and bent thresholds need full replacement, not patching.
- You’re renovating and the entry simply doesn’t match the home anymore. A mid-century home in Tarpon River or a newer build in the Rio Vista neighborhood – the entry door sets the tone. If the rest of the house has been updated but the door hasn’t, it shows.
Our Entry Doors Process
We don’t believe in surprises. Here’s exactly what happens from your first call to the moment we clean up and leave:
- Free on-site measurement and assessment. A uniformed Winslow technician visits your Fort Lauderdale home and takes precise measurements of the rough opening, checks the sill and frame condition, and identifies any code requirements specific to your neighborhood or HOA. We also confirm whether your project requires a Broward County building permit – most full door replacements do, and we handle the paperwork.
- Product selection with honest guidance. We’ll show you options from the brands we actually install – including impact-rated fiberglass doors from CGI and CWS – and explain the real-world differences between them. If a $1,200 door will do the job, we’ll tell you that instead of steering you toward the $2,800 version you don’t need.
- Upfront written quote before anything is ordered. You receive a line-item quote covering the door unit, hardware, installation labor, disposal of the old door, and permit fees if applicable. The number on that quote is the number on your invoice. We’ve built the business on that promise since 2011.
- Permit pull and material order. Once you approve the quote, we submit the permit application to Broward County’s building department and order your door. Lead times vary by product and season – CGI and CWS orders for impact-rated units typically run two to four weeks from confirmed order, and we’ll give you an honest timeline upfront.
- Installation day. Our technicians remove the existing door and frame, check the rough opening for rot or water intrusion (common in Fort Lauderdale homes with older stucco exteriors), and install the new unit to manufacturer specs. Every door gets tested for operation, latch alignment, and weatherseal contact before we pack up. Impact-rated doors also get a visual inspection of the glazing bead and frame anchors per Florida Product Approval requirements.
- Final inspection and walkthrough. We walk you through the door’s operation, show you where the weatherstripping contacts the frame, and explain the warranty coverage. If a Broward County inspector needs to sign off, we coordinate that appointment and you don’t have to take a second day off work.
Entry Doors Pricing in Fort Lauderdale
Entry door costs in Fort Lauderdale vary more than most homeowners expect, mostly because of the impact-rating requirement. Here’s a realistic breakdown of what you’ll see in the Broward County market:
| Door Type | Typical Installed Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard fiberglass (non-impact) | $800 – $1,400 | Only suitable for homes with full accordion or panel shutter coverage. May not satisfy HOA or permit requirements. |
| Impact-rated fiberglass (single) | $1,400 – $2,200 | Most common replacement in Fort Lauderdale. Meets FBC Section 1609. Products like CGI and CWS fall in this range. |
| Impact-rated steel (single) | $1,200 – $1,900 | Durable and cost-effective. Slightly more susceptible to coastal corrosion than fiberglass over time. |
| Impact-rated double door (fiberglass) | $2,400 – $3,500 | Common in larger Rio Vista, Harbor Beach, and Las Olas Isles homes. Frame reinforcement adds to cost. |
| Frame replacement (added to any door) | $300 – $700 additional | Required when rot or water damage is found. Skipping a damaged frame voids most door warranties. |
| Permit fee (Broward County) | $75 – $200 | Varies by project value. We pull the permit – you don’t have to navigate the county portal yourself. |
A few things push the number higher: decorative glass panels (especially impact-rated sidelites), custom paint finishes, smart-lock pre-installation, and any structural work around the opening. A few things keep it lower: a clean rough opening with no rot, a straightforward single-door Replacement Doors job with standard hardware, and a home that already has the right rough opening dimensions for a stock unit.
If you’re a senior or veteran, our permanent 10% discount applies to the full invoice – no expiration date, no application required. And if your door project comes with a repair component over $200, the $40 off repair offer stacks with that.
Call (904) 747-8989 for a free, no-obligation estimate. We’ll give you a specific number for your Fort Lauderdale home – not a range pulled from a national pricing guide.
Why Fort Lauderdale Entry Doors Are Different from the Rest of Florida
Fort Lauderdale sits inside Broward County’s High-Velocity Hurricane Zone designation, which means every Hurricane-Proof Front & Entry Doors replacement – not just new construction – must carry a valid Florida Product Approval number and be installed per that approval’s anchoring schedule. This is not optional, and it’s not something you can sidestep with a handyman who “does doors.”
The coastal environment adds another layer. Homes within a mile of the Atlantic coastline or the Intracoastal Waterway face constant salt-air exposure that corrodes standard steel hardware within two to three years. We spec marine-grade or stainless hardware on every job in neighborhoods like Lauderdale Beach, Coral Ridge, and the Seven Isles – even when a customer asks us to match a specific finish. A finish that corrodes in three years costs more in the long run than a slightly different finish that lasts fifteen.
Wind-driven rain is the other Fort Lauderdale reality. A door that looks watertight in calm conditions can leak at the sill when you’re getting 60-mph gusts with horizontal rain. The products we install from CGI and CWS are tested to Miami-Dade County’s TAS 202 and TAS 203 protocols, which are the most stringent in the country. That matters in a named storm.
Ed Winslow has been doing this work in Broward County since 2011. He knows which inspectors prioritize which details, which neighborhoods have HOA color restrictions on door finishes, and which streets near the Tarpon River regularly see water intrusion at the sill plate. That’s local knowledge you don’t get from a national home improvement chain.
What to Look for in a Fort Lauderdale Entry Door Installer
There are a lot of crews running around South Florida offering door installs at prices that seem too good. Some are legitimate. Many are not. Here’s what actually separates a reliable installer from a risky one:
- Florida state license. Door installation in Florida requires a licensed contractor. Ask for the license number and verify it at the DBPR website. Winslow Windows & Doors is state-licensed with a published license number – we’ll hand it to you before you sign anything.
- Florida Product Approval for the door unit. Every impact-rated door installed in Florida must have a NOA (Notice of Acceptance) or FL Product Approval number. If an installer can’t tell you the approval number for the specific door they’re quoting, that’s a serious red flag.
- Permit pulled by the contractor, not skipped. Unpermitted door work in Fort Lauderdale can cause problems at resale and may void your homeowner’s insurance coverage for storm damage. We pull the permit on every job that requires one – no exceptions.
- Written, line-item quote before work starts. A verbal estimate or a single lump-sum number with no breakdown is not a quote. It’s an opening bid in a negotiation that rarely ends in your favor.
- Someone who will actually answer if there’s a problem after installation. We answer the phone 24/7, and our 36500-Day Done Right Promise means that if something isn’t right after we leave, we come back and make it right. That’s not a limited warranty window – it’s a standing commitment.
FAQs – Entry Doors in Fort Lauderdale
How much does entry door installation cost in Fort Lauderdale?
Entry door installation in Fort Lauderdale typically costs between $800 and $3,500 installed, with most single-door impact-rated fiberglass replacements falling in the $1,400 to $2,200 range. The main cost drivers are whether the door needs to be impact-rated (required in most Fort Lauderdale permit situations), the condition of the existing frame, and any hardware or decorative glass upgrades. Call (904) 747-8989 for a free, specific quote for your home – we’ll give you a number, not a range.
Do I need a permit to replace an entry door in Fort Lauderdale?
Yes, in most cases a Broward County building permit is required for a full entry door replacement in Fort Lauderdale. The permit ensures the new door meets Florida Building Code wind-load requirements and is inspected after installation. We handle the permit application and inspection coordination as part of our process – you don’t have to deal with the county building department yourself.
How long does entry door installation take?
Most entry door installations in Fort Lauderdale are completed in a single day, typically four to six hours for a standard single-door replacement with a clean rough opening. If the frame needs to be replaced due to rot or water damage – something we find in a meaningful portion of older Fort Lauderdale homes, particularly in neighborhoods with stucco exteriors near the Intracoastal – add two to four hours. We’ll tell you the expected timeframe before we start, not after.
What’s the best entry door material for Fort Lauderdale’s climate?
Fiberglass is the strongest choice for most Fort Lauderdale homes. It doesn’t corrode in salt air the way steel does, it doesn’t warp in high humidity the way wood does, and impact-rated fiberglass units from brands like CGI and CWS are tested to Florida’s highest wind-load standards. French & Double Doors aside, steel impact doors are a solid, lower-cost option for homes further from the coast, but within a mile of salt air exposure, fiberglass holds up better over a 10-to-15-year horizon. We’ll recommend the right material for your specific location during the free estimate.
Key Takeaways
- Impact-rated entry doors are required for most permitted replacements in Fort Lauderdale and Broward County.
- Installed costs run $800 to $3,500 depending on door type, frame condition, and hardware selection.
- Winslow Windows & Doors has served Fort Lauderdale since 2011, pulls every required permit, and backs every job with the 36500-Day Done Right Promise.
- Fiberglass is the most durable material for coastal Fort Lauderdale conditions; we install impact-rated units from CGI and CWS.
- Seniors and veterans receive a permanent 10% discount; no trip charge inside Broward County.
- A live person answers every call at (904) 747-8989 – around the clock, every day.
Schedule Your Free Entry Door Estimate in Fort Lauderdale
If your entry door is overdue for replacement – or if you’re not sure and want an honest opinion – call Winslow Windows & Doors at (904) 747-8989. Ed Winslow and the team serve all of Fort Lauderdale and surrounding Broward County communities, with no trip charge for in-county visits. We’ll come out, measure the opening, assess the frame, and give you a written quote you can count on. From home improvement planning to full door replacement, we’re the locally owned installer Fort Lauderdale homeowners have been calling since 2011.
Ed’s name is on the business. That means something around here.
Written by Ed Winslow, Owner at Winslow Windows & Doors, serving Fort Lauderdale since 2011.
Six Reasons Homeowners Choose Winslow Windows & Doors
Impact systems engineered to design pressures up to +/-100, matched to your wind zone - your openings hold when the storm arrives.
Low-E insulated impact glass from our manufacturer lines commonly cuts monthly cooling bills 20-30%.
Laminated impact glass shuts out up to 40% of outside noise - traffic, neighbors, weather.
Monitoring services run $30-90 a month. Laminated impact glass resists forced entry around the clock, with no subscription.
Florida homeowners average around 25% savings on the windstorm portion of their policy after protecting every opening - some homes qualify for more.
A full impact package upgrades curb appeal, buyer confidence and appraised value in one project.