Door & Window Installation in Los Angeles

Two details that determine everything

Square, plumb and level. A door hangs from its jamb, and the jamb has to be shimmed into a plumb and square condition regardless of what the framing is doing. Rough openings in Los Angeles houses are frequently out by half an inch or more. Setting the jamb to the framing instead of to a level guarantees a door that rubs, drifts open or will not latch.

Water management on exteriors. An exterior door or window is a hole in your building envelope. Sill pan, back dam, sloped sill, correct flashing lap, and sealant on three sides not four so the assembly can drain. Foam and caulk alone is how water gets into a wall and stays there.

What we install

• Interior doors - prehung, slab in existing jamb, hollow and solid core
• Pocket doors, barn doors, bifold and bypass closet doors
• Exterior entry doors, including fibreglass, steel and solid wood with multi-point hardware
• French doors, sliding patio doors and multi-slide systems
• Retrofit and full-frame window replacement, vinyl and aluminium clad
• Garage entry doors with the required fire rating and self-closing hardware
• Screen doors, security doors and pet doors
• Door hardware, deadbolts, smart locks, closers and thresholds
• Casing, jamb extensions and trim to finish the opening

Repair work we do daily

Doors that stick, rub or drift. Hinges pulling out of a stripped jamb. Latches that miss the strike. Sagging sliding doors and worn rollers and tracks. Failed window balances and cranks. Rotted jamb legs and thresholds. Weatherstripping and door sweeps. Deadbolts that no longer align after a house has settled.

Cost

Interior slab swap in an existing jamb starts around $250. Prehung interior door with casing generally runs $450 to $750 installed. Exterior entry door installation runs $900 to $2,400 in labour depending on whether the frame is replaced and the threshold rebuilt. Retrofit window replacement typically runs $350 to $750 per opening in labour, full-frame considerably more because stucco and interior finish have to be cut and repaired.

• Opening measured and checked for square, plumb and level
• Removal and disposal of the existing door or window
• Rough opening correction where required
• Sill pan and correct flashing sequence on exteriors
• Shimming at hinge and latch points
• Insulation and air sealing around the frame
• Weatherstripping, threshold and door sweep
• Hardware installation and strike alignment
• Casing, jamb extension and trim
• Caulk and paint touch-up at the perimeter
• Stucco or siding patch on exterior work

Why does my door stick only in winter?

Seasonal movement in the framing or a solid wood door absorbing moisture. Often solved by adjusting hinges and easing the latch edge rather than replacing anything.

Retrofit or full-frame window replacement?

Retrofit is faster and cheaper and works when the existing frame is sound. Full-frame is required when the frame is rotted or you are correcting a water problem. We will tell you which you actually have.

Do you install smart locks?

Yes, and we make sure the strike and alignment are correct so the motor is not fighting the door - which is what kills smart locks early.

Can you fix my sliding door instead of replacing it?

Usually. New rollers, a cleaned and straightened track and a proper adjustment fixes most sliders for a fraction of replacement.