French Door Installation in the Capital Region
French doors are a pair of doors that meet in the middle, usually with glass through most or all of the panel. They open the wall in a way a slider cannot, because both panels swing clear and you get nearly the full opening rather than half of it.
French door installation costs $2,500 to $6,500 installed for an exterior pair in the Capital Region. French doors give you nearly the full opening width when both panels are open, and their compression weatherstripping generally seals better than a sliding door interlock.
For our climate they have a quiet advantage. A French door seals by compression, meaning the weatherstripping is squeezed when the door latches, the same way an entry door seals. A sliding door seals by an interlock and brush weatherstripping that the panel slides past. Compression seals are generally tighter, which shows up as less air leakage on a windy January night.
The trade-off is floor space. An inswing pair needs roughly thirty inches of clear floor in front of each panel, and that is real furniture planning, not a detail. Outswing solves it but has its own considerations in a snow climate.
When French doors are the right choice
- You want the full opening width for moving furniture or entertaining
- Air sealing matters and you want compression weatherstripping
- The architecture is traditional and a slider would look wrong
- You are replacing a failed slider and have the interior floor space
- You want a wide interior opening between two rooms
- You want an inactive panel that can be opened when needed
Inswing versus outswing in a snow climate
Both work here. Each has a real constraint worth knowing before you order.
| Inswing | Outswing | |
|---|---|---|
| Interior floor space | Needs about 30 inches clear per panel | None needed inside |
| Snow | Unaffected | Can be blocked by drifted snow on the deck |
| Water resistance | Good with a proper sill | Generally better, water pushes against the stop |
| Hinge security | Hinges are inside, inherently secure | Needs non-removable hinge pins |
| Screen options | Retractable or exterior | Interior only |
| Typical use here | Most residential | Tight interiors, covered porches |
The astragal is where installs succeed or fail
The astragal is the vertical strip on the inactive panel that the active panel closes against. It carries the weatherstripping, it houses the flush bolts, and it has to be perfectly plumb and perfectly aligned with the active door. If the frame is set even slightly out of square, the astragal will not meet the active door evenly along its full height, and you get a gap at the top or the bottom that no amount of weatherstripping fixes. This is why we check the frame across both diagonals and shim the full height of both jambs rather than just at the hinges. A French door pair is far less forgiving of a racked opening than a single door.
Ranges reflect typical Capital Region projects and are for planning only. Every Sundog quote is written, itemized, and free.
How the project runs
- 1
Check swing clearance
We measure the interior floor space and talk through furniture placement before committing to inswing.
- 2
Inswing or outswing
Inswing is standard. Outswing saves interior floor space but needs careful sill and hinge detailing in a snow climate.
- 3
Order and lead time
Exterior French doors are typically three to six weeks. Custom sizes and finishes take longer.
- 4
Remove and prep
Old unit out, opening checked for square, sill and framing repaired where needed, sill pan installed.
- 5
Set and align the pair
The astragal where the two doors meet has to line up perfectly. This is the fussiest part and it is where cheap installs show.
- 6
Hardware and seal
Flush bolts on the inactive panel, multipoint or standard lock on the active panel, threshold adjusted, perimeter insulated and trimmed.
French door configurations
- Exterior inswing pair, the standard configuration
- Exterior outswing pair, saves interior floor space
- Single French door with a fixed sidelight panel
- Interior French doors between living spaces
- Full-lite glass for maximum light
- Divided lite grilles between the glass for a traditional look
- Fiberglass, vinyl clad or wood clad frames
- Multipoint locking on the active panel
- Flush bolts top and bottom on the inactive panel
- Low-E tempered insulated glass
Where we do this work
We handle french door installation across Albany, Rensselaer, Schenectady and Saratoga counties from our Troy office. These are the markets we are in most often.
Frequently asked questions
How much do French doors cost installed?
Exterior French doors run $2,500 to $6,500 installed in the Capital Region, with fiberglass and clad wood at the upper end and vinyl at the lower. Interior French doors are considerably less, typically $900 to $2,200 installed, since there is no weather sealing or sill pan involved.
Do French doors leak more air than sliding doors?
Generally less, not more. French doors seal by compression, which means the weatherstripping is squeezed when the door latches. Sliding doors seal with an interlock and brush weatherstripping that the panel passes over. Compression seals typically achieve lower air leakage ratings. The exception is a poorly installed French door in a racked opening, which can leak badly at the astragal.
How much floor space do French doors need?
About thirty inches of clear floor in front of each panel for an inswing pair, so roughly the full width of the opening in depth. That is real space and it constrains furniture. If you do not have it, either look at outswing or stay with a slider.
Are French doors secure?
With the right hardware, yes. The active panel should have a multipoint lock or at minimum a quality deadbolt with a reinforced strike. The inactive panel needs flush bolts that engage into the header and the threshold, not just into the frame. On outswing doors, non-removable hinge pins or security studs are essential since the hinges are on the outside.
Can I replace a sliding door with French doors?
Usually yes. Standard patio rough openings work for both, so the structural work is often minimal. Confirm interior swing clearance first, and note that the threshold height may differ slightly, which can matter if you have flooring right up to the door.
What is the inactive panel and can both doors open?
On most French door pairs one panel is the active door you use daily and the other is held closed by flush bolts at the top and bottom. Release the flush bolts and both panels swing open, giving you the full opening. Some configurations make both panels actively operable with a mullion between them, but that reduces the clear opening.
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Worth reading before you decide
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