Fire door installation costs on average $650, but can increase depending on the fire door rating and size.
Fire door costs are largely determined by the fire door’s rating, but most people will pay an average of around $650. Costs can range from $400 to $900 (or more, depending on a variety of factors), however. Doors are rated in terms of minutes they can resist fire, with the scale ranging from 20 to 90 minutes. For example, a 45-minute door will be able to withstand a fire longer than a 20-minute door but not as much as a 60-minute one. These are commonly written as FD20, FD45, and so on, with FD standing for Fire Door. These doors are not meant to completely shut down a fire but rather to offer passive protection that allows you and your family to move to a safer environment.
Although the concept of a fire door is not too complicated, many factors may influence its price. A door in a suburban house that separates a garage from the livable portion of the house will be much less expensive than a fire door with a maximum rating designed for commercial use.
Fire doors have ratings, similar to how fire extinguishers have ratings. The doors are measured and rated based on how long they can withstand temperatures at or above 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit while remaining intact. That means no holes in the door or frame.
A 45-minute door will withstand a fire longer than a 20-minute door but not as long as a 60-minute one. These are commonly written as FD20, FD45, and so on, with FD standing for Fire Door. The higher the rating, the more the door costs.
Standard interior doors: These have no fire rating or a minimal one. They will not stop a blaze or even considerably slow one down.
FD20: This is the lowest rating for a fire-resistant door. Many contractors will tell you to use at least a 45-minute door. However, this is a good choice for when ventilation is required, which is important for home air quality.
FD45: An FD45 is an acceptable compromise between cost and function. FD45 doors offer much more protection than FD20 doors and are a good middle ground for most doors in a residential building.
FD60: These doors provide a minimum of an hour of fire resistance. Install these at key access points if they’re within your budget.
FD90: This is the higher end of what you might see in a residential building.
FD180: These expensive doors that are quite heavy and block all ventilation. FD180 doors, if seen in homes at all, will be at key access points (such as between a garage and a living space). FD180 and FD180+ doors are often found in apartment buildings, separating floors where they meet the stairwell.
These are the ratings for solid interior doors resembling wood, the most common type of fire door inside a residential home. Houses with extensive budgets may purchase high-fire-rating glazed glass doors or even entirely fireproof doors. These are easily three times the price of the more common wooden doors and are often custom-made, so it’s hard to find exact pricing. Contact a door installation professional who can walk you through your options.
The sizes of fire doors are different from regular doors you may have at home. Some fire doors have maximum sizes. For example, a 60-minute door cannot be larger than 3 feet, 6 inches wide by 8 feet tall.
The rating of each door will also affect the thickness. As you may have figured out, the higher the rating, the thicker the door (and the higher the price). Unless your door size is custom, the type of door largely determines the cost.
Fire doors take an average of two to three hours of labor to install, with an average rate of $40 to $90 per hour. This may seem like a lot, but fire door installation requires more than hanging the door on the frame and ensuring it shuts. These doors are much heavier than doors without ratings, and depending on where they’re installed, they also need to be airtight.
One of the main costs of installing a fire door is ensuring the proper installation of a special type of seal called an intumescent seal. This seal is made from a strip of material that expands when exposed to heat. This expansion closes any ventilation gaps in the door, preventing heat transfer and smoke.
In commercial settings, fire doors will often be between every room. However, in residential settings, people often place fire doors at key access points. The doors between a garage and a living space and between a basement and a living space are two of the most popular placements. Often, these locations require no modifications.
If you choose to install fire doors in your entire house or small commercial space, you’ll quickly learn that many factors can influence cost:
Does the door need to be moved up multiple floors?
Will the fire door require a new frame to be cut from a wall?
Will the addition of fire doors require the installation of new ventilation?
Costs can add up depending on where you add the fire door. Discuss options with a local door installer who can provide an accurate quote.
This is more for businesses, so we’ll keep it short, but adding or removing fire doors can have a pronounced effect on cost if it requires a permit. Permits, which may cost $50 to $300, can slow down installs and are often required in machining areas and areas with hot objects such as water heaters or furnaces.
Permits exist for a reason, and that reason is to keep you safe. Installing a fire door against permits could result in you searching for fire damage restoration costs sooner than you’d like (which is never).
When installing fire doors in an existing home, your door professional will remove and dispose of the interior doors you’re replacing. Door professionals charge between $40 and $100 to remove and dispose of an interior door. Check your estimate for the exact removal and disposal fees.
"Preparation against a fire is not a one-time event but an ongoing responsibility embedded in our lifestyle. Start now: Create a solid defense perimeter around your home—a 5-foot minimum clearance, free of flammable vegetation, isn't just suggested—it's crucial."
— Dori Einhorn, Co-Founder, Einhorn Insurance, San Diego, California
Installing a fire door yourself will save you money, but it’s not a good trade-off. Even handy DIYers should leave safety-measure installations to professionals. Since fire doors require specialized sealing and precise hanging, hiring someone to do this job and focusing your DIY skills on hanging other interior doors is best.
Assuming you have the time, a DIY install amounts to only the cost of the door plus any materials, like screws and glue. A professional installer will charge anywhere from $120 to $400 in labor to install the door (depending on the total time it takes them to install it), and you won’t need to buy any special tools or materials yourself.
Fire doors are more expensive than your run-of-the-mill residential composite door because of additional materials and expanding sealants that help the door slow down or even prevent the spread of temperatures over 1,000 degrees. If you have homeowners insurance, talk to your company and see if installing fire doors can lower your premiums, especially if you can install steel doors.
You can fireproof an existing door to some extent, but it's better to remove the old door and replace it with a fire-rated model. Anything dealing with extreme heat needs rigorous testing and a door you DIY fireproof will not undergo the same safety measures as a premade one. Consider a door with a rating of at least 30 minutes or more in residential areas.
You can install your own fire door, but since it’s a safety measure in your home (and often the only way to passively slow down a fire), you should rely on professional door installers. These contractors know exactly what to do and how to do it, and in our opinion, their costs are worth every penny.
A fire door can cost anywhere from $400 to $1,350 to purchase and have installed. The cost comes from the price of the door, which can be anywhere from $400 to $900 or more, and the cost of labor, which should be contracted out considering that fire doors are a safety measure. Most contractors will take between two and four hours to install one door.
You can’t gauge the lifetime of a fire door like you could, say, an engine. Fire doors should be checked at least once every six months to ensure there are no signs of degradation like leaks, holes, water damage, termite damage, or anything else that might compromise the functionality of the door’s fire resistance. Check your smoke detectors while you’re at it.
There aren’t many problems with fire doors except that they slow down or cut off ventilation at the higher rating levels. For this reason, work with a professional to ensure you have adequate ventilation throughout your house or workspace. The sealing around a fire door is meant to allow for a specific amount of ventilation and will need regular inspections to ensure adequate airflow.
