Interior doors get ignored until they don't. The flat hollow-core doors that came with a 1980s or 1990s Twin Cities house are light, echoey, and usually a little beat up. Replacing them with solid-core, paneled doors changes how every room sounds and feels, and it's one of the few projects where the payoff is obvious the same day.
This guide breaks down the choices — hollow vs. solid core, prehung vs. slab, matching your existing casing — and gives honest Twin Cities cost ranges for one door and for the whole house.
Hollow core vs. solid core
Hollow-core doors have a cardboard honeycomb inside a thin skin. They're light and cheap, and they do nothing for sound. Solid-core doors have a dense particleboard or MDF core, weigh two to three times as much, and quiet a bedroom or office noticeably. Solid wood doors are a third category — real stave-core or solid lumber, usually stain-grade, and priced accordingly.
For most homes we recommend solid-core for bedrooms, bathrooms, and offices, and hollow-core is acceptable for closets and pantries if budget matters. If you're doing the whole house, mixing the two is common and nobody notices.
Slab swap vs. prehung swap
A slab swap keeps the existing jamb, casing, and hinges. The new slab is fitted to the opening, the hinge mortises are matched, and the latch bore is set to line up with the existing strike. It's the right choice when the casing is in good shape or is stained and hard to replace — think older Minneapolis and St. Paul homes with original woodwork.
A prehung swap removes the old door, jamb, and casing and installs a complete new unit. It's more labor and more material, but you get a new jamb that's plumb, new casing, and a door that swings and latches the way it was built to. It's usually the better call in newer homes with paint-grade MDF casing, or wherever the old jambs are damaged, out of square, or have been painted so many times the door no longer closes right.
What it costs per door in the Twin Cities
Here are planning ranges for labor plus a mid-grade paint-grade door. Stain-grade, solid wood, and specialty doors run higher; hardware, paint, and disposal are usually separate.
| Option | Typical installed range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hollow-core slab swap | $200–$400 | Existing jamb and casing kept; hinges and latch fitted |
| Solid-core slab swap | $300–$550 | Same labor, heavier door, often new hinges |
| Hollow-core prehung swap | $350–$650 | New jamb and casing; old casing removed |
| Solid-core prehung swap | $450–$800 | The most common whole-house choice |
| Double doors, closet bifolds, pocket doors | Priced individually | Hardware and fitting vary too much to range |
Matching your existing casing
If you're doing a prehung swap in only some rooms, the new casing has to match the old. Most newer Twin Cities homes use a standard 2-1/4" or 3-1/4" MDF profile that's still stocked at Menards and Home Depot. Older homes with wide, flat, or ornate casing take more effort — a lumberyard can usually match or run a short batch. Either way, bring a sample. A slab swap avoids the problem entirely, which is a big reason it's popular in stained-trim houses.
Whole-house packages and painting
Replacing every door at once is more efficient than doing them one at a time. Setup happens once, the doors arrive together, and a crew can hang eight to twelve prehung doors in a couple of days. Per-door pricing usually comes down a bit in a whole-house package, and the result is consistent: same style, same casing, same hardware throughout.
Painting is the piece most people underestimate. Prehung doors come primed, and each one needs caulk at the casing, nail holes filled, and two coats of enamel on the door and casing. Budget for a painter or a couple of weekends. Ordering doors pre-finished from the supplier is possible and worth asking about.
JMB Builders replaces interior doors across the Twin Cities metro — one door, a floor, or the whole house, prehung or slab, paint-grade or stain-grade. Buy the doors yourself for a labor-only install or let us source them. Licensed Minnesota contractor BC809005, free written in-home estimates: 763-204-2099.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to replace all the interior doors in a house?
A typical Twin Cities house with 10–14 doors most often lands in the mid-four-figure range for solid-core prehung doors installed, before paint and hardware. A free written estimate is the only real number for your house.
Can I keep my existing door casing?
Yes, with a slab swap. The new door is fitted to the existing jamb and hinges. It's the best option when your casing is stained or hard to match.
Should I buy the doors myself?
You can. Many homeowners buy prehung or slab doors at Menards, Home Depot, or a lumberyard and hire us labor-only. We'll confirm size, jamb width, and handing before you order.
