Replacing an interior door in the Twin Cities costs roughly $200–$450 for a hollow-core slab swap and $550–$1,000 for a solid-core prehung swap with new jamb and casing, installed, before paint and hardware, in published 2026 cost guides. Solid-core in the bedrooms and hollow-core in the closets is the common mix.
That applies to any 1980s or 1990s Twin Cities house with flat hollow-core doors, and to older Minneapolis and St. Paul homes with stained casing worth keeping. Below is hollow vs. solid core, slab vs. prehung, per-door pricing, hardware, matching the casing, and how whole-house packages work.
Hollow core or solid core?
Hollow-core doors have a cardboard honeycomb inside a thin skin. They are 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, stave-core or solid lumber, usually stain-grade, priced accordingly.
Solid-core for bedrooms, bathrooms and offices. Hollow-core is fine for closets and pantries if budget matters. Mixing the two in a whole-house package is common and nobody notices.
Slab swap or 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 is the right choice when the casing is in good shape or is stained and hard to replace, which is most 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. More labor and more material, but you get a plumb jamb, new casing, and a door that swings and latches the way it was built to. It is usually the better call in newer homes with paint-grade MDF casing, or wherever the old jambs are damaged, out of square, or painted so many times the door no longer closes right.
What does it cost per door in the Twin Cities?
Planning ranges from published 2026 cost guides for labor plus a mid-grade paint-grade door. Stain-grade, solid wood and specialty doors run higher. Hardware, paint and disposal are separate lines, and a written quote from photos replaces all of this.
| Option | Published installed range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hollow-core slab swap | $200–$450 | Existing jamb and casing kept; hinges and latch fitted |
| Solid-core slab swap | $350–$650 | Same labor, heavier door, often new hinges |
| Hollow-core prehung swap | $400–$750 | New jamb and casing; old casing removed |
| Solid-core prehung swap | $550–$1,000 | The most common whole-house choice |
| Double doors, closet bifolds, pocket doors | Priced individually | Hardware and fitting vary too much to range |
What hardware do new interior doors need?
Hardware is its own line and it is easy to get wrong on the shopping trip. A prehung door comes with hinges, usually three on a solid-core door and two or three on a hollow-core, in a finish you pick when you order. A slab comes with nothing: buy hinges that match the existing mortise size, almost always 3-1/2" for interior doors, and the existing finish. Then the knob or lever: passage for closets and hallways, privacy for bedrooms and bathrooms, and a dummy for the fixed side of a pair. Buy the same brand and finish for every door so the levers line up and feel the same down the hall.
Two things get forgotten. Door stops, either a hinge-pin stop or a baseboard stop, so the new lever does not put a hole in the wall. And the strike: a prehung unit includes it, but a slab into an old jamb reuses the existing strike, so the new latch bore has to be set to match it, not the other way around. Lever handles are also worth a thought in any house where someone has trouble with a round knob; they cost about the same and are far easier to open with full hands.
How do you match the existing casing?
A prehung swap in only some rooms means 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 is still stocked at Menards and Home Depot. Older homes with wide, flat or ornate casing take more effort; a lumberyard can usually match it or run a short batch. Either way, send a photo or bring a sample. A slab swap avoids the problem entirely, which is why it is popular in stained-trim houses.
How do whole-house packages and painting work?
Replacing every door at once is more efficient than one at a time. Setup happens once, the doors arrive together, and a crew hangs 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. JMB Builders quotes the painting as a separate line, or leave the doors primed and paint them yourself. Ordering doors pre-finished from the supplier is also worth asking about.
To get a firm number, send three photos: one door straight on with the casing, one from the hinge side, and a shot of the hallway showing how many doors. you hear back from us within one business day.
What JMB Builders does
JMB Builders is a licensed Minnesota residential building contractor (BC809005) based in Zimmerman, working across the Twin Cities metro. One crew replaces interior doors one at a time, a floor at a time, or the whole house, prehung or slab, paint-grade or stain-grade. Buy the doors yourself for a labor-only install or have them sourced. Painting is quoted as a separate line. Paid by check or direct deposit. Call 763-250-3621 or send photos through the site.
- Interior door replacement, one door or the whole house — jmbbuildersmn.com/services/finish-carpentry/interior-doors
- Labor-only installation of doors you bought yourself — jmbbuildersmn.com/services/finish-carpentry/door-installation-labor-only
- Slab door into an existing jamb — jmbbuildersmn.com/services/doors/slab-door-into-existing-jamb
- Solid-core door upgrade for sound — jmbbuildersmn.com/services/doors/solid-core-door-upgrade-sound
- Prehung vs. slab, which to buy — jmbbuildersmn.com/services/doors/prehung-vs-slab-which-to-buy
- Trim and door painting, quoted as its own line — jmbbuildersmn.com/services/painting/trim-and-door-painting
- The finish carpentry hub — jmbbuildersmn.com/services/finish-carpentry
- Send three photos and we reply within one business day.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to replace all the interior doors in a house?
Multiply the per-door range by the count. Published 2026 guides put solid-core prehung doors at roughly $550–$1,000 each installed, so a typical Twin Cities house with 10–14 doors lands somewhere around $6,000–$12,000 before paint and hardware, and less if the closets get hollow-core. Per-door pricing usually comes down a bit in a whole-house package. Send photos of a few doors and the hallway for a written per-door reply within one business day.
Can I keep my existing door casing?
Yes, with a slab swap. The new door is fitted to the existing jamb and hinges and the casing stays untouched. It is the best option when your casing is stained or hard to match. If the jamb itself is split, out of square or has had the strike moved more than once, a prehung swap is the better fix.
Are solid-core doors worth it?
For bedrooms, bathrooms and offices, yes. A solid-core door weighs two to three times what a hollow-core does and cuts the sound coming through noticeably. For closets and pantries, hollow-core is fine and saves money. Mixing the two in one house is common.
Should I buy the doors myself?
You can. Many homeowners buy prehung or slab doors at Menards, Home Depot or a lumberyard and hire the install labor-only. Size, jamb width and handing get confirmed from your photos before you order, so the doors that show up fit the openings.
How long does it take to replace the interior doors in a whole house?
A crew hangs eight to twelve prehung doors in a couple of days once the doors are on site. Slab swaps take longer per door because each one is fitted and mortised. Painting adds time after the carpentry and is scheduled as its own line.
Do new interior doors come painted?
Prehung paint-grade doors come primed, not painted. Each one still needs caulk at the casing, nail holes filled and two coats of enamel. JMB Builders quotes the painting as a separate line, or leave them primed and paint them yourself. Some suppliers offer pre-finished doors at extra cost.
