Apartment Vestibule Door Replacement — Inner and Outer Lobby Doors
The outer door at the entry drags, the inner door will not latch, and the vestibule is the coldest spot in the building.
Reply within one business day. Or call / text 763-204-2099.
Apartment vestibule door replacement means the outer weather door and the inner lobby door at a building's main entry. JMB Builders replaces both with insulated steel or fiberglass doors with glass, new frames and closers, matched as a pair, and leaves the access-control wiring to the building's vendor. Aluminum storefront entries are not in our scope. Priced per door, Twin Cities to St. Cloud. Send photos for a reply within one business day, or book a free in-home estimate.
- Priced per door, inner and outer listed
- Steel or fiberglass with glass, with closers
- Access hardware vendor coordinated, not replaced
Most walk-up and garden apartment buildings have a vestibule: an outer door to the weather, a small entry with the mailboxes and buzzer panel, and an inner door to the lobby or stair. The outer door keeps the wind out; the inner door is the security line, usually with the electric strike or fob reader. When either one stops closing on its own, the vestibule stops doing its job.
We replace the pair as a set: insulated steel or fiberglass doors with glass lites so residents can see who is there, new frames where the old ones are bent or rotted, sill pans and flashing at the outer door, and a closer on each door adjusted so it latches every time. The two doors are ordered together so color, glass and hardware match.
The access side (electric strike, fob reader, buzzer, door position switch) belongs to the building's access-control vendor or a licensed electrician. We prep the new frame for the strike they use and schedule the swap so the door is never left unsecured overnight. Entries built as aluminum storefront are glazing-contractor work, and we do not quote them.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough: a reply within one business day, or ask for a free in-home estimate. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
What you supply
- Photos of both doors, the frames, the hardware and the buzzer or fob reader
- Your access-control or locksmith vendor's contact and the strike or reader they use
- Your choice of door style, glass and color, or a request for us to match the building
- Notice to residents of the day the entry is being worked on
- Key or code arrangements for the day of the swap
What JMB supplies
- Measure of both openings in person
- Insulated steel or fiberglass doors with glass, ordered as a matched pair
- New frames where needed, outer door set in a sill pan with flashing
- A closer on each door, adjusted so it latches without slamming
- Frame prepped for the access vendor's strike; vendor scheduled into the swap
- Lever or pull hardware and a deadlock to your key system
- Trim, sealant and clean-up; old doors hauled away; COI and W-9 on request
How it is priced: per door
Quoted in writing from your photos, with a reply within one business day. What moves the number:
- Single doors vs. a door with a sidelite
- Amount and type of glass in each door
- Frame replaced or the slab hung in a sound existing frame
- Rot or rust at the sill and the bottom of the frame
- Closer type and size for the door weight and wind
- Hardware grade and how much prep the access vendor's strike needs
- Painting, quoted as its own line, or a factory finish
Send a photo of each door from both sides, the frames, and the hardware. A visit to measure firms up the price.
How long it takes
Typically one working day for a pair once the doors are on site, with the entry secured each night. Lead time depends on the brand and is written on the quote.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized reply within one business day. Prefer a look in person? A free in-home estimate is always an option.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Situations and options
Outer and inner pair
Both doors replaced on the same visit, matched in style, glass and color. The entry is closed off for the shortest time.
Outer door only
The weather door that takes the beating, with a new frame and sill pan, matched to the inner door's look where possible.
Inner door with access prep
The security door replaced and prepped for the building's strike and reader, with the access vendor on site the same day.
Apartment Vestibule Door Replacement — Inner and Outer Lobby Doors: questions, answered
Can you replace both vestibule doors at the same time?
Yes, and it is the better way. The pair is ordered together so it matches, both closers are set to work with each other, and the entry is torn up once. We keep one door working while the other is swapped so the building is never open.
Who handles the buzzer, fob reader and electric strike?
The building's access-control vendor or a licensed electrician. We prep the new frame for the strike they use and schedule the swap with them so the reader is working again the same day.
Do you install aluminum storefront lobby doors?
No. Aluminum storefront entries are glazing-contractor work, and JMB Builders does not quote them. We replace vestibule and lobby doors with insulated steel or fiberglass units in a steel or wood frame.
Why does the vestibule door slam or not latch?
Usually a worn or misadjusted closer, a sagging door, or a bent frame. Sometimes the closer can be adjusted or replaced and the door kept. If the door or frame is the problem, replacing the pair fixes it for good.
Do apartment lobby doors have to meet accessibility rules?
Common-use entry doors in an apartment building generally fall under accessibility rules for clear width, hardware and threshold height. The building official decides what applies to your building, and we order the door, threshold and hardware to fit.
Can the new doors have glass?
Yes. Full-lite or half-lite glass is common so residents can see who is in the vestibule. Glass in doors is tempered safety glass. Privacy or low-E glass is available on many lines.
Recent JMB work, from our job log
59 installs recorded across 30 Twin Cities communities since Dec 2025. Window and door installs for homeowners and the builders we work with. Counts come straight from our job log; no customer names.
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Read morePage reviewed October 9, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All apartment buildings pages
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