Fire Rated Door Frame Replacement — Hollow Metal Frames
The steel frame on a unit or stair door is bent, split at the strike or rusted through at the floor, and the door will not latch.
Reply within one business day. Or call / text 763-204-2099.
Fire rated door frame replacement replaces a bent, kicked or rusted frame on a rated opening with a labelled hollow metal frame, anchored to the wall it sits in. JMB Builders checks the frame and wall type, orders a frame to the opening and rating, sets it with the anchors that wall needs, and hangs the existing or a new rated door. Apartment buildings across the Twin Cities metro, priced per door.
- Priced per door opening
- Labelled frame ordered to the rating
- Anchors matched to masonry, steel or wood stud
On a rated opening the frame is half of the assembly. A hollow metal frame that has been kicked in at the strike, crushed by a moving dolly, or rusted at the floor from salt and mop water no longer holds the door where the label assumes it is. The latch misses, the gaps open up, and the inspector writes it up. A bent steel frame can sometimes be trued at the strike; one that is torn or rusted through is replaced.
How it comes out depends on the wall. A frame in a block or brick wall is usually anchored into the masonry and often filled, so removal means cutting it free and repairing the masonry or plaster around it. In a steel stud or wood stud wall the frame is screwed or clipped to the studs, and the drywall around it is cut back and patched. We look at the wall before we quote, because it decides most of the labor.
The new frame is ordered to the opening size, the wall thickness and the rating, with the hinge, strike and closer prep made at the factory. It is set plumb and square, anchored for that wall, and the door hung and latched. Patching around a rated opening is done to the wall's construction, and the building official may want to see it. Before we bid a building of five or more units, we check the city's contractor licensing and permit rules for that building.
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 the frame damage, both sides, and of the frame and door labels
- Whether the door is reused or replaced at the same time
- Access and tenant notice for the unit, sent by you
- Your painter's schedule, or a painting line on our quote
What JMB supplies
- Wall type, frame depth and label check before ordering
- A labelled hollow metal frame made to the opening and rating
- Old frame cut out and hauled away
- Anchors for masonry, steel stud or wood stud walls
- Existing or new rated door hung, latched and closed on its closer
- Wall patched around the frame to the wall's construction
- Photos of the set frame, its label and the finished door
- A certificate of insurance and a 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:
- Masonry wall vs. steel or wood stud wall
- Frame filled solid with grout vs. hollow
- Reusing the existing rated door vs. a new door
- Wall depth and frame profile
- Patch and finish on both sides of the wall
- Painting the new frame as its own line
Photos of both sides of the frame, the floor at the jamb and the labels show straighten or replace. Reply within one business day, or book a free walkthrough.
How long it takes
Typically one day per frame in a stud wall; a masonry wall can run longer. The frame is made to order; lead time 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.
Fire Rated Door Frame Replacement — Hollow Metal Frames: questions, answered
Can a bent fire door frame be repaired instead of replaced?
Sometimes. A frame pushed in a little at the strike can be trued so the door latches again, and the label is untouched. A frame that is torn, split or rusted through is replaced, because a patched rated frame may not be accepted by the inspector.
Do I have to replace the door if I replace a fire rated frame?
Not always. If the existing rated door is sound and its hinge and lock locations match the new frame's prep, it is rehung. If the door is damaged or the prep does not line up, a matching rated door is ordered with the frame.
How is a hollow metal frame anchored in a block wall?
Frames in masonry are usually held with anchors built into the wall or set in the jambs, and are often filled. A replacement is set with anchors suited to the wall it goes into, then the masonry or plaster around it is repaired.
What is a knock-down frame vs. a welded frame?
A knock-down frame comes in three pieces and slips over a finished stud wall, which suits replacements in drywall. A welded frame comes as one piece and is usually set while the wall is built. Which one fits your opening depends on the wall and the rating, and we say which on the quote.
Why is the bottom of the steel door frame rusted out?
Water sits at the base of the jambs from mopping, snow melt and salt, and the steel rusts from the inside out. Once it is through, the frame no longer anchors at the floor. Replacing it is the fix; painting over the rust only hides it.
Does replacing a fire rated door frame need a permit?
It can. Buildings of five or more units are under the commercial code, and some cities want a permit for rated opening work. Before we bid, we check the city's contractor licensing and permit rules for that building, and we pull the permit when one is needed.
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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Apartment & Multifamily Window and Door Projects near you
Based in Zimmerman, scheduling across the Twin Cities metro. Closest first: