Custom-Ordered Entry Door: What the Wait Looks Like
You picked the glass, the color and the handleset, and now you are waiting.
Reply within one business day. Or call / text 763-250-3621.
A custom ordered entry door lead time runs from the day you sign to the day the door arrives: the opening is measured, the order is placed, the factory builds the door to your size, glass and finish, and it ships. JMB Builders writes that lead time on the quote. One door is a welcome job across the Twin Cities metro, priced per door, frame included. Photo reply within one business day, or a free in-home estimate.
- Lead time written on the quote, never guessed
- Measured in person before the order is placed
- Priced per door, prehung frame included
Custom ordered means the door does not exist yet. A door with decorative glass, a factory color or stain, a wood grain fiberglass skin, a sidelite or transom, or a size between the stock sizes is built for your order. That is most front doors people actually want. The trade is time: the factory sets the lead time, and it changes with the season, the glass and the finish. We put the lead time we are given on the quote and we do not round it down to make the sale.
The wait has stages. First the opening is measured in person so the order matches the hole, including the swing and the jamb depth for your wall. Then the order goes to our supplier and the factory confirms a build date. The door is built, finished if you ordered a factory finish, and shipped to the supplier. We pick it up, check it over for damage, and schedule the install. You hear from us when the order is confirmed and again when the door is in.
A door that is already in stock skips all of that: a plain steel or smooth fiberglass door in a common size can go in soon after the measure. If you need the opening closed sooner than the custom lead time allows, we can put an in-stock door in now and treat the custom door as a separate decision. Either way the install is about a day, and new trim goes in primed with painting quoted as a separate line.
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 763-250-3621.
What you supply
- Photos of the door from inside and outside, and a close-up of the sill
- Your choices: style, material, glass, color or stain, sidelites and hardware finish
- A date that matters, if there is one, such as a closing or a party, so the quote can say whether custom fits it
- A signed quote and deposit, which is what starts the order
What JMB supplies
- An in-person measure of the opening, swing and jamb depth before the order
- The custom prehung door with frame, ordered through ABC Supply in options such as ProVia, Therma-Tru or Masonite
- The factory lead time written on the quote, and a call when the order is confirmed and when the door arrives
- A check of the door for shipping damage before install day
- Removal of the old door and frame, sill rot repair as its own line, sill pan and flashing
- Exterior brickmould and interior casing, primed and caulked; painting quoted as a separate line
- Lockset and deadbolt installed, strike and weatherstrip adjusted
- Photos of the finished door in your job folder
How it is priced: per door
Quoted in writing from your photos, with a reply within one business day. What moves the number:
- Glass: clear, privacy or decorative, which also changes the lead time
- Finish: primed vs. a factory paint or stain, which adds build time
- Material: steel vs. smooth or wood grain fiberglass
- Sidelites or a transom ordered as part of the unit
- A stock size vs. a size built to the opening
- Rot at the sill and the trim around the opening, quoted as their own lines
If a date matters, say so with your photos. The quote will tell you whether a custom door fits it or an in-stock door is the better call.
How long it takes
The factory lead time is written on the quote and depends on the line, glass and finish. Install day itself is about a day on site once the door is here. We call when the order is confirmed and when the door arrives.
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
Custom glass and color
Decorative or privacy glass in a factory painted or stained door. The longest build, and the one most people wait for. The lead time on the quote is the factory's, not ours.
Custom size, plain door
A steel or smooth fiberglass door built to an odd opening, primed. Shorter build than a glass and finish order; still custom, still on the quote.
In-stock door now, custom later
The opening has to be closed before the custom door can arrive. A plain in-stock door goes in now, and the custom door is a separate order if you still want it.
Custom-Ordered Entry Door: What the Wait Looks Like: questions, answered
How long does a custom ordered front door take?
It depends on the line, the glass and the finish, and the factory sets it, so JMB Builders writes the lead time on the quote rather than guessing at days. A factory finished door with decorative glass takes longer than a primed door in a custom size. You get a call when the order is confirmed and when the door arrives.
What happens between signing and install day?
The opening is measured in person, the order goes to our supplier, the factory confirms a build date, the door is built and finished, it ships to the supplier, and we pick it up and check it for damage. Then the install is scheduled, and the old door comes out the same day the new one goes in.
Why is the door measured before ordering if I already sent photos?
Photos get you the quote. The measure gets the order right: the rough opening, the swing, the jamb depth for your wall and the sill height. A custom door is built once, to those numbers, so they are taken in person.
Can I change my mind after the custom door is ordered?
Usually not once the factory has started the build, because the door is made to your order. Glass, color and size are confirmed on the signed quote before anything is ordered. Hardware finish and paint color for the trim can still change up to install day.
What if I need the door before the custom lead time?
A plain steel or smooth fiberglass door in a common size is often in stock and can go in soon after the measure. We can install that now so the opening is closed and secure, and the custom door becomes a separate decision. Send photos and we reply within one business day, or book a free in-home estimate.
Is one custom door too small a job?
No. One door is a welcome job for JMB Builders, custom ordered or in stock. It is measured, ordered, installed and trimmed like any other door, priced per door with the frame included.
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 25, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All doors pages
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