Storm Door for an Odd Size Opening — Build-Out or Custom Order
You bought a storm door and it will not fit, or the store does not sell one in your size.
Reply within one business day. Or call / text 763-204-2099.
A storm door for an odd size opening is fit one of two ways: build out the brickmould so a stock storm door mounts, or order a storm door made to the opening. JMB Builders measures the opening at the top, middle and bottom, checks it for square, and picks the fit that will hang right. Installed across the Twin Cities metro, priced per door, with a reply to your photos within one business day.
- Priced per door
- Build-out or custom-size storm door
- Opening measured three ways and checked for square
Stock storm doors are made for a short list of front door sizes, most of them for 32- and 36-inch doors, and they mount to the brickmould around the entry door. The frame has a small adjustment range: the hinge rail and the expander at the bottom take up a little, not a lot. A 30-inch door, an old 34-inch door, a short door, or a frame out of square by more than the expander covers leaves a stock storm door that will not seal or will not mount.
A build-out fixes the opening instead of the door. When the opening is too wide or too tall, wood is added to the brickmould — a strip on the hinge side, a filler at the head — to bring it to a stock size, then painted or wrapped to match. When it is out of square, the build-out is tapered so the storm door hangs plumb even if the house is not. Soft or split brickmould is replaced first, since the storm door hangs on it.
A custom order fixes the door instead. Some storm door makers build to measured sizes; it takes longer and costs more than a stock door, but nothing is added to the trim. We measure, tell you which fits your opening better, and hang it with the closer, sweep and latch adjusted. If you already bought a storm door that does not fit, send its size with the photos.
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 entry door and trim, with a tape across the width at the top and bottom and the height on both sides
- Your storm door style: full-view, ventilating or retractable screen
- The storm door, if you already bought one, with its size from the box
- Paint color for a build-out if you want it painted — painting is quoted as a separate line
What JMB supplies
- Measurement of the opening at the top, middle and bottom, and a check for square
- Build-out stock, primed wood or wrapped, cut and tapered to the opening
- Rotted or split brickmould replaced before the storm door is mounted
- A custom-size storm door ordered when a build-out will not do it
- Removal and haul-away of the old storm door
- Hinge rail, closer, latch, wind chain and sweep installed and 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:
- A build-out with a stock storm door vs. a custom-size storm door
- How far the opening is off size and out of square
- Brickmould rot that has to be replaced first
- Build-out finish: painted wood vs. aluminum wrap
- Storm door style: full-view, ventilating or retractable screen
- A light fixture, doorbell, railing or siding in the way of the frame
Send the three width measurements and two heights with your photos. If you already bought the storm door, add a photo of its box label.
How long it takes
A build-out with a stock storm door: half a day to a day. A custom-size storm door: two to three hours to hang once it 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
Build-out to a stock size
Wood added to the brickmould on the hinge side or head brings a wide or tall opening down to a stock storm door size. Painted or wrapped to match the trim. The fastest route for most odd openings.
Tapered build-out for out of square
When the entry door frame is out of square, a tapered strip on the hinge side gives the storm door a straight, plumb edge to hang from, so it closes evenly and the sweep seals the whole sill.
Custom-size storm door
Ordered to the measured opening. Longer wait and a higher price for the door, but no build-out on the trim. Best when the opening is far off stock or the trim is brick or stone.
Storm Door for an Odd Size Opening — Build-Out or Custom Order: questions, answered
Why doesn't a storm door fit my front door?
Storm doors are made for a short list of opening sizes and adjust only a little. If your opening is narrower, wider, shorter or more out of square than that range, the frame will not mount or the door will not seal. The fix is a build-out on the brickmould or a storm door made to size.
Can you build out a door frame so a storm door fits?
Yes. Wood is added to the brickmould on the hinge side or at the head to bring the opening to a stock storm door size, then painted or wrapped to match. If the brickmould is soft or split, it is replaced first so the storm door has something solid to hang on.
Do they make storm doors for 30 inch doors?
Some storm door lines come in a size for 30-inch entry doors, but there are fewer styles than for 32- and 36-inch doors. If the style you want is not made that narrow, the choices are a custom-size storm door or a different style. Send a photo with the measurements and we will tell you what fits.
Can a storm door be installed on an out-of-square door frame?
Yes, within limits. The expander and hinge rail take up a small amount, and past that a tapered build-out on the hinge side gives the storm door a plumb edge to hang from. Without it, the door rubs at one corner and leaves a gap at the other.
Is a custom size storm door worth it?
When the opening is far off a stock size, or the trim is brick or stone that cannot be built out cleanly, yes. For an opening that is an inch or so off, a build-out with a stock door is usually less and arrives sooner. We price both from the same photos.
Can you cut down a storm door to fit?
Only within the adjustment the maker builds in, which is usually the hinge rail and the bottom expander. Cutting the door itself is not done. If it needs more than that, the opening gets a build-out or the door is ordered to size.
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 doors pages
Where we work
Door Replacement & Installation near you
Based in Zimmerman, scheduling across the Twin Cities metro. Closest first: