French Patio Door Replacement — Hinged Pair Supplied, Set and Sealed
The old French doors leak at the sill, the pair no longer lines up in the middle, and one door has to be lifted to lock. We order a new pair to fit and set it right.
JMB Builders does full-service French patio door replacement across the Twin Cities metro. We measure the opening, order a new hinged pair in the swing, glass and finish you pick, remove the old doors and frame, repair rot at the sill, set the new unit in a sill pan with flashing, adjust the astragal and locks so both doors latch, and trim it. Priced per door, quoted from photos.
- Priced per door unit, French doors supplied
- In-swing or out-swing, your choice
- Sill rot repaired; astragal and locks adjusted
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
An exterior French door is a pair of hinged doors in one frame. One door (the active door) has the handle; the other (the passive door) is held shut by bolts at the top and bottom, and the two meet at an astragal in the middle. When the frame racks, the sill rots or the hinges sag, the doors stop meeting at the astragal, the weatherstrip no longer seals, and the lock will not throw without lifting.
Replacing the unit fixes the frame, not just the doors. We measure the opening, order a new pair with the swing you want (in-swing or out-swing), the glass, and the interior finish, then pull the old unit, cut out any soft wood at the sill and rim, set a sill pan, and shim the new frame dead square. A French door is less forgiving than a slider; a frame out of square by a little shows up as a gap at the astragal.
Screens for hinged doors are ordered with the unit: a sliding screen, a hinged screen, or a retractable one. If you already bought the doors, see our labor-only French patio door page. Painting is quoted as a separate line — or leave it primed and caulked and paint it yourself.
What you supply
- Your pick of in-swing or out-swing, glass, grilles, and interior and exterior finish
- Which door you want to be the active one
- Photos of the doors from both sides and a close-up of the sill
What JMB supplies
- Measurement of the opening and the order for the French patio door unit
- Removal and haul-away of the old doors, frame and trim
- Rot repair at the sill, rim and subfloor, quoted from the photos
- Sill pan, flashing tape, low-expansion foam, sealant and shims
- Frame set square, astragal, top and bottom bolts and lock adjusted
- Screen installed and adjusted
- Interior casing and exterior trim
How it is priced: per door
Quoted in writing from your photos within one business day. What moves the number:
- The unit: frame material, glass and grilles, and interior finish
- In-swing vs. out-swing, and the screen type
- Same-size replacement vs. a resized opening
- Rot at the sill, rim or subfloor once the old unit is out
- Siding type and exterior trim
- Hardware: standard lock vs. a multipoint lock
- Painting or staining, quoted as a separate line
Send photos of the doors from both sides, a close-up of the sill, and a photo of the gap where the doors meet.
How long it takes
One French patio door unit in a sound opening: a full day on site. Rot repair adds time. The unit is ordered after you approve 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 quote within one business day. We only come out to measure first when the job needs a tape measure — no pressure, no games.
- 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
In-swing French doors
The doors swing into the room. The most common in Minnesota, since snow on a deck will not block them. Needs clear floor space inside.
Out-swing French doors
The doors swing out onto the deck or patio, saving room inside and seating tighter against the weatherstrip in wind. Snow on the deck can block them.
Single hinged patio door
One wide hinged door with a fixed panel beside it, when there is not room for both doors to swing.
French Patio Door Replacement — Hinged Pair Supplied, Set and Sealed: questions, answered
Why won't my French patio doors latch anymore?
Usually the frame has racked or the hinges have sagged, so the two doors no longer meet at the astragal. The lock then misses the strike or the bolts miss their holes. Adjusting hinges helps for a while; a frame that has moved or a rotted sill means replacing the unit.
Should French patio doors swing in or out?
In-swing is more common in Minnesota because snow and furniture on a deck will not block the doors. Out-swing saves floor space inside and presses tighter to the seal in wind, but snow can hold them shut. Pick based on your deck and the room.
Can you replace my French doors with a new pair in the same opening?
Yes. We measure the opening and order a unit sized to it, with a jamb width that matches your wall. The old unit comes out, the sill is checked for rot, and the new pair is set and trimmed.
What kind of screen goes on French patio doors?
Options are a sliding screen panel, a pair of hinged screen doors, or a retractable screen that rolls into the side of the frame. The screen is chosen when the doors are ordered. A retractable screen can also be added later.
Why is the floor soft in front of my French doors?
Water that gets past the sill or the bottom of the doors soaks the subfloor and rim below. Older units were rarely set in a sill pan. We replace the soft wood and set the new unit in a pan so it drains out.
How long does French patio door replacement take?
A full day on site for one unit in a sound opening, longer with sill repair. The wait is the order. The opening is closed up the same day.
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 for the builders and dealers we sub for. Counts come straight from our job log; no customer names.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough. You hear back within one business day. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
Related jobs we do
French Patio Door Installation, Labor Only — Hinged Patio Doors
A hinged patio door is two doors that have to meet in the middle, on a sill that takes every Minnesota storm. We set it plumb, panned and flashed so it locks smooth and stays dry.
Read moreReplace a Sliding Glass Door With French Doors — Full Conversion
You want both doors to open wide and a look that fits the room better than a slider. We check the opening, order a pair that fits it, and make the swap in a day or two.
Read moreRetractable Screen Door Installation — Entry and French Doors
You want a screen for summer air without a storm door hiding the front door. A retractable screen rolls into a slim housing beside the door and pulls across when you want it.
Read moreSliding Patio Door Replacement — Door Supplied, Set in a Pan, Trimmed
The slider drags, the glass fogs, and the floor inside the sill is dark. You pick the new door; we order it to fit, fix what is under the old one and set it so it glides.
Read moreExterior Door Threshold Replacement — Replace a Rotted Door Sill
The threshold rocks when you step on it, the cap is cracked, the wood under it is black, or the sweep has nothing to seal against. We replace the sill and set it so the door closes tight.
Read moreAdd a Door to an Existing Wall — Cut a New Doorway
A bedroom that needs its own way into the bathroom, a basement office with the only door on the wrong side, a laundry room you walk around the house to reach. We cut the doorway and hang the door.
Read morePage reviewed September 26, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All doors pages
Where we work
Doors near you
Based in Zimmerman, scheduling across the Twin Cities metro. Closest first: