Fire-Rated House-to-Garage Door Installation
The door into the garage is the one that gets kicked, slammed and left open. Replace it with a rated, self-closing door that seals against exhaust and cold, installed by a licensed Minnesota contractor.
JMB Builders installs the fire rated door between your house and attached garage anywhere in the Twin Cities metro. Minnesota's residential code calls for a rated, self-closing door there; we install to that with a steel or solid-core prehung unit, self-closing hinges or a closer, a threshold, sweep and weatherstrip so it seals against fumes and cold. Priced per door, quoted from photos within one business day.
- Priced per door; steel or solid-core rated units
- Self-closing hinges, sweep and weatherstrip included
- Quote from photos in 1 business day
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
The door between an attached garage and the house is not an ordinary interior door. Minnesota's residential code calls for a rated door there, and it has to close on its own. The usual ways to meet that are a 20-minute fire-rated door, a steel door, or a solid wood door of at least 1-3/8 inches, on self-closing hinges or with a closer. It also has to be a door that seals, because the garage is where the car exhaust, the gas cans and the cold are. A hollow-core six-panel with a pet door cut in it does not do the job, and we see that more than you would think.
The install is an exterior-style install on an interior wall. The old door and jamb come out, we check the sill and the framing, set the new prehung unit plumb, foam the gap, install the threshold, sweep and weatherstrip, put on the self-closing hinges or closer, and case both sides. Most garage sides are unfinished drywall, so we usually case the house side to match the rest of the home and use a simple casing on the garage side.
What you supply
- The door if you want to buy it: a 20-minute rated or steel/solid-core prehung unit, correct handing and jamb width (or we supply it)
- Lockset and deadbolt in the finish you want; a keyed lever is common here
- Your paint color for the door and the house-side casing, if we are finishing it
What JMB supplies
- The rated prehung unit if you would rather not shop, added to the quote at cost plus pickup
- Removal and haul-away of the old door and jamb
- Self-closing spring hinges or a surface closer, adjusted so the door latches on its own
- Threshold, door sweep and weatherstrip so the door seals against fumes and cold
- Shims, screws, low-expansion foam and fire-rated sealant at the gap where the wall calls for it
- Casing on the house side to match the home, plain casing on the garage side
- Photos of the finished door in your job folder
- Painting the door and casing when you want it done, quoted as its own line
How it is priced: per door
Quoted in writing from your photos within one business day. What moves the number:
- Whether you supply the door or we do
- Steel prehung vs. a solid-core wood slab fitted to the existing jamb
- Framing or sill repair at the opening, common where the old threshold let water and salt in
- A step down into the garage that needs a taller threshold or a landing check
- Spring hinges vs. a surface-mounted closer
- Casing both sides and matching the house-side trim profile
- Adding a deadbolt bore if the door came without one
Send a photo of the door from the house side and from the garage side, and one of the threshold, so we can see the step and the framing.
How long it takes
One house-to-garage door, prehung: about half a day. Add an hour or two if the sill framing needs repair or the opening has to be resized.
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
Steel prehung fire door
The most common choice: a 20-minute rated steel unit with a wood or steel jamb, sold at every big-box store. Dent-resistant, seals well and takes a deadbolt. We set it plumb, foam it and case it.
Solid-core or solid wood slab in the existing jamb
When the jamb is solid and the casing matches the house, a solid-core slab fitted to the existing frame meets the rating for most attached garages. We mortise hinges, bore the lock and add self-closing hinges, a sweep and weatherstrip to the existing stop.
Self-closing hinges vs. a closer
Spring hinges are hidden and quiet; a surface closer is easier to adjust and better on a heavy door. Either satisfies the self-closing requirement. Whichever you pick, we set it so the door closes and latches on its own from a few inches open.
Fixing what the last owner did
Pet doors, a hollow-core slab, a door propped with a wedge for years. We remove the wrong door, patch framing if the jamb was cut for a pet door, and install a rated unit that closes on its own.
Fire-Rated House-to-Garage Door Installation: questions, answered
Does the door from my garage into the house have to be fire rated in Minnesota?
Minnesota's residential code calls for a rated door between an attached garage and the house, and it has to be self-closing. In practice that means a 20-minute fire-rated door, a steel door, or a solid wood door at least 1-3/8 inches thick, on spring hinges or with a closer. It also cannot open directly into a bedroom. We install to that. If you are not sure what you have, send a photo of the door edge and the hinge side and we will tell you.
What kind of door do I buy for the garage to house opening?
A prehung steel entry-style door labeled 20-minute fire rated is the simplest. Any big-box store carries them in 32 and 36 inch widths with a 4-9/16 or 6-9/16 jamb. Check the handing from the house side and match the jamb width to your wall. If you would rather not shop, we supply the door and add it to the quote.
Do you install self-closing hinges on the garage door?
Yes, on every house-to-garage door we hang. Two spring hinges on a three-hinge door is usually enough to close and latch it from a few inches open, adjusted with the tension pin. On a heavy solid-core door or one that has to close against a strong weatherstrip, a surface closer works better. We set it so it latches every time without slamming.
Can you replace just the door slab between the garage and house?
If the jamb is solid, square and the casing is worth keeping, yes. We fit a solid-core or steel slab to the existing frame, mortise the hinges, bore the lock, add a sweep and weatherstrip and put on self-closing hinges. If the jamb is rotted at the bottom, split at the strike from being kicked, or the old door had a pet door cut through it, a prehung unit is the better fix.
Why does the garage entry door need weatherstripping if it is inside the house?
Because the garage is outside as far as your furnace and your lungs are concerned. The door has to seal against exhaust, fuel fumes and cold. We install a threshold, a door sweep and compression weatherstrip on the jamb the same as we would on a front door, and we check that the self-closer pushes the door fully into the seal rather than leaving it a quarter inch open.
Can I put a pet door in the door to the garage?
Not if you want it to stay a rated door. Cutting a pet door through a fire-rated or steel door breaks the rating and the seal. If a pet needs access to the garage, we suggest a pet door through an exterior wall to the yard, or a separate opening that is not in the rated door. We can install that too.
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.
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Read morePage reviewed September 24, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All doors pages
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