Replace a Patio Door With a Window — Wall Framed In, Window Set
A slider that nobody uses, leaking at the sill, opening to nowhere after the deck came down. We take the door out and build a wall with a window in it.
To replace a patio door with a window, JMB Builders removes the door and frame, frames the lower wall on the floor, insulates and sheathes it, sets and flashes a window in the new opening, patches siding outside and drywall inside, and trims it. The old deck or landing can stay or come off. Priced per project across the Twin Cities metro, quoted from photos.
- Priced per project, window supplied
- Lower wall framed, insulated and sheathed
- Siding, drywall and floor patched
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
People close up a patio door when the deck is gone, the room is being rearranged, or the door is a cold, leaky slider that nobody uses. The header over the door stays; below the new window, the opening is framed down to the floor with a sill plate, studs, insulation and sheathing, and the window is set on top.
The outside is the part to plan. The new wall has to be wrapped and the window flashed into it, then the siding filled in to match. On lap siding we borrow or match pieces; on stucco or brick it takes a patch in that material. Inside, the drywall is patched and the flooring that ran to the door threshold is filled in along the new wall.
If the room is a bedroom, the new window may need to meet egress, since the door was the way out. We check that before ordering. A permit is often required for changing an exterior opening; we apply for it where needed. Painting is quoted as a separate line — or leave it primed and caulked and paint it yourself.
What you supply
- Your pick of window style, size, color and glass
- What happens outside: keep, remove or change the deck or landing
- Photos of the door inside and outside and the flooring at the threshold
What JMB supplies
- Removal and haul-away of the patio door, frame and trim
- Framing of the lower wall on the floor framing, with insulation and sheathing
- The window, ordered to the new opening
- Housewrap, sill pan, flashing tape, foam and sealant
- Siding patched outside and drywall patched inside
- Interior casing or returns and exterior trim
- Flooring filled in at the old threshold, quoted from the photos
How it is priced: per project
Quoted in writing from your photos within one business day. What moves the number:
- Width of the old door and the size of the new window
- Siding type to patch: lap, vinyl, stucco or brick
- Rot at the old sill, rim or subfloor
- Flooring to fill in where the threshold was
- Removing or changing the deck, landing or steps outside
- Egress on a bedroom window and permit where required
Send photos of the door from both sides, the siding next to it, and the floor at the threshold.
How long it takes
Framing, window and exterior patch: one to two days in a lap-sided wall, plus a return trip for drywall and trim. Permit and window lead time come first.
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
Slider to a same-width window
A wide window across the old door width. The header stays, only the lower wall is new, and the room keeps most of its light.
Slider to a smaller window
Framing fills the sides as well as the bottom, for a standard-size window centered in the old opening. More wall, more room for furniture.
Close the wall completely
No window at all: the opening is framed, insulated, sheathed, sided and drywalled. See our remove a door and close the wall page for interior openings.
Replace a Patio Door With a Window — Wall Framed In, Window Set: questions, answered
Can you replace a sliding patio door with a window?
Yes. The door and frame come out, a short wall is framed on the floor under the new window, and the window is set and flashed. Siding, drywall and flooring are patched to match.
Will the siding patch show where the patio door was?
On lap siding we try to match or borrow pieces from a hidden wall; new pieces can look different until painted. Stucco and brick take a patch in that material. We talk through it from the photos before starting.
Do I need a permit to replace a patio door with a window?
Many Twin Cities cities require one for changing an exterior opening. We check with your city and apply where needed. The permit lead time is on the schedule before we start.
Does the new window have to be an egress window?
If the room is a bedroom, the window may need to meet egress, since the door was a way out. We check before ordering and size the window to meet it if needed.
What happens to the deck outside the old patio door?
It can stay as is, have its steps changed, or come off. A deck with no door onto it is still usable from the yard. Any deck work is quoted as its own line.
How long does a patio door to window conversion take?
One to two days to frame, set the window and patch the outside in a lap-sided wall, plus a return trip for drywall and trim. Permit and window lead time come first. The opening is closed up every night.
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
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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 moreAdd a Door to an Existing Wall — Cut a New Doorway
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Read morePage reviewed September 26, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All doors pages
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