Replace 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.
To replace a sliding glass door with French doors, JMB Builders measures the opening, orders a hinged patio door pair sized to it, removes the slider, adjusts the framing if the sizes differ, repairs rot at the sill, sets the new unit in a sill pan with flashing, and trims inside and out. Across the Twin Cities metro, priced per door and quoted from photos within one business day.
- Priced per door, French pair included
- Opening reframed when sizes differ
- Sill pan and flashing under the pair
- Quote from photos in 1 business day
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
People trade a slider for French doors to get the full width open, a heavier-looking door, and a lock that pulls the doors tight against the weatherstrip. The catch is the swing. A slider takes no floor space; a hinged pair needs room to open, either into the room or out onto the deck, and that decides which unit gets ordered.
We start with the opening. Sliders and hinged patio doors come in similar sizes but not always the same ones, so we measure the rough opening and order a pair that fits it, or plan the framing change if it does not. Going narrower means framing in the sides; going wider means a longer header. We also check what is outside the door, because an outswing pair needs room on the deck or patio to clear.
Install day is the slider out, the sill area checked and rebuilt where it is soft, the framing adjusted, a sill pan down, flashing lapped at the sides and head, and the new pair shimmed square so both doors meet flush and the flush bolts line up. Then foam, sealant, and trim inside and out. Painting is quoted as a separate line — or leave it primed and caulked and paint it yourself. If you already bought the French doors, see our labor-only French patio door page.
What you supply
- Your pick of inswing or outswing, frame material, glass, grilles and color
- Your choice of handle set finish, or a multipoint lock if you want one
- Photos of the slider from inside and outside, the floor at the sill, and the room and deck around it
- Paint color if you want the new casing painted — painting is quoted as a separate line
What JMB supplies
- Measurement of the opening and the order for the hinged patio door pair
- Removal and haul-away of the old slider, frame and trim
- Framing changes when the new unit is a different size, including a header if the opening grows
- Subfloor and framing repair at the sill, quoted from the photos
- Sill pan, flashing tape, foam, sealant, shims and fasteners
- Doors set to meet flush, flush bolts and strike aligned, weatherstrip adjusted
- Interior casing and exterior trim, and drywall and siding patched where the opening changed
- Photos of the finished doors in your job folder
How it is priced: per door
Quoted in writing from your photos within one business day. What moves the number:
- Whether the French door unit fits the existing opening or it has to be reframed
- Inswing vs. outswing, and the frame material and glass you choose
- Rot in the subfloor or framing at the old slider's sill
- Siding type and how much exterior trim and siding needs patching
- A screen option: a sliding screen, a retractable screen, or none
- Painting the new casing and patched areas, quoted as a separate line
Send a wide photo of the room side and the deck side of the slider so we can see the swing space, plus a close-up of the sill.
How long it takes
Same-size opening: about a day on site. Add a day when the opening is reframed or the siding needs patching. The pair 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
Inswing French doors
The doors swing into the room. Common in Minnesota because snow on the deck does not block them, but furniture has to stay clear of the swing.
Outswing French doors
The doors swing out onto the deck or patio and keep the room open. Needs clear space outside and a threshold built for outswing so it sheds water.
One active door
A pair with one door that opens and one fixed or bolted panel. Looks like French doors, walks like a single door, and takes less floor space.
Screens for hinged doors
A slider's screen does not carry over. Hinged patio doors take a sliding screen made for them or a retractable screen, chosen when the door is ordered.
Replace a Sliding Glass Door With French Doors — Full Conversion: questions, answered
Can a sliding glass door be replaced with French doors?
Yes. Most slider openings can take a hinged patio door pair, sometimes in the same rough opening and sometimes with the framing adjusted. We measure and order a unit that fits, and plan any framing change before install day.
Should French doors that replace a slider swing in or out?
Inswing is more common here because snow and ice on a deck do not block the doors, but the doors need clear floor space inside. Outswing keeps the room open and needs clear space on the deck or patio. Send photos of both sides and we point out which one fits.
Do French doors seal better than a sliding door?
A hinged door closes against compression weatherstrip, and the lock pulls it tight, which usually seals better than a panel sliding past brush or fin seals. That only holds when the frame is set square and the doors meet flush, which is most of the install work.
Can I get a screen with French patio doors?
Yes, but the slider's screen will not work. Hinged patio doors take a sliding screen made for that unit or a retractable screen mounted on the frame. We confirm the screen option when the door is ordered.
Does the opening have to be made bigger for French doors?
Not always. Sliders and hinged patio doors come in overlapping sizes, so many openings take a pair with only shimming. When the sizes do not line up, we frame in the sides or install a longer header, then patch the drywall and siding.
Do you supply the French doors for the conversion?
Yes. You choose swing, frame, glass and color, we measure and order the pair, and the door unit is a line on the quote. If you already bought the doors, we install them and price it as labor only.
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
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Read morePage reviewed September 26, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All doors pages
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