Storm Door Installation, Labor Only — You Buy the Storm Door
The storm door is in the box in the garage. The instructions are 40 pages. We mount it plumb on your brickmould, set the closer, and make it latch on the first try.
JMB Builders does storm door installation across the Twin Cities metro, labor only, on the storm door you bought. We check the brickmould is square and wide enough for the Z-bar, cut and mount the hinge-side Z-bar plumb, hang the door, set the latch-side and top rails, fit the expander sweep to the sill, and adjust the closer and wind chain so it shuts without slamming. Priced per door, quoted from photos within one business day.
- Priced per door, labor only
- Z-bar cut, hung plumb, closer adjusted
- Quote from photos in 1 business day
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
A storm door is a half-day job that turns into a weekend when the brickmould is out of square, the Z-bar is cut a half inch short, or the door is hung on the wrong side and hits the porch light. Homeowners across the Twin Cities buy storm doors at Menards, Home Depot and Lowe's and then call us to put them on. We do it as a plain labor job: you supply the door, we mount it.
The parts that matter are the ones the box does not explain well. The hinge-side Z-bar has to be plumb even when the brickmould is not, or the door will swing open or closed on its own. The top rail has to sit under the drip cap so water does not run behind it. The expander at the bottom has to be cut to follow the sill. The closer bracket has to hit solid wood in the jamb, not just the brickmould. Get those right and the door works for twenty winters.
What you supply
- The storm door, sized to your opening: width between the brickmould at top, middle and bottom, and height from sill to top brickmould
- The handle set and closer if they were not in the box (most storm doors include both)
- Handing decision: which side the hinges go on, usually the same side as the entry door
- Your trim paint color, if we are touching up the brickmould after moving or replacing it
What JMB supplies
- A check of your measurements against the door you are buying, before you buy
- Removal and haul-away of the old storm door and its Z-bar
- Z-bar, rails and expander cut to fit an out-of-square opening
- Stainless or coated screws into solid wood; shims behind the Z-bar where the brickmould is not flat
- Closer and wind chain mounted and adjusted; latch and deadbolt aligned to the strike
- Brickmould repair or replacement in PVC when the old one is rotted or too narrow
- Photos of the finished door in your job folder
- Paint touch-up on the brickmould 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:
- Standard swing storm door vs. a full-view door with a retractable screen or interchangeable glass panel
- Condition of the brickmould: flat and square is fast; rotted, narrow or out of square takes shimming or replacement
- Whether an old storm door and its frame have to come off first
- Sill condition and whether the expander sweep can seal to it or the sill needs a shim strip
- Two closers vs. one, and a door that needs the handing reversed from how it shipped
- Number of storm doors in the same trip
Send a straight-on photo of the entry door from outside, a close-up of one side of the brickmould, and the storm door box label or model number.
How long it takes
One storm door on a square opening: two to three hours. Add an hour or two for brickmould repair or an old door that has to come off.
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
Standard swing storm doors
Aluminum-frame doors with a fixed glass and screen panel, from any of the big-box stores. Z-bar hinge side, latch rail, top rail, expander, one or two closers. The everyday install.
Full-view and retractable-screen doors
Heavier doors with a full glass panel and a screen that rolls up into the top rail. They need the frame dead plumb or the screen binds, and the closer tension set for the extra weight.
Out-of-square or rotted brickmould
Older Twin Cities homes rarely have a plumb, flat brickmould. We shim behind the Z-bar so the door hangs plumb regardless, or replace the brickmould with PVC so the Z-bar has something solid to screw to.
Storm doors over dark entry doors
A storm door in front of a dark steel or fiberglass door in full sun can trap enough heat to damage the entry door's finish. Some manufacturers say to use a vented or screened storm door in that case. We tell you if your setup is at risk before we mount it.
Storm Door Installation, Labor Only — You Buy the Storm Door: questions, answered
Do you install a storm door I bought myself?
Yes. That is what this service is. Buy the storm door at Menards, Home Depot, Lowe's or anywhere else, and we install it: old door off, Z-bar cut and mounted plumb, door hung, rails and expander fitted, closer and handle set adjusted. Priced per door across the Twin Cities metro, quoted from a couple of photos within one business day.
How do I measure for a storm door?
Measure the width between the inside edges of the brickmould at the top, middle and bottom, and the height from the sill to the underside of the top brickmould on both sides. Use the smallest numbers. Most doors are sold as 32 or 36 inches wide and 80 or 81 inches tall, and the Z-bar frame adjusts about an inch. Also check that the brickmould has at least an inch of flat surface for the Z-bar to sit on. Send the numbers and a photo and we confirm before you buy.
Which side should the storm door hinges go on?
Almost always the same side as the entry door's hinges, so both doors open the same way and the storm door does not block the handle or a porch light. Most storm doors are reversible and we set the handing when we assemble it. A few full-view models ship handed; check the box before you buy, and tell us which side you want.
What is the Z-bar on a storm door?
The Z-bar is the aluminum frame piece the storm door hinges to; it screws to the brickmould on the hinge side. In cross-section it looks like a Z, with one leg against the brickmould and the other holding the door. It has to be cut to the opening height and mounted plumb, and shimmed where the brickmould is not flat. If the Z-bar is off, the door will not close evenly, and no closer adjustment fixes that.
My storm door won't close all the way, can you fix it?
Usually, yes. Most storm doors that will not close have a closer that is out of adjustment, a strike that has shifted, a wind chain that is too short, or a frame that was never plumb. We adjust the closer speed and tension, reset the strike, and if the door itself is hung crooked we re-shim the Z-bar. If the aluminum frame is bent or the hinge rail is cracked, we tell you it is time for a new door.
Can a storm door be installed if the brickmould is rotted?
Not on the rotted part. The Z-bar screws need solid wood, and a closer bracket on soft brickmould will pull out in a season. We cut out the rot and replace the brickmould, usually in PVC so it does not rot again, then mount the storm door on the new trim. We quote the brickmould repair from your photos before we start.
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
Labor-Only Door Installation — We Install the Door You Bought
You buy the door, we install it right — entry doors, house-to-garage doors, and interior doors hung plumb, sealed tight, and trimmed out by a licensed Minnesota contractor.
Read moreMenards Door Installation — Labor Only, You Buy the Door
The door is sitting in the Menards lumberyard, or already in your garage, and you need someone who will hang it square, seal it and make it latch — not a store referral list.
Read moreHome Depot or Lowe's Door Installation, Labor Only
The store delivered the door to your driveway and the install quote they emailed is weeks out or bigger than the door. We hang Home Depot and Lowe's doors as a plain labor job.
Read moreFire-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.
Read moreCloset Door Installation — Bifold, Bypass and Mirrored Doors
Closet doors that fall off the track, drag on the carpet or never quite meet in the middle. Replaced with new hardware on a track that is level, by a crew that hangs doors for a living.
Read moreConvert Single Door to Double Doors — Widen the Opening, Hang the Pair
An office, dining room, pantry or primary bedroom wants a wide two-door opening instead of a single door. We do the framing and the doors in one job, both sides of the wall.
Read morePage reviewed September 24, 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: