Hail Dented Steel Door Replacement — Entry and Storm Doors
The front door looks like a golf ball and the storm door took it worse. Here is when a new slab is enough, when the whole unit goes, and how the dents get documented.
JMB Builders does hail dented steel door replacement across the Twin Cities metro: front and back entry doors, garage service doors and aluminum storm doors. We photograph the dents with a scale reference, list each door line by line, and replace what the approved scope covers — a new slab in the old jamb when the frame is sound, or a prehung unit when it is not. Priced per door, quoted from photos within one business day.
- Priced per door
- New slab or full prehung unit
- Entry, garage service and storm doors
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
A steel door is a thin steel skin over a foam core. Hail pushes the skin in, and unlike a car panel there is nothing behind it to push against, so the dents stay. On a south- or west-facing door every hit shows in low sun. Aluminum storm doors dent easier still, and the glass or screen panel often goes with them. Fiberglass doors resist dents but can crack or chip at the skin.
Most hail-dented doors are replaced one of two ways. A new slab hung in the old jamb keeps the frame, the brickmould and the interior casing, and it is the least disruptive swap when the jamb and threshold are sound. A prehung unit replaces the door, jamb and threshold together, and it is the right call when the frame is dented, the threshold is split or the door is an odd size no slab fits. Storm doors are replaced as a unit.
You file the claim and deal with your insurer. We give you the photos and a line-item list for each door, meet your adjuster to walk them if you want us there, and do the work once it is approved. Minnesota law bars a contractor from waiving, rebating or paying your deductible, and we do not.
What you supply
- The date of the storm and any photos of the doors you took that day
- Your claim number and the adjuster's approved scope once you have it
- Your lockset and deadbolt if they are reused, or new ones if you want a change
- Your paint color — new steel doors come primed; painting is quoted as a separate line, or paint it yourself
What JMB supplies
- Photos of each door in raking light with a scale reference so the dents show
- A line-item list per door: slab, prehung unit, storm door, hardware, trim
- Meeting your adjuster to walk the doors, when you want us there
- A new slab fitted to the old jamb: hinges mortised, bored for the lockset, margins even
- Or a prehung unit set in a sill pan with flashing tape, shims and low-expansion foam
- Storm doors replaced as a unit with the closer and latch adjusted
- Weatherstrip, sweep and threshold adjusted so the door seals
- Haul-away of the old doors and finished photos in your job folder
How it is priced: per door
Quoted in writing from your photos within one business day. What moves the number:
- A slab in the existing jamb vs. a full prehung unit
- Standard size vs. an odd size or a door with sidelites or a transom
- Glass in the door: a solid slab vs. a door with a lite that has to be matched
- Storm door on the same opening, replaced with the entry door or on its own
- Rot or a split threshold found once the old door is out
- Painting the new door and trim, quoted as its own line
Send a photo of each door in low sun so the dents show, one from inside, and a photo of the hinge edge so we can see the jamb.
How long it takes
Doors are ordered to size, so the wait is the order. Once here: a slab swap is a few hours, a prehung unit about half a day, a storm door two to three hours.
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
New slab, old jamb
The jamb, threshold and casing are sound; only the door skin is dented. A new slab is fitted to the existing hinges and bore, so the trim inside and out stays put.
Prehung unit
The frame took hits too, the threshold is split, or no stock slab fits. The old unit comes out, the sill is checked for rot, and a prehung door goes in a sill pan with flashing and new brickmould.
Storm door
Dented aluminum frame, cracked glass panel or torn screen. The storm door is replaced as a unit, fitted to the entry door's brickmould, with the closer and latch set so it shuts on its own.
Garage service door
The steel man door on the garage is often the most exposed door on the lot. Same choice: slab in the old frame, or a prehung unit when the frame is rusted or rotted at the bottom.
Hail Dented Steel Door Replacement — Entry and Storm Doors: questions, answered
Can hail dents in a steel door be fixed without replacing it?
Not really. The skin has foam behind it, so the dent cannot be pushed back out like a car panel. Shallow dents can be filled and the door repainted, but the dents usually telegraph through in low sun. Whether your policy pays to replace a dented door or only to fill and paint it is your insurer's call; clear photos in raking light help them see it.
Do I need a new slab or a whole prehung door after hail?
If the jamb, threshold and weatherstrip are in good shape and the door is a standard size, a new slab in the old jamb is enough. If the frame is dented, the threshold is split or rotted, or the door is an odd size, a prehung unit is the better fix. We tell you which from a photo of the door and one of the hinge edge.
Will a new door slab fit my old frame?
A new slab is fitted to the old jamb: the hinge mortises are cut to line up with the hinges already there, the edges planed for even gaps, and the lockset bored to match the strike. A slab usually comes without hinge mortises or bores so it can be fitted this way.
Does a hail dented storm door need to be replaced?
Usually, yes. Storm door frames are thin aluminum and a dent in the frame or the expander at the bottom keeps it from closing square. The glass and screen panels are often cracked or torn too. A replacement storm door is fitted to the entry door's brickmould with the closer set so it shuts on its own.
Do new steel doors come painted?
Most steel doors come primed, not finished. The primed door can be painted on site after it is hung. Painting is quoted as a separate line, or leave it primed and paint it yourself.
Can a contractor pay my deductible on a hail door claim?
No. Minnesota law bars a contractor from waiving, rebating or paying any part of your insurance deductible, and JMB Builders does not. Your deductible is your share of the repair and is paid as part of the job.
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
Fit a Slab Door Into an Existing Jamb
The jamb and casing are fine, the door is not. A bare slab from the store fitted to the frame you have — hinge mortises cut to match, lock bored, edges planed until it swings clean.
Read moreStorm 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.
Read moreGarage Service Door Replacement — Steel Man Door on the Garage
The garage side door is rusted through at the bottom, the jamb is soft, and it has not locked properly in years. A steel prehung unit, set right on a sill pan, and it is done for another few decades.
Read moreContractor Estimate for Window Insurance Claim, Line by Line
The adjuster is coming Thursday and you want something on paper that lists every window and door the storm hit. This is what that estimate should look like and what goes in it.
Read moreHail Damage Window Replacement — Cracked Glass, Sashes and Frames
Hail left star cracks in the glass, dents in the vinyl sill and a sash that will not close tight. Here is how each one gets fixed, and what goes on the list for your adjuster.
Read moreAdjuster Says Hail Damage to Windows Is Cosmetic — What to Photograph
The adjuster walked around, saw dents and chips, and called it cosmetic. Before you accept that, check each window for damage that affects how it works.
Read morePage reviewed September 26, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All insurance repairs pages
Where we work
Insurance repairs near you
Based in Zimmerman, scheduling across the Twin Cities metro. Closest first: