Door Closer Installation — Apartment Entry and Fire Doors
The stairwell door has been propped or slamming since the old closer started leaking, and the inspector is coming. A new closer, mounted right and adjusted so the door latches quietly, is an hour a door.
Door closer installation puts a hydraulic arm on a door so it closes and latches on its own: apartment entry doors, stairwell and corridor doors, the door from the garage, and fire-rated doors that have to self-close. JMB Builders installs and replaces closers across the Twin Cities metro, mounted through the door and frame into solid material, with the closing and latching speeds adjusted so the door latches without slamming. Priced per door.
- Priced per door, several doors in a building in one trip
- Through-bolted on hollow doors, into wood on solid ones
- Closing and latch speed set so the door latches every time
- Listed closers on fire-rated doors
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
A door closer has one job: get the door shut and latched after every person who lets go of it. When it fails the door stays open, or it slams, or it swings to an inch of the latch and stops. On a stairwell or corridor door that is a fire and security problem. On an apartment entry door it is the tenant's door standing open. On the door from the garage into a house it is fumes in the hallway. The old closer leaks oil down the door, the arm is bent, or the screws have pulled out of a hollow door and the closer is hanging.
JMB Builders installs and replaces closers per door. A surface closer mounts on the door or on the frame, in the regular, parallel or top-jamb arrangement, with the arm set the way the closer maker specifies. On a hollow metal or hollow-core door the closer is through-bolted with sex bolts so it cannot pull out; on a wood door and frame it goes into solid wood or a reinforcing plate. Then the closer is adjusted: the sweep speed so the door does not slam, the latch speed so it pushes through the latch, and the backcheck so it does not blow open in the wind. On a fire-rated door we use a closer listed for that use and keep the rating label on the door untouched.
We do these by the building: a list of doors, the right closer for each door's size and weight, one trip, every door tested and photographed. If a door will not latch even with a new closer, the problem is the latch or the frame, and we fix that on the same visit.
What you supply
- A list of the doors and where they are, with a photo of each door and the old closer
- Whether any of the doors are fire-rated, and which way they swing
- The closer brand or grade if the building has a standard, or we match the door
- Access to the units and common areas and a contact on site
What JMB supplies
- The right size closer for each door's width, weight and use, in a standard commercial grade
- Surface mounting on the door or the frame, regular, parallel or top-jamb arm as the door needs
- Through-bolts on hollow metal and hollow-core doors so the closer does not pull out
- Old closer removed, old holes filled or covered by a cover plate on a metal door
- Sweep, latch and backcheck speeds adjusted so the door latches without slamming
- A listed closer on fire-rated doors, with the door's label left intact
- The latch, strike and weatherstrip checked and adjusted so the door actually latches
- Photos of every finished door for your file
How it is priced: per door
Quoted in writing from your photos within one business day. What moves the number:
- A closer in the common size on the truck vs. a heavy-duty closer for a wide or heavy door
- Wood door and frame vs. hollow metal, which needs through-bolts and often a cover plate
- Fire-rated door, which needs a listed closer
- Replacing a closer on the old holes vs. a first-time install with a new layout
- Latch, strike or weatherstrip work needed for the door to latch once the closer works
- Number of doors in the building on the same trip
A photo of each door and its old closer, plus the door width, gets a firm per-door number.
How long it takes
One replacement closer on the old holes: under an hour. A first-time install on a metal door with a cover plate: about two hours. A building's worth: most of a day.
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
Apartment entry door closer
A surface closer on the unit side of the entry door so it closes and latches behind the tenant. Set so it does not slam and does not fight a child or a bag of groceries. Mounted into the door and frame, through-bolted on a hollow door.
Stairwell and corridor doors
The doors that have to close for the building to work as designed. A closer sized for a heavy door with a backcheck so it does not slam open, latch speed set to push through the latch. We check every one on the list and adjust the ones that are fine.
Fire-rated door closer replacement
A closer listed for use on a fire door, mounted per the maker's template, with the door's rating label untouched and no new holes that would void it. The door has to latch on its own; we make sure it does.
Garage-to-house door
The door between an attached garage and the home has to self-close and latch. A closer or spring hinges, set so the door pushes fully into the weatherstrip and latches, keeps fumes and cold out of the house.
Adjustment only
A closer that slams, or stops short of the latch, is often fine and just needs the valves set. We adjust it, check the arm and the mounting, and only replace it if it is leaking or the adjustment does not hold.
Door Closer Installation — Apartment Entry and Fire Doors: questions, answered
How do you install a hydraulic door closer on an apartment door?
The closer body mounts on the door or the frame using the maker's template, and the arm mounts opposite, in the regular, parallel or top-jamb arrangement that suits which way the door swings and what is above it. On a hollow metal or hollow-core door it is through-bolted so it cannot pull out. Then the sweep, latch and backcheck valves are adjusted until the door closes at a steady speed and latches without slamming.
Why does the door closer slam the door or not close it all the way?
The valves are out of adjustment, or the closer has lost its oil. A closer that slams has the sweep or latch speed too fast. One that stops short of the latch has the latch speed too slow or a spring too weak for the door, or the latch and strike are out of line. We adjust first. A closer leaking oil down the door is done and gets replaced.
Can you replace the closer on a fire-rated door?
Yes, with a closer listed for fire door use, mounted to its template. The rating label on the door edge stays untouched and we do not drill new holes in a rated door beyond what the closer template calls for. A fire door has to close and latch on its own from any open position, and we test it that way before we leave.
Do you install door closers on every unit in a building?
Yes. Send the door list with a photo of each door and its old closer, we bring the right closers, and we do the building in one trip. Each door gets tested and photographed and you get one invoice with a line per door. Doors that only need adjustment get adjusted at a lower rate.
What size door closer does an entry door need?
Closers are sized by the door's width and weight and how it is used, and the makers publish a size range for each model. An adjustable-spring closer covers most interior and entry doors; a wide or heavy exterior door or a stairwell door with a lot of traffic wants a heavier one. We pick the closer from the door, not the other way round, and say which one is on the quote.
The closer screws pulled out of a hollow door. Can it be remounted?
Yes. A hollow metal or hollow-core door will not hold wood screws under a closer's load for long. The closer is remounted with through-bolts that pass through the door to a plate or sex bolts on the other side, so the door skin cannot tear. The old holes get filled or covered by a cover plate on a metal door.
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 property managers pages
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