Almost every door can be repaired. The question is whether it should be. Here's the decision framework we use — and the three factors that decide it.
If the door frame is straight, square and structurally sound, almost any door can be repaired to fit it. If the frame itself is failing — rotted jambs, dropped sill, cracked masonry above — the calculation shifts significantly. Often it's more economical to replace both door and frame as a matched pair than to repair a door into a failing frame.
Frame condition is the first thing we assess on any survey.
For listed buildings, conservation areas, or properties where the door is genuinely part of the architectural character, repair is almost always the right answer regardless of cost. Replacement risks listed building consent complications and always loses some character.
For standard modern properties where the door has no special character, this factor is neutral — you can go either way.
Localised damage — a rotten bottom rail, cracked pane, worn ironmongery, chipped panels — is straightforward to repair economically. When more than 40-50% of the door's timber needs replacing, a new door built to match original patterns often becomes the better option (and doesn't cost dramatically more).
Structural damage to the door's core (deep splits across the width, delaminated engineered core, warping beyond correction) usually points to replacement.
Ask yourself: (1) Is the frame worth keeping? (2) Does the door's character matter to me or the property's value? (3) Is less than half the timber compromised?
Three yeses = repair. Three noes = replace. Mixed = case-by-case.
Rough guide: repair typically costs 20-40% of a new door of equivalent quality. Heritage restoration of a valuable period door can cost 60-90% of a bespoke replacement, but the original character is worth more than the arithmetic on any period property.
A new bespoke arched door supplied and installed: £2,000-£3,000. A full restoration of the original: £900-£2,400. On a listed building the restoration is almost always the right choice.
Sometimes the answer is: retain the original door but upgrade specific components. Modern sealed-unit retrofit behind original decorative glass. Discreet high-security lock alongside the original mortice. Improved weather-sealing that isn't visible. These hybrid approaches preserve the character while addressing modern requirements.
We do a lot of hybrid work — it's often the smartest answer.
