A door frame is an essential part of the door assembly. It ensures the structural integrity and functionality of the door; hence, to ensure that your door functions correctly, you must regularly maintain your frame and fix it immediately if it is damaged. If you are faced with a damaged frame, the question you would be asking is how much does it cost to fix a door frame?

The cost of fixing a door frame depends on the type of problem and the extent of the damage. The cost of door frame repairs is between $100 – $300. Minor repairs like minor damage could cost as low as $50. More severe damage will have you spending $500.

If your door frame is damaged, you would love to know how much it will cost to have the door frame. This article will discuss how much it costs to frame a door, how to fix a broken door frame, how much it costs to replace a door frame, and signs showing you need to replace it.

Can You Fix The Frame Of A Door?

Just like every other item in the home, door frames are prone to wear and tear and need to be repaired regularly to ensure their usability. Prolonged exposure to humidity, forced entry, age, and exposure to harsh weather can damage or deform your door frame, and you need to fix it. 

Depending on the extent of damage, you can handle fixing your door frame so long as you have the needed tools, an instruction guide, and some grit. Before you can repair a door frame, you must understand the type of damage you intend to improve and how best to go about getting it fixed. 

Let us look at some typical door frame damage and how to get it fixed. Before we go into that, here are the tools you will need to fix your door frame:

• Chisel
• Fine sandpaper
• Mallet
• Hammer
• Putty knife
• Spirit level
• Nails set
• Plastic shims
• Wood glue
• Wood putty or filler
• Saw
• Primer and paint
• Wire mesh

Fixing A Warped Door Frame: Step By Step

• You will need a hammer and chisel or a putty knife to detach the door stop and molding, covering the frame carefully. Start from the bottom and work your way to the top. Be careful not to damage the molding as you will reuse it later. Use the claw end of the hammer to pull off nails holding the molding to the frame carefully.

• Door shims are usually inserted between the frame and the wall to ensure that the door is perfectly squared and flushed. You need to take out these shims to readjust your warped frame.

• Close your door first for this step. Use a hammer or mallet to deliver blows to the frame part necessary to readjust the warping and align your frame. Cover the area you are hammering with a thick piece of wood. This is necessary to ensure that the impact is distributed evenly along the length of the frame.

• After straightening the wood, measure the area from top to bottom to ensure that the gaps are closed and the frame is evenly flushed.

• Replace the shims in place. Wood shims are versatile but prone to rotting; use plastic shims instead. Shims help align the door frame, so it is flushed and ensures the long-lasting integrity of the door.

• Place as many shims as necessary throughout the length of the frame. Close and open the door severally to test that it is even and works appropriately. If it does not, readjust the shims and frame, then use a spirit level to check that the frame is level. Once satisfied, nail the area with shims to secure them to the frame.

• Cut over the protruding ends of the shims to ensure they are flushed with the frame, and then reinstall your door stop and molding.

If the frame is too warped to be hammered to alignment, you will need to take the frame out, cut or purchase a new one, and have it reinstalled.

Fixing A Split Door Frame: Step By Step

• Identify the area damaged. If someone forcefully kicked your door in during an attack, the middle of the frame will likely be damaged. The lower part of the frame could also be damaged; even the door slab itself could be damaged depending on the force applied.

• Use a chisel and hammer or utility knife to detach the door stop and molding from the frame. Be careful not to damage the stop and molding. Use the hammer’s claw end to remove the nails holding the stop to the frame.

• If the damage is at the middle of the frame, mark 6 inches above and below the area. If the split is at the lower part of the frame, just measure the length of the damaged area. Mark the measurement with a pencil or utility knife.

• Apply screws above and below the marked length. Cut out the damaged area with a hand or powered saw using the marked points as an outline.

• Using the same timber as the rest of the frame, cut a replacement to fill the damaged portion. Use the measurement noted in the presiding step to cut the right size of timber. 

• Using wood glue, glue the replacement into place. Use a reasonable amount of glue to ensure it is well affixed—Hammer in a nail each to the top and bottom of the replacement timber.

• Use fine sandpaper to buff the area, scraping off residual glue. Mix your filler or putty and apply it over the area with the help of a putty knife. The filler will cover all traces of repair, fill in gaps and help maintain the repair. Allow to dry and sand the area to give it a finished look.

• Finish up by painting the area with a paint hue like the rest of the frame.

Fixing A Minor Wood Rot: Step By Step

• Identify the affected area, measure its length and make an outline of the area using a pencil or putty knife.
• Use a chisel, hammer, or Dremel tool to carve out all the rotted wood. Make sure no part is forgotten, as even a little bit of rotted wood will cause the fungus to keep spreading. Inspect the door for rot, especially the area in contact with the rotted part of the frame. If the door is rot, you will need to replace it.
• Insert a folded wire mesh into the carved-out spot, which would serve as a framework for the filler.
• Mix your filler or putty and use the putty knife to fill the putty into the carved-out spot. Apply enough filler until the gap is evenly filled. Scrape off excess filler while it is not yet hardened until the area is even.
• Allow to set and dry overnight. Sand the area and apply paint to the area for a finished look.

Fixing A Minor Frame Damage: Step By Step

• Animal bites, keys, and other minor home accidents can cause a dent or scratch on your door frame. Inspect the area to deduce the gravity of the damage.
• Mix your filler and use a putty knife to apply it over minor cuts, dents, or gouges. Use epoxy filler; it provides a long-lasting repair and is more resistant to dents. If the dent is not so serious, you could just sand the area to smoothen it out.

Let the filler dry overnight. Buff the area and apply coats of paint for a finished look.

How Much Does It Cost To Fix A Door Frame?

The average cost of door frame repairs is $200, ranging from $100 to $300. Repairs could be as low as $50 in the case of a warped door frame or minor dents. Severe damage like rotted wood could cost you $500 and more to fix it. For proper door functioning, do not overlook faults like warp and rot frames, etc.

The cost to fix a door frame depends on the kind of problem and the extent of the damage. 

How Much Does It Cost To Replace A Door frame?

The cost to replace a door frame depends on the material, type of door frame, whether you need to install a new door with the frame, and your location. The average price of replacing a door frame is $450, costing $230 – 670. The door frame costs between $75 – $500 depending on the size, material, and style.

To replace your door frame, you will have to purchase or get a new frame made, pay for labor if you can not handle the replacement yourself, and you might need to buy some new hardware like hinges, locks, bolts, etc.

You will need to pay for labor too. Expect to pay between $50 – $70 per hour. Fixing a door will take a minimum of two hours, so you will pay for at least two hours of labor. If new hardware needs to be installed, too, you will spend an additional $25 – $75 to purchase them. 

How Do You Fix A Broken Door Frame?

You would get a broken door frame when your door is forcefully kicked in. The striker plate pushes out of its hole and splits the door jamb by a few inches. Fixing a broken frame is possible depending on the extent of the damage. If your frame is broken on the hinged side, you would need to unhinged the door to fix it.

• Measure the length of the area; this would give an idea of how to go about reinstallation so you do not make avoidable errors.
• You will need to remove the door to access the frame entirely. Use a hammer and screwdriver to unhinge the door slab from the frame.
• Use a chisel, hammer, or utility knife to remove the door casing attached to the broken frame. The casing will likely be broken; you will need to replace it.
• Using a pry knife, carefully rip off the broken frame from the wall. Start from the bottom and work your way to the top. You can use a saw to cut the jamb into small bits to ease prying off the wall.
• Using the measurement, you took earlier, cut a new jamb or purchase one that is a replica. Make sure the replacement is the right fit, so you must use shims to align it. Install the new jamb and hammer in nails to hold it firmly in place. Use a spirit level to check that its entire length is flushed.
• Hang back the door slab. Use screws to the old hinge and screws to fix it back in place. Install a new casing over the new jamb, and your door frame is fixed.

If the damage is not severe, you do not need to replace the entire jamb. You could glue the split or broken part together. Here’s how:

• Use a putty knife to pry off the damaged casing. If the casing is too damaged to be fixed and reused, discard it. Use a plier to remove the nails holding the casing in place carefully.
• Using the putty knife, remove loose splinters, wood chips, and debris from the broken area.
• Use the putty knife blade to apply a reasonable amount of glue between splits and cracked jamb areas. Do this until all the damaged areas have enough glue. Then scrape off excess glue from the surface of the area. 
• Use clamps around the split or cracked area. Tighten the clamps around these areas until excess glue is forced out; this shows the clamp is tight enough. Clean the excess adhesive on the surface and allow it to dry.
• Remove the clamps when the glue is dried. Use the putty to remove residual adhesive. Sand the area and paint it for a finished look.

When Should A Door Frame Be Replaced?

The door and its frame are susceptible to wear and tear. Hence, it requires regular maintenance and repairs. At some point, repairs are not enough to ensure the lasting integrity of your door; you might need to have a part of the frame or the whole frame replaced.

Here are signs showing its high time you replaced your door frame:

•  If your frame is made of metal, you need to replace it once it begins to rust. Rust on the metal will cause further corrosion and a weak frame.
• If you notice rot on your wooden door frame, you need to plan a replacement. Sometimes just repairs are not a long-lasting solution. 
• It is typically for frames to get dents and gouges. While you can fix minor dents, severe cuts require you to replace your frame.
• Difficulty opening and closing your door frame means you need to replace your door frame. Sometimes this happens due to warping, misalignment, and so on. You will need to replace your door frame if the problem is beyond repairs.
• A badly broken or split frame requires immediate replacement. In this case, gluing or filling will not give a long-lasting solution. 

How Much Does It Cost To Frame A Door?

The average price to frame an interior door is $170, while the cost to frame an exterior door is $250 (including material and labor). You will spend about $70 – $500 on purchasing a door frame, depending on the material, size, style, and door type. 

Conclusively, the cost to frame the door is almost the same as that of door frame replacement. The average price for labor is $160, depending on the type of frame and the hours spent on the task.

A professional will demand at least $70 per hour to frame one door, and it will take about two hours to finish the job. This price increases if you need the door slab hung and other hardware installed.