Commercial Back Door Repair & Replacement Toronto: Steel Rear Exit Doors (2026)

The front door of a business gets looked after because customers see it. The back door usually doesn't, until it stops working. It gets propped open with a wedge, hit with carts and dollies, left open in the rain, and used as the main route for deliveries and garbage. On most buildings it also faces a lane or loading area where snow and salt pile up against the bottom of the door all winter.

Most commercial rear doors in Toronto are hollow metal: a steel door in a steel frame, sometimes fire-rated, usually with a panic bar or lever on the inside and a closer at the top. The problems we see are consistent: rust at the bottom edge, doors that sag and drag, frames bent by forced entry, closers that leak, and exit devices that no longer latch.

A lot of these problems can be repaired. Some doors are past saving. We'll tell you which one you have after looking at the door, the frame and the hardware together.

Many rear doors can be replaced without replacing the frame. A new hollow metal slab is prepared for the existing hinge and strike positions and hung in the old frame, which keeps the job to a day and avoids wall repairs. When the frame is gone too, we replace both. See steel door repair and steel door replacement.

Latch guards

Most commercial back doors open outward. That leaves the gap between the door and frame exposed to a pry bar. A steel latch guard covers the gap over the lock area so the latch can't be reached or pried.

Security hinges

On out-swinging doors the hinge pins are on the outside. Non-removable pins or hinge security studs stop someone from pulling the pins and lifting the door off.

Stronger strikes and frames

A reinforced strike and properly anchored frame spread the force of a kick or pry across the frame instead of one screw. Frames that have already been bent should be repaired or replaced, not just painted over.

Better exit hardware

A worn or cheap exit device is often the weakest point. A commercial-grade panic bar with a proper vertical rod or rim device, and a rekeyed cylinder after staff changes, closes the gap.

Door closer that actually closes

A back door that doesn't close fully on its own is an open door. Adjusting or replacing the closer is often the cheapest security upgrade on the list.

Many rear doors are designated exits, and some are fire-rated separations between the business and a corridor, stairwell or neighbouring unit. That affects what can be done to them. An exit door must open from the inside without a key or special knowledge, which is why panic bars and exit devices are used instead of deadbolts that need a key on the inside.

Fire-rated doors carry a label on the edge or frame showing their rating. They must close and latch on their own, and any repair or replacement must keep the rating. Adding a deadbolt, cutting in a vent, or replacing the slab with an unrated door can void it. See fire-rated door code requirements and fire door annual inspection.

When you're not sure whether your back door is an exit or fire-rated, we check the labels and hardware before recommending anything.

Restaurants and cafes use the back door dozens of times a day for deliveries and garbage, often with wet or greasy floors. Closers and hinges wear fast, and doors get propped open.

Retail stores and plazas have rear doors onto lanes that see little foot traffic, which makes them a target for break-ins at night.

Warehouses and industrial units have man doors next to roll-up doors that take hits from forklifts and pallets.

Offices, clinics and daycares need rear exits that work reliably and meet code, with hardware that staff can use easily.

Residential and mixed-use buildings have rear and side service doors that property managers need kept secure and closing. See commercial door maintenance contracts.

See the commercial door repair cost guide for general numbers.

Related reading: commercial door alignment repair, door reinforcement after a break-in, winter-proofing commercial doors, door hardware grades, hinge pulled out of the frame and electric strike repair. Services: commercial door services, break-in repairs, storefront floor pivots and emergency door repair.