Door Slab Replacement in Toronto: Replace the Door, Keep the Frame (2026)

Most door replacements are sold as pre-hung units: a new door already mounted in a new frame. Installing one means tearing out the old frame, the trim around it, and often some drywall or siding, then patching and painting afterward. That is the right answer when the frame is rotten, out of square or damaged. It is overkill when the only thing wrong is the door.

A slab replacement swaps only the door. The new slab is sized to the opening, the hinge mortises and lock holes are cut to match your frame, and the door is hung on the existing (or new) hinges. Your frame, casing and paint stay untouched. Customers searching for this often say the same thing: "We looked for a long time for a company that would replace the door without doing the full frame." Many companies only sell pre-hung units.

Slab replacement makes sense for kicked-in or warped doors, doors damaged in a break-in, cracked or rotted door skins, doors that were cut badly years ago, and interior doors you want to upgrade without redoing the trim. It also works for many steel and commercial doors where the frame is still sound.

We check the frame before recommending anything. If it needs work but can be saved, we combine a slab with an exterior frame repair. If it can't, we'll tell you and quote a full front door replacement instead.

Steel

Strong, secure and affordable. The most common choice for front and side doors in Toronto. Steel slabs dent under hard impact but resist forced entry well, especially with a reinforced strike.

Fiberglass

Resists denting and doesn't rust or swell. A good choice for entrances exposed to weather.

Wood

The traditional look many older Toronto homes need. Solid wood slabs need sealing on all edges, including the top and bottom, to stop them swelling. See wood door repair.

Hollow metal (commercial)

The standard for back doors, service doors and stairwells in commercial buildings. Fire-rated openings must be replaced with a door of the matching rating. See fire door inspection in Ontario.

Height, width and thickness

Standard exterior doors in Ontario are usually 80 inches tall and 32, 34 or 36 inches wide, with 1-3/4 inch thickness. Many older Toronto homes don't follow those numbers. Houses built before the 1960s often have narrower or shorter openings, and doors that have been trimmed several times over the years. We measure the opening, not the old door, because the old door may have been cut wrong.

Hinge positions

The new slab has to take hinges in the exact spots where the frame's hinge mortises already are. We record the distance from the top of the frame to each hinge, the hinge size and the corner radius, and cut the new door to match. Get this wrong and the door hangs crooked no matter how you adjust it.

Lock and strike

The backset (distance from the door edge to the centre of the lock) and the height of the latch and deadbolt must line up with the strike plates already in the frame. If you're upgrading security at the same time, we can fit a longer, reinforced strike. See front door security upgrades.

Swing and handing

Which way the door opens, and which side the hinges are on, decides how the slab is prepared. It sounds obvious, but ordering the wrong hand is one of the most common DIY mistakes.

Gaps and clearances

A well-hung door has an even gap of about 1/8 inch at the top and sides, and clears the sill or floor without dragging. Those gaps are what let the door close smoothly and let the weatherstripping seal properly.

See our residential door repair cost guide and commercial door repair cost guide for general pricing.

Before replacing a door, it's worth reading door won't close or lock, hinge pulled out of the frame, door repair after a break-in and common door problems in the GTA. Other services: residential door repair, emergency door repair, screen and storm doors, multi-point locks, closet and bi-fold doors and storefront entry doors.