How to Price Internal Door Fitting: Labour, Materials and Margin Guide

Quick Answer: Fitting an internal door in the UK typically prices at £90–£180 supply-and-fit per door into an existing lining (rehang/replace a leaf onto existing hinges and frame), rising to £180–£350 for a new door plus new lining/frame and architrave, and £250–£500+ for a fire door (FD30) installed to specification. Labour is usually 0.5–1 day per door for a standard hang, less per door in batches. Fire doors must be fitted to the certified specification (intumescent strips, 3 mm/4 mm gaps, CE/UKCA-marked components) so the fire-resistance rating holds, and any door affecting means of escape falls under Building Regulations Part B. Price the lining, ironmongery and easing time — not just the leaf.

Summary

Internal door fitting looks like a quick job and quotes get thrown at it carelessly, which is exactly why it's a common source of underpriced work and disputes. Hanging a single replacement leaf onto a sound existing lining is genuinely quick. But a "door job" frequently turns into making good a twisted lining, planing a leaf that's out of square to a 100-year-old opening, chiselling fresh hinge and latch mortices, fitting handles and a latch, and easing the door so it swings sweetly and doesn't bind in summer. The leaf is the cheap part; the labour and the ironmongery carry the price.

This matters to carpenters, joiners, handymen and builders pricing refurb and new-build internal joinery. The pricing splits cleanly by scope: a rehang/replace leaf onto existing hinges, a full door + lining + architrave install, and fire doors (FD30), which are a different job entirely because the rating depends on every component and gap being right. Batch work changes the economics — six identical doors in one house cost far less per door than one awkward one-off, because set-out, tooling and ironmongery prep amortise across the lot.

The big pricing mistakes are: quoting per door as if every opening is square (period properties rarely are); forgetting the ironmongery (hinges, latch, handles, intumescent kit) which can equal the cost of the leaf; pricing a fire door like a standard door (it carries certified components, more labour and more liability); and not allowing easing time for solid/heavy doors. This guide gives supply-and-fit ranges, a scenario table, worked examples with a margin line, and the common mistakes that eat profit.

Key Facts

Quick Reference Table

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Scenario Labour (per door) Material cost Total (Regional) Total (London)
Rehang / replace leaf onto existing lining 0.4–0.6 day £40–£120 £90–£180 £140–£240
Replace leaf + new ironmongery (latch/handles/hinges) 0.5–0.75 day £60–£180 £130–£260 £180–£330
New door + new lining + architrave (stud opening) 0.75–1 day £90–£250 £180–£350 £250–£450
FD30 fire door + seals + closer (single) 0.75–1.25 day £150–£400 £250–£500 £340–£650
Batch hang (per door, 5+ standard doors, one visit) 0.35–0.5 day £40–£120 £80–£150 £120–£210
Bi-fold / pocket / sliding internal (per opening) 1–1.5 day £150–£600 £350–£900 £480–£1,150

Detailed Guidance

Rehang / Replace Leaf — the quick job (when the lining is sound)

The fastest scenario: a sound existing lining and stops, you're swapping the leaf. Sequence: offer up and mark the leaf, trim to the lining (allowing the gap), transfer or cut hinge mortices, hang on the existing hinge positions, fit latch and handles, ease and check the swing. If the new leaf is solid-core where the old was hollow, allow extra easing time and sharper tools. Realistically 0.4–0.6 day for one; in a batch of identical doors it drops because set-out and tooling are shared.

Pricing example (regional, replace one hollow-core leaf with a solid-core, new ironmongery):

Item Cost
Solid-core internal door (oak veneer) £95
Pair of hinges (fire-rated grade) £14
Latch + lever handles on rose £38
Sundries (screws, intumescent if req., easing) £10
Carpenter 0.6 day @ £260/day £156
Disposal of old leaf £10
Margin 22% £71
Total £394

This is competitive-but-profitable for a one-off solid-core swap. Strip the margin out and one binding door callback wipes the job out.

New Door + Lining + Architrave — the full opening

When there's no usable lining (new stud opening, or the old lining is twisted/rotten), you're fitting the lining, hanging the leaf, and running architrave both sides. Set the lining plumb, level and the right width for the wall thickness, wedge and fix, hang the door to it, then mitre and pin the architrave. This is where period properties bite — openings are rarely square or plumb, so the lining has to be packed true and the leaf scribed. Allow 0.75–1 day.

Pricing example (regional, new door into new stud opening):

Item Cost
Solid-core internal door £110
Softwood lining set £40
Architrave (both sides) £30
Hinges, latch, lever handles £55
Fixings, packers, adhesive, caulk £18
Carpenter 1 day @ £260/day £260
Margin 22% £113
Total £626

Fire Doors (FD30) — a different job, priced differently

A fire door is not "a heavier door". Its 30-minute rating depends on the certified leaf, the correct gaps (commonly ~3 mm around the leaf to frame, with the bottom gap to the door's certification), intumescent strips and smoke seals, three CE/UKCA-marked fire-rated hinges, fire-rated latch/locks, and (where required) a self-closer. Get the gaps or the seals wrong and the rating is void — and you've taken on the liability. Building Regulations Part B governs fire doors and means of escape. Always fit to the door's certification/data sheet, keep the label/plug, and document it. Price the extra components and the extra care: 0.75–1.25 days plus the certified ironmongery.

Pricing example (regional, single FD30 to a landing/escape route):

Item Cost
FD30 certified fire door blank £170
Fire-rated lining / casing (where specified) £60
3 × fire-rated CE/UKCA hinges £36
Intumescent + smoke seal kit £24
Fire-rated latch + lever handles £45
Overhead door closer £55
Architrave + fixings + intumescent acoustic sealant £35
Carpenter 1 day @ £270/day £270
Margin 24% £176
Total £911

Batch Pricing — where the per-door cost falls

Six identical doors in one house is a different proposition from one. The set-out, the tooling, the ironmongery prep and the trip are spread across the lot, so per-door labour drops from ~0.5 day to ~0.35–0.5 day. Quote batches at a reduced per-door rate but protect yourself: a single awkward opening (out of square, oversized, needs the lining replaced) can cost as much as three easy ones, so either survey first or quote the easy doors at the batch rate and the awkward ones separately.

Period Properties and Out-of-Square Openings

Victorian and Edwardian openings are rarely plumb or square, and the floors slope. Standard leaves get scribed to the opening, hinges packed, and the latch position adjusted. Heritage-style doors (four/six panel, solid timber) are heavier and slower to hang and ease. Always allow extra easing time on old properties — the difference between a door that swings sweetly and one that binds in summer is half an hour of careful planing, and the customer remembers which they got.

Ironmongery, Easing and the Hidden Costs

Hinges, latch, handles and (for fire doors) seals and closers regularly add up to the cost of the leaf itself — never quote a door without pricing its ironmongery. Easing (planing the leaf so it clears the frame and floor covering, especially over carpet/thick LVT) is a real cost on solid doors. And the bottom gap must suit the floor finish — too tight and the door drags on a new carpet, too loose and it kills under-door draught/acoustic performance. Budget for it explicitly.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to fit an internal door in the UK?

Around £90–£180 supply-and-fit to rehang or replace a leaf onto a sound existing lining, £180–£350 for a new door with a new lining and architrave, and £250–£500+ for an FD30 fire door fitted to spec. London adds roughly 30–40%. Batch jobs are cheaper per door.

How long does it take to hang an internal door?

Roughly 0.4–0.6 day for a single rehang onto an existing lining, 0.75–1 day for a new door with a new lining and architrave, and up to 1.25 days for a fire door with seals and a closer. In a batch of identical doors, expect closer to 0.35–0.5 day each.

What's different about pricing a fire door?

The rating depends on the whole assembly — certified leaf, correct ~3 mm gaps, intumescent/smoke seals, three fire-rated hinges, fire-rated latch and (often) a self-closer. That's more components, more labour and more liability than a standard door, so it prices at £250–£500+ and must be fitted to the door's certification. Building Regulations Part B applies.

Should I price per door or per day?

For mixed/one-off doors, price per door (each carries its own ironmongery and easing). For batches of identical doors, a reduced per-door rate works because set-out and tooling are shared — but survey for awkward openings first, because one out-of-square opening can cost as much as three easy doors.

What margin should I add on a door job?

A typical 20–25% margin on the worked examples here keeps the job profitable after the inevitable easing, the odd damaged leaf, and a possible callback. On fire doors lean toward the higher end (24%+) to cover the extra liability and the documentation/labelling work.

Regulations & Standards