The opening
Start from a common job, then replace every figure with your takeoff. Changing configuration, frame, glazing, install method, or access never overwrites a rate you already typed. This prices a sliding or patio unit — not a pedestrian entry door, and not a window replacement.
Your crew rates
A $48/h installer loaded at 32% is $63.36. Quoting the raw wage on a published $1,800-installed special is how a 4-panel impact balcony unit that looked fine turns into a two-day loss after the first sill-pan rebuild.
Your bid
- Unit and access
- Opening and extras
- Crew hours
- Loaded labor
- Door + extras
- Travel + equipment
- Overhead
- Total cost
- Profit at this price
- Effective hourly rate
- Walk-away price
A bid link carries your own rates — wage, burden, overhead, and target margin — so the page reopens exactly as you left it. Send it to yourself or your crew. The numbers ride after the #, which is never sent to a server, so copying a link uploads nothing. The customer should get the price, not the link.
Where the hours go
Where the cost goes
Transparent arithmetic from your own inputs. Starting hours and material rates are common ballpark figures, not an industry standard or a door design — replace them with your own takeoff.
Common questions
Why is a balcony unit priced so much higher than the same door on a ground patio?
Second-story access changes the labor, not the door: staging, hoisting the panels, and working a lift or scaffold add hours a ground-floor swap never sees. The calculator prices access as its own line so a 12-foot 4-panel unit on a balcony is not quoted off the same number as the identical door at grade.
Does new-construction framing cost more than a retrofit, and why?
Yes — a retrofit reuses the existing frame and trims to it, while new-construction tears back to the rough opening, sets a new sill pan and frame, and wraps and flashes it. Pick “New-construction (full frame + wrap)” only if the opening is actually being framed out; picking it for a pocket replacement will overstate the bid.
What if I don't know exactly which extras (transom, sill pan, screen) apply?
Leave them unchecked and price the base door first, then toggle each one to see its dollar impact before you walk the job. The starting hours per extra are common ballpark figures, not a manufacturer spec, so true them up against your own invoices once you have a few jobs logged.
Is this an engineering or code determination for impact glazing?
No. Impact/hurricane glazing requirements are set by local code and wind-zone maps, not by this calculator — it only prices the glazing option you select. Confirm the required rating with your local building department before ordering material.
Hand the customer a proposal
The price above is for you. This is the page you print or save as a PDF and give to the customer — your details, their details, the scope, the deposit split, and a line for them to sign. Your business details are saved on this device so you only type them once; the customer’s details are never saved.
Everything on the printed page is text you typed or a number this calculator worked out. It contains no warranty, lien, or cancellation wording — those depend on your jurisdiction and your contract, and this tool is not the place to invent them.