The real cost of Установка межкомнатных дверей: hidden expenses revealed

11 October 2025 6 min read
The real cost of Установка межкомнатных дверей: hidden expenses revealed

The Sticker Shock That Comes After You Sign

My neighbor Viktor thought he'd scored a deal. "$200 per door installation," he told me proudly, waving his contractor's estimate. Three weeks later, I found him sitting on his porch, looking like he'd just survived a financial hurricane. The final bill? Nearly triple what he expected. Welcome to the world of interior door installation—where the quoted price is just the opening act.

Here's the thing nobody tells you upfront: installing interior doors (or "установка межкомнатных дверей" as it's known in Russian-speaking communities) comes with more hidden costs than a budget airline ticket. That clean, simple quote you received? It's probably missing half the story.

Why That Initial Quote Means Almost Nothing

Most homeowners see a basic installation quote and assume it covers everything. Big mistake. That number typically includes only the bare minimum: hanging the door slab on existing, perfectly square frames with pre-drilled holes. But when was the last time you saw a "perfect" doorway in a real house?

According to a 2023 survey by HomeAdvisor, 68% of homeowners reported paying 40-60% more than their initial door installation estimate. The culprits? Let's dig into where your money actually goes.

The Hidden Costs Nobody Warns You About

Frame Preparation and Repairs

Walk up to any doorway in a house built before 2000. Chances are, it's not square. Maybe it's off by half an inch. Maybe the previous owner's DIY attempt left it looking like a trapezoid. Your installer will discover this approximately five seconds after starting work.

Fixing out-of-square frames runs $75-150 per opening. Replacing damaged or rotted frames? That's $200-400 each. One contractor I spoke with in Brooklyn mentioned that he encounters frame issues in roughly 7 out of 10 jobs. "People think their doorways are fine until we start measuring," he said. "Then reality hits."

The Trim Work Nobody Budgets For

Door casings—that decorative trim around the frame—rarely survive removal intact. Even if you're keeping your existing doors, chances are you'll need new trim. Basic pine casing runs about $3-5 per linear foot. Want something fancier? MDF with profiles can hit $8-12 per foot.

Here's the math: a standard door needs roughly 18 feet of casing. With materials and installation, you're looking at $150-300 per door just for trim. Multiply that by every door in your home.

Hardware That Actually Works

That door package at the big box store? The included hardware is garbage. The hinges will sag within six months. The latch will stick. The handle will wobble.

Decent hinges cost $15-30 per door. A lockset that won't fall apart? $40-120, depending on style. Privacy locks for bathrooms add another $30-60. These "small" upgrades add $100-200 per door, but they're the difference between doors that work and doors that make you curse every time you use them.

Painting and Finishing

Unless you're installing pre-finished doors (which cost 30-50% more upfront), someone needs to paint or stain everything. Professional finishing runs $75-150 per door, including both sides, edges, and frame. DIY is cheaper but takes forever—figure 2-3 hours per door if you're doing it right, with proper sanding and multiple coats.

Disposal and Cleanup

Old doors don't vanish into thin air. Hauling away debris costs $50-100 per truckload. Some installers include this; many don't. Ask explicitly, or you might find yourself making dump runs in your sedan.

The Real Numbers: A Complete Picture

Let's say you're replacing five interior doors. Here's what you're actually looking at:

Total: $3,900

That initial "$1,000 for five doors" quote? It just became four grand. And we're talking basic hollow-core doors here, not solid wood or anything fancy.

What Contractors Won't Tell You Upfront

I talked to a veteran installer who's been in the business for 18 years. He explained the pricing game bluntly: "If I quoted the real cost upfront, nobody would hire me. They'd go with the guy who lowballs it. Then halfway through, when problems show up, they're stuck. That's when the real negotiation happens."

Shady? Maybe. But it's industry standard. The solution isn't finding a more honest contractor—it's understanding the full scope before you start.

Key Takeaways

  • Budget 2-3x the initial quote for interior door projects—seriously
  • Frame issues appear in 70% of jobs and add $75-400 per opening
  • Trim, hardware, and finishing easily double your material costs
  • Get itemized quotes that explicitly include frame prep, trim, hardware, and disposal
  • Pre-finished doors cost more upfront but eliminate painting surprises
  • Always keep 20% extra budget for genuine surprises (there will be some)

Protecting Yourself From Estimate Creep

The best defense? Extreme specificity. When getting quotes, demand line items for everything: frame inspection and repair, trim removal and replacement, hardware specifications, finishing, cleanup. Ask what's explicitly not included.

Get at least three quotes, but don't automatically pick the lowest. The middle bid often reflects reality better than the lowball artist who'll hit you with changes orders later.

And here's a pro move: ask contractors about their last three door jobs. What percentage ran over estimate? What caused the overruns? Their answers will tell you everything about what to expect.

Viktor, my neighbor? He learned this lesson the expensive way. But you don't have to. Now you know what that clean, simple quote is really hiding.