When homeowners look for a quieter, sturdier, and more secure interior door, the conversation quickly turns to solid core panels. Yet the price tag for upgrading from hollow to solid core can feel like a mystery. At CountBricks, we remove the guesswork. Our AI-powered estimating engine listens to your crew’s voice notes, pulls live material pricing, and produces a turnkey cost breakdown within seconds. Below, our experts explain every factor that shapes solid core door installation cost so you can budget with confidence and close jobs faster.
Solid core doors use high-density wood fiber or composite filling surrounded by a natural wood veneer. The extra mass offers better sound dampening, impact resistance, and a premium feel compared with hollow core alternatives. Because weight influences labor, hardware, and transport, understanding the material itself is the first step toward an accurate estimate.
• Door slab price
• Frame and jamb upgrades
• Specialty hinges and heavy-duty hardware
• Finish carpentry labor
• Paint or stain finishing
• Removal and disposal of existing doors
• Site conditions and access challenges
CountBricks data for single-family homes shows that a standard 32" x 80" solid core interior door in Los Angeles typically falls between $420 and $670 installed. That figure combines live lumberyard pricing pulled by our system with real labor hours recorded across hundreds of recent CountBricks projects.
1. Material only: $140 – $260 per door
2. Labor: $220 – $340 per door
3. Finishing and paint: $60 – $70 per door
• Weight: A solid core slab can weigh twice as much, requiring two installers for safe handling.
• Hardware: Standard residential hinges are rated for 35-lb doors. Many solid cores exceed that threshold, leading to upgraded hinge kits and longer install times.
• Finishing: Because the core is denser, it absorbs primer differently, often demanding an extra coat for a flawless finish.
• Transport: Heavy loads may trigger additional delivery fees or require a lift-gate truck.
Traditional spreadsheets struggle to keep up with weekly lumber and hardware price fluctuations. CountBricks.com/services integrates live supplier feeds so your estimate reacts instantly. Speak your measurements, select your finish package, and our platform delivers a line-item budget that reflects today’s true market pricing—not last quarter’s.
• Door trimming: Older homes rarely have square openings. Plan for 15–30 extra minutes per door to plane edges.
• Repainting nearby casing: A fresh slab can expose faded trim. Flag minor touch-ups so homeowners are not surprised.
• Disposal costs: Waste haulers in some municipalities charge per door or by weight. CountBricks auto-adds regional disposal fees based on your project ZIP.
• Punch-list visits: Heavier doors mean more potential for settlement rubs. Build one follow-up trip into your schedule.
• Order pre-hung units to save on framing labor when wall openings are inconsistent
• Use three-hinge templates to rout hinge pockets quickly and uniformly
• Opt for factory-primed doors to cut on-site finishing time
• Group all door installations on one site visit to minimize travel overhead
• Leverage CountBricks bulk-purchase data to negotiate better supplier pricing
1. Speak your scope into the CountBricks mobile app.
2. Our AI engine parses materials, tasks, and quantities.
3. Live pricing feeds populate each line item in seconds.
4. You review, tweak mark-ups, and generate a branded PDF proposal.
5. On approval, transform the estimate into an invoice with one tap.
A recent CountBricks client replaced 14 hollow core doors with solid core panels during a full-home renovation. Using our platform, the contractor captured the entire scope via a three-minute voice note. The system returned a $9,480 estimate that itemized doors, hardware upgrades, primer, labor hours, and disposal. The homeowner accepted on the spot, citing the estimate’s clarity. The final cost landed within 2% of the original quote—proof that real-time data prevents overruns.
Solid core door installation cost doesn’t have to feel unpredictable. With CountBricks, you have instant access to current material prices, regional labor averages, and smart markup tools that protect your profit. Create your free account at CountBricks.com/consultation and turn your next door replacement project into a data-driven success story.
Our platform captures cost data from thousands of West Coast residential projects each quarter. By comparing local supplier invoices and verified labor logs, CountBricks pinpoints the true cost drivers behind every solid core door install.
• Flush slab: $420 – $510 installed
• Two-panel shaker: $470 – $580 installed
• Five-panel Craftsman: $510 – $670 installed
Los Angeles County averages 1.8 labor hours per door at $120 per hour for a two-person crew. Compare that with Riverside County’s 1.6 hours at $100 per hour. CountBricks automatically adjusts your estimate when you input the project ZIP, ensuring wage compliance and accurate scheduling.
While the upfront solid core door installation cost is higher, property appraisers in the CountBricks network report a 3–5× return in perceived value, especially in open-concept homes where sound control is paramount. The denser core also reduces door replacement frequency, lowering long-term maintenance expenses.
1. Visit CountBricks.com/portfolio to view completed door replacement projects.
2. Schedule a demo at CountBricks.com/consultation and see live cost data in action.
3. Bring your floor plan to our AI takeoff tool to generate quantities automatically.
Whether you manage a single renovation or fifty flips a year, CountBricks equips you with the speed, accuracy, and professionalism that today’s homeowners demand. Stop guessing and start building smarter—one solid core door at a time.
