How Much Does It Cost to Cut a Concrete Wall for a Door? [2024 Data]
Normal range: $1,300 - $4,400
Installing a door in concrete block wall costs $3,000 on average based on size and location. Most homeowners spend between $1,300 and $4,400.
It costs $3,000 on average, or between $1,300 and $4,400, to install a door in a concrete block wall. The job entails cutting an opening in the wall, adding a frame, and installing a new door. The final price varies based on the size, location, and any structural changes in load-bearing walls.
- Average
- $3,000
- Low end
- $1,000
- high end
- $5,500
Whether you have a growing family or want to add short-term rental opportunities to your home’s lower level, remodeling your basement is a great opportunity to expand your living space. But if a concrete wall is standing between you and your ideal design—which includes a new entry point—you may be wondering if it's possible to add in a door. While the answer is generally yes, your home’s concrete walls are often load-bearing or foundation walls and can be difficult to modify or remove.
This is why inserting a door can be tricky when the wall is load-bearing. In this case, you should contact a local structural engineer to analyze and design the support to replace the part of the wall you will be removing.
Cutting Concrete for a Door Cost Factors
The final cost of installing a door in a concrete wall depends on a few things, such as the doorway's size and location, and any structural changes you need to make to your home. Here is a breakdown of the things you need to factor in.
Doorway Size
The size of the doorway you want to cut into your foundation wall will play an important role in your total cost. Generally speaking, the larger the door is, the more it will cost to prepare the site and get the work done. Larger types of doors mean more work required to make sure your home can handle the change structurally, a higher expense for the labor, and a more expensive door.
For a standard exterior door, you’re likely looking at around $2,000 to have a structural engineer inspect your home and draw up plans, as well as a general contractor to complete the work. Cutting an opening for a double door or French door is going to push your total up toward the $3,000 to $4,400 range.
On average, you can expect to pay approximately $2,000 for every 36 inches across you need to cut. You can use this estimate to get an idea of what your door cutout will cost.
Structural Engineer
Before breaking into a concrete foundation wall, you’ll likely need to consult with a structural engineer to ensure the wall’s structural integrity can manage the project’s impact. Besides, most municipalities require a permit for this type of work because concrete walls tend to be load-bearing.
Hiring a structural engineer costs $100 to $250 per hour at an average of $500 for the project. A structural engineer makes sure the home's structural integrity stays intact and provides a report with plans for the contractor to follow.
Cut an Opening
Cutting through a concrete block wall typically runs between $300 to $2,200. It can be even higher for double doors, exterior doors, or cutting through load-bearing walls.
Frame a New Doorway
Framing a new doorway opening averages $300 to $600. When installing a load-bearing header, expect to pay on the higher end of that range. Framing a double door or French door will also push your costs higher, as both the materials and labor will be more expensive.
Door Installation
The average labor rate to install the door in your concrete wall is about $70 per hour, ranging from $40 to $90 per hour. It can take a professional four to six hours to frame and install a door, while it might only take them one to three hours to install a prehung door.
Installing a new door typically ends up costing around $500 to $1,600 depending on the location, the size, and the material of the door. It can cost up to $5,000 if you’re installing an entryway door made of heavy material.
Remember that you need to budget for this work on top of preparing your wall and cutting through the concrete. That brings your total cost to cut the concrete wall and install the door to around $3,000, on average.
Prehung Interior Doors
Prehung doors are ideal when you’re cutting a new doorway into a wall because they come with a solid frame to fit into the opening. These can range from $400 to $1,000 or more, depending on the chosen material.
Electrical or Plumbing
If you have electrical lines or, more likely, plumbing lines running through the section of concrete where you want your door to be installed, you’ll also need to hire an electrician or plumber to reroute the utility lines.
Electricians cost between $50 and $100 per hour, and plumbers charge between $45 and $200 per hour. Depending on the complexity of the job, you should expect to pay somewhere between $300 and $1,400 for the work.
If you only have one possible location for your door that requires you to reroute a sewer main or water main, you could pay as much as $3,500 for this portion of the job.
Location
The cost of any home improvement project is going to depend, in part, on where you live. Some states have stricter regulations in terms of permitting and inspections, so you could pay more in New York than you might in Pennsylvania, for example.
Additionally, the cost of home services varies based on the cost of living in the area, so major cities and coastal locations are going to have a higher cost to cut a concrete wall for a door than lower-cost areas. The table below includes some average prices for this project based on where you live.
| City | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| Chicago | $3,015 |
| Dallas | $3,357 |
| Houston | $3,219 |
| Los Angeles | $3,054 |
| New York | $3,000 |
| Philadelphia | $3,009 |
| Phoenix | $3,132 |
| San Antonio | $3,150 |
| San Diego | $2,745 |
| San Jose | $3,222 |
Common Add-Ons
Since cutting into a concrete wall for a door is an expensive and time-consuming endeavor, many homeowners couple the job with other projects to save some money on labor costs.
For example, it might be worth considering adding basement windows if your basement could use some natural light. Since your contractor is already on-site cutting concrete, it might be a good time to add more windows like egress windows. Since your basement will also become more usable with an exterior door, you might consider removing an interior wall or rearranging the floor plan to suit your intended use a bit better.
All of these add-ons will drive up your project costs, but they can add utility to your space and value to your home, so they might be worth it.
| Add-On | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| Adding heating/cooling to basement | $2,000–$8,000 |
| Installing an exterior patio | $800–$14,000 |
| Installing basement windows | $700–$4,000 per window |
| Removing interior walls | $300–$5,000 |
| Installing a second kitchen | $9,000–$20,000 |
Cost of Installing a Door in a Concrete Wall Yourself
While cutting into concrete might seem like a straightforward job, it can be challenging, especially when it comes to making a large opening in your foundation. Not only will you need help from a structural engineer in many cases, but the labor itself to do the work is time-intensive and potentially dangerous.
We strongly recommend hiring both an engineer and a contractor to do the work for you, even if you’re comfortable DIYing. Any mistakes when dealing with your home’s foundation can lead to expensive structural damage that could leave you with a higher cost for repairs than any amount you’d save.
Saving Money on the Cost to Cut a Concrete Wall for a Door
Cutting a door opening in your foundation wall can quickly get expensive, but there are a few things you can do to help keep the project costs down.
Install the door yourself. If you’re comfortable framing out and installing a pre-hung door, you can save up to $1,000 by doing this portion of the work yourself after the structural work is done.
Get multiple quotes. Contractors in your area will all charge different prices for the work. Shop around and make sure you’re getting a qualified professional who fits your budget.
Consider tackling add-on projects DIY style. If you’re installing a door in your foundation wall to rent out the space, consider doing the interior work yourself, like installing flooring, hanging drywall, painting, and more.
Choose your door location carefully. Cutting into your foundation wall can double or triple in price if you run into utility lines. If possible, choose to install your basement door in a section where you know major plumbing and electrical lines aren’t located.
Stick to a standard, single door. Larger wall openings and doors will always be more expensive, so you can save $1,000 or more just by going with a standard single door over a double door or French doors.
Frequently Asked Questions
First, most contractors will have a structural engineer create a report and plan for your project to ensure it’s safe to cut into the load-bearing wall. The contractor will then excavate around the wall, if necessary, measure the opening—allowing for additional space to fit and level the door, and then cut the doorway out. They will likely install a steel lintel as a header over the door for support. Once the doorway is cut out, they’ll demolish the concrete using sledge hammers and masonry chisels, clean up the surrounding concrete, and seal around the door with masonry mortar.
In most cases, yes. Permits are required when cutting a doorway in an exterior wall, cutting into a load-bearing wall, or converting a window to a door—and that includes cutting into a load-bearing foundation wall to install a door. If you have specific questions about your project, or need to obtain a permit, contact your municipal building department or ask your contractor for advice.
Yes, you can put a doorway in a structural wall; in fact, most exterior doors are set into structural walls. The project is a little more challenging than installing a door in a non-load-bearing wall because you need a structural engineer to assess the wall and make sure it’s safe to install a door. Your engineer’s report will typically include instructions for your contractor on how and where to install additional supports, like steel headers above the door, to distribute the weight above to the wall on either side of the door.