How Much to Enclose My Living Room with French Doors?

French Doors

Most people can count on one hand how many times a year they actually use their living room.  Maybe it’s time to convert that space into something that can be used on a daily basis.  By enclosing a living room with french doors you create an elegant space that can be used for many different functions.  How about an office that can also serve as a guest room during the holidays?  Or maybe a library where you can relax and read away from the noisy kids?  Maybe you have a collection of “insert your hobby here” that you would like to display?  Whatever your reason, enclosing a living room with french doors can add value and usability.  So how much will it cost me?

Easiest Scenario:

If your room is already enclosed on four sides with an opening on one side bigger than the doors…you just need to adjust the size of the wall opening down to accomodate the size of the doors.  This will involve a rough carpenter, drywaller, trim carpenter, painter and maybe an electrician to add outlets or move switches (if they are in the way).  This costs about $1025.  (Doors – $400, rough carpentry $100, Trim carpentry $80, Trim material $40, Door knobs and bumps $30, Drywall $250, Painter $125, Electrician ?).  This assumes your are using standard paint grade materials and the opening is being made smaller.

Slightly More Difficult Scenario:

If your room is totally open to the rest of the space and you want to enclose it with walls and a set of french doors…you will need to add walls, electrical outlets and switches and a heat run and return.  The cost varies depending on the length of the walls added and the difficulty in getting the wiring and HVAC in, but if you have an unfinished basement, and the room is on the first floor, this is quite easy.  In this scenario, our rough cost estimate would be about $1500.

Most Difficult Scenario:

If your existing opening is smaller than the new french doors…let’s say you have an existing doorway that is 36″ wide and you want to add 6 foot wide french doors.  You will first need to determine if the wall is a load bearing wall.  If it is, you will need to add a new header above the newly enlarged door opening (and provide temporary support during demolition).  This will require additional framing, drywall and most likely electrical work.  Make sure you check with your architect to determine whether your wall is load bearing and to figure the size of the new header.  You will also need to check to see if there are any other mechanicals in the way (i.e. heat ducts or plumbing pipes).  If you have no mechanicals in the way of the new french door opening, and the wall is not load bearing, your costs will be about the same as the first “Easiest” scenario…$1025.  If you have any of the other “complications” your costs will go up.

The pricing above is a rough estimate that can vary based on your location, size of the walls, and the types of materials you use.   By doing some of the labor yourself, you can save up to fifty percent of the total costs. If you do decide to hire a contractor, find a qualified handyman that can do most phases of the work.  This will typically save you money on trip charges and will make your project move along more quickly.

Hopefully this gives you enough information to decide whether now is the time to enclose your living room with french doors.  Feel free to ask questions for any items that may be specific to your home.  Do you need to add living space to your home to accomodate your growing family?  Check out this post called What Does it Cost to Add Living Space?  Do you have a project you are interested in tackling?

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