How do I choose a professional for exterior doors?
Choose a properly qualified and insured professional whose written scope identifies diagnosis, permits, parts, labour, exclusions, warranty, cleanup, and total price.
What this means
Exterior doors covers sticking, closing, drafts, thresholds, and water. Relevant observations include Door sticks or rubs, Door will not latch, Cold air enters around the door, Water enters below the door, Door suddenly became hard to close. The correct response depends on age, design, climate, usage, installation, recent work, and the exact manufacturer instructions; these observations narrow next steps but do not prove a failed part.
Safe checks
- Verify the licence or certification required locally for work on exterior doors.
- Compare at least two written scopes when the situation is not an emergency.
- Confirm insurance, permits, parts, labour, warranty, exclusions, cleanup, payment schedule, and change-order rules.
Stop and get help if
- Leave or isolate the area for fire, gas, carbon monoxide, electrical exposure, collapse, sewage, or rapidly spreading water.
- Get qualified assessment when a hidden, growing, recurring, or structural condition is suspected.
Which professional to call
Use a qualified building-envelope specialist when the condition exceeds safe user access or the visible checks do not explain it.
Find the relevant tradeSource and method
This answer combines HomeSOS's structured triage with safety boundaries supported by a public source. It does not replace inspection.
Health Canada: Home safetyReviewed August 12, 2026