Replacement Guides
Back Door Replacement Guide: How to Choose the Right Back Door
Your back door gets used every day and takes weather without a porch to shelter it. Here is how to choose the type, glass, lock and swing, and what a custom fiberglass back door costs.
By EHI Custom Doors
Key Takeaways
- Match the door to its job: a single door for a kitchen exit or side entrance, a double or French-style door for a deck or patio.
- Back doors often carry the most glass, so choose it for light and for privacy from neighbours, not just for the view.
- A house back door can swing in or out under the Ontario Building Code. Each direction has trade-offs for sealing, security, snow and clearance.
- Rear doors need the same frame, lock and glass thinking as a front door, and lock type (single-point, multipoint or mortise) changes the price.
- At EHI Custom Doors a custom fiberglass single back door starts at $2,500 installed and a double door at $5,100.
A back door replacement deserves the same care as a front door. It is the door you use every day for the kitchen, the deck, the yard and the barbecue, and it often has the most glass and the least shelter from weather. This guide helps you choose the type, glass, lock and swing, and shows what a custom fiberglass back door costs.
We are EHI Custom Doors. We manufacture, supply and install custom fiberglass back doors and front doors from our workshop in Whitchurch-Stouffville, and we serve homes across Toronto and the GTA.
Start With the Job the Door Does
| Where the door is | Best fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen exit or side entrance | Single back door | A compact opening for daily traffic and secondary access |
| Deck or patio off the kitchen or dining room | Double or French-style back door | A wide opening for light, the view, and carrying furniture or a barbecue through |
| Door facing a close neighbour's window or a lane | Single or double with frosted, textured or no glass | Privacy matters more than the view |
| Main daily route to a busy yard | Double back door | Two leaves give you a wide opening without a slider |
Single, Double or French-Style Back Doors
Single back doors are the workhorse. They fit most kitchen and side exits and start at $2,500 installed with us. Double back doors are two hinged leaves that open to a wide clear width, and they start at $5,100 installed. They suit deck entrances, wide openings and main daily-use exits. For a front entrance, see our guide to single vs double entry doors.
French-style doors are a double door with a large glass panel in each leaf. Our catalogue includes patio door models with 10-light and 15-light divided grille patterns and full-length glass versions, and some models show blinds sealed between the glass panes for privacy you can adjust. We build hinged doors, not sliding patio doors. Guides commonly note that sliders save swing space but need their tracks cleaned, while hinged doors open the full width and seal with compression gaskets. Our guide to exterior French doors covers how a pair works, its sizes and how it compares with a slider.
Glass: Light, View and Privacy From the Yard
A back door faces the yard, but the yard is not always private. Neighbours' upper windows, a shared fence line and a raised deck all change what people can see. Clear glass gives the most light and the best view. Frosted or textured glass keeps the light and blurs the view, and decorative glass adds style.
Our guide to exterior door glass options compares each type and shows which layouts protect privacy. As a rule, look at your back door from the neighbour's window and from the sidewalk before you choose.
Swing Direction: In or Out?
Under the Ontario Building Code, a door serving a single dwelling is exempt from the rule that exit doors swing in the direction of exit travel, so a house back door can swing in or out. The code is updated from time to time, so confirm the current edition with your building department. Each direction has trade-offs.
| Inswing | Outswing | |
|---|---|---|
| Clearance | Needs floor space inside, none outside | Needs clear space outside, which a deck or steps can limit |
| Sealing | Seals with a sweep against the threshold. Wind-driven rain heads toward the inside unless a roof covers the landing. | The threshold can have a positive stop like the jamb, which suits a tight seal |
| Hinges and security | Hinges sit inside. A kick drives force at the latch and strike. | Hinges sit outside, so security hinges with non-removable pins matter |
| Snow and ice | Opens even when snow builds outside | Drifts and ice can block it |
Your steps, deck and existing framing often decide it. Tell us which way your current door swings and why, and include it with the photos you send for your quote. Our guide to front door sizes shows how to measure the opening.
Security for a Back Door
Back doors sit out of view of the street, so the lock and the frame matter as much as they do on a front door. Our back doors are available with a standard lock, a mortise lock or a multipoint lock system. A multipoint system secures the door at several points along the frame and spreads force across the edge of the door, and lock type is one of the things that moves the price.
Glass near the handle is the weak point on a French-style door, so ask about glass placement and laminated glass, and see our guide to front door security for the full checklist. Our guide on custom doors vs stock doors explains why a lock is only as strong as the frame it bolts into.
Weather and Wear on a Back Door
Back doors often open onto a deck or a patio with little roof cover. Snow, ice, road salt tracked in from the yard and long sun exposure all wear on the door and the threshold. Fiberglass does not rot, rust or swell, which is why it suits an exposed exit. See our guide to the advantages of fiberglass doors for the full case.
If your current back door sticks, leaks or lets a draft through, our guide on when to replace an exterior door has a repair vs replace test and a 10-minute check.
Finish and Style
Our back doors come in wood-tone finishes in oak and mahogany grain and in solid colours such as black and espresso, with clear, privacy or decorative glass. A wood-tone door warms a brick or stone wall. A solid black door gives a modern look. Browse the door catalogue and photos of doors we have installed to see both.
What a Back Door Replacement Costs
At EHI Custom Doors a custom fiberglass single back door starts at $2,500 installed and a double back door starts at $5,100 installed. These are starting prices. Your final price varies with size and configuration, glass style and privacy level, colour and finish, lock type (standard, mortise or multipoint), and any custom sizing outside standard openings. Our guide to custom exterior doors cost in Toronto breaks down each factor.
Common Back Door Mistakes
- Choosing all-clear glass on a door that faces a neighbour
- Ignoring swing clearance for deck furniture, steps or a barbecue
- Skipping the threshold and sill, which is where back doors leak
- Using a light-duty door on the exit the whole household uses every day
- Forgetting to decide the lock type before the quote
- Leaving the frame out of the plan when it is warped or soft
Permits and Timing in Toronto
In Toronto, replacing a door in the same opening of a detached, semi-detached or row house with one dwelling unit needs no building permit, as long as the opening's size and location and the structure stay the same. Widening an opening or cutting a new one is a different project, covered in our guide to converting a window to a door. See also the notes in our guide on custom doors vs stock doors.
A custom door takes 4 to 6 weeks from a confirmed order, plus 1 to 2 weeks for custom glass. If you want it before winter, our fall door replacement guide shows when to order.
Get a Back Door Quote
Send photos of your back door, inside and outside, and the deck or steps around it. Call EHI Custom Doors at 647-952-2311 or request a quote. We are open Monday to Sunday, 9 AM to 5 PM, and there is no pressure to book on the spot. Read what customers say on our reviews page.
A back door replacement goes well when the door matches its job, the glass suits the yard and the lock suits the household. Decide those three things first and the rest follows.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a new back door cost in Toronto?
At EHI Custom Doors a custom fiberglass single back door starts at $2,500 installed and a double back door starts at $5,100 installed. The final price varies with size, glass, finish, lock type and custom sizing.
What is the best type of back door?
A single door suits a kitchen exit or side entrance. A double or French-style door suits a deck or patio. Choose the type by the job the door does, then choose glass and lock to suit.
Should a back door swing in or out?
For a single dwelling, the Ontario Building Code allows either, so confirm the current edition with your building department. Inswing doors need floor space inside and keep hinges inside. Outswing doors need clearance outside, can seal tightly, and need security hinges.
Are French doors a good back door?
Yes, for a deck or patio. They give a wide opening and plenty of light. Choose glass and a lock system with security in mind, because glass near the handle is the weak point.
How do I get privacy with a glass back door?
Use frosted or textured glass, a layout with glass above eye level, or blinds sealed between the glass. Check the view from your neighbour's windows before you choose.
How long does a back door replacement take?
The standard lead time at EHI Custom Doors is 4 to 6 weeks from a confirmed order, plus 1 to 2 weeks for custom glass. Installation is booked once the door is ready.
Do I need a permit to replace a back door in Toronto?
Not when you replace a door in the same opening of a detached, semi-detached or row house with one dwelling unit, and the opening's size, location and structure stay the same. A changed opening or a heritage property is different, so check with the City first.
Are fiberglass back doors secure?
Yes, when the frame and lock are right. A solid frame, a multipoint or mortise lock and careful glass placement matter more than the slab material. Steel is stronger against extreme force, but the frame and the lock are the usual weak points.
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