Slava fixes sticky sliding patio doors (worn rollers, a chewed-up track, a latch that won't grab) and hangs new French or sliding doors for homes in Cedar Mill, Bethany, Beaverton and neighboring west-side streets. A slider tune-up here usually lands at $200-600 labour only, and a new door with the unit included runs $635-6,120 per Portland-area market figures for November 2026 . Send a picture of yours by text to to get on the schedule.
Front door instead? That's our entry door replacement page.
Can you fix a sliding glass door, or does it need replacing?
Usually it can be fixed. A slider that feels like it weighs a ton most often has flat or seized rollers riding on a dirty or dented track, which is a door repair visit rather than new hardware from the ground up. Every fall the bottom channel collects grit, soggy leaves and needles off the Douglas firs, and the wheels grind on it all winter .
| What you notice | Likely cause | Typical fix | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drags, needs two hands | Worn rollers, packed channel | Clean it out, fit new rollers, adjust height | Fix it |
| Hops off the rail | Bent rail or a wheel set too low | Cap or straighten the rail, reset wheels | Fix it |
| Lock won't catch | Panel sagged, keeper moved | Raise the panel, move the keeper | Fix it |
| Fog between the panes | Failed glass seal | New glass unit or panel | Depends on parts |
| Puddles inside, soft sill | Rot, failed flashing | New unit plus sill work | Replace |
What does sliding glass door repair usually cost?
For rollers, rail and latch work, Portland-area pricing typically sits between $200 and $600, with $350 as the middle, labour only, for roughly two and a half hours on site (market data, November 2026) . Four things push it up. The original wheel may be discontinued, so a universal one has to be fitted. A dented rail can need a stainless cap. Heavy panels come out with two people. And a fixed panel that's frozen in place takes longer to free.
Is it possible to swap only one panel of a slider?
Sometimes, if the frame is still true and solid and someone still makes that panel or that size of glass. If the frame is bent, rotted or leaking, the whole unit goes .
How much is a new patio slider or a set of French doors?
| Job | Range | Middle | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| New sliding patio door, frame and flashing included | $635 to $5,270 | about $2,500 | per opening, with materials |
| French doors, interior or exterior | $950 to $6,120 | about $3,000 | per opening, with materials |
Both rows are Portland-area market data from November 2026 . Price moves with width (6-foot or 8-foot, two panels or three), vinyl, fiberglass or wood, swing direction, and trim and siding patching. The big surprise is rot hiding beneath the old threshold. If we find it, you get a written change order with the cost before work continues. You'll always get the number on paper before a unit is ordered, and Oregon law adds a written contract with three notices once a home project passes $2,000: see Oregon contractor contract requirements.
How do you keep a new exterior door from leaking?
Plenty of install videos say to lay a bead of caulk across the subfloor and drop the door in. In a wet climate, water that slips past that bead soaks into the framing below. The order we follow:
- Pull the old unit and probe the subfloor and rim joist for soft wood.
- Put in a pan under the threshold, sloped or preformed, so stray water drains outward.
- Lap flashing tape like shingles into the house wrap: sides first, head last.
- Set the door, then shim it plumb, level and square so it closes on its own.
- Seal the gap around the jambs with a foam that won't bow the frame, then trim and seal outside.
If the subfloor is spongy, it gets fixed first; that's rotted door frame repair.
French doors vs a slider: which fits my room?
| Slider | French pair | |
|---|---|---|
| Floor space | Nothing swings | Needs swing room, inside or out |
| Opening | Half the width | Both leaves open fully |
| Locking | Latch plus a bar laid in the channel | Often a multipoint lock |
| Drafts | Brush seals along the panels | Compression seals on the leaves |
| Deck furniture | Can sit close to the glass | Out-swing needs a clear arc |
Interior French doors for a den or home office are simpler: no flashing, no pan, just a square opening and good hinges.
Does swapping a patio door need a permit?
Putting a new door in the existing hole doesn't need a permit under Oregon's state list. The neighborhoods inside Portland city limits (Bridlemile, Hayhurst, Forest Heights, Sylvan Highlands, Maplewood, Vermont Hills) follow Portland's list, which says the same while the opening stays the size it is. Cutting a fresh opening or widening one does need a permit, so changing a window to French doors means drawings and a new header. Portland may also ask for a zoning review in a historic or design overlay. Ask your local building office; we'll flag it up front if your project needs one .
Does an older house change what you can do?
Many sliders here sit in post-war Cedar Mill, Beaverton and Cedar Hills ranches. Pulling an old slider through painted casing and siding can cross it fast. Lead paint work is on our what we don't do list, so on older houses we keep to small repairs like wheels, rails and latches, or refer you to a firm .
How many hours does the work take?
The market sheet puts a slider repair at around two and a half hours and a new slider or French door at about 10 labour hours .