Doors and halls
Doors and halls a chair or walker can use
Widening a door takes more than a saw. We check what is in the wall, move what has to move and leave an opening you can use.
A wheelchair needs a clear opening of at least 32 inches, which usually means a 36-inch door. Older ranch houses often have bedroom and bath doors 28 to 30 inches wide, so we start with the doors you use every day.
Not in the usual scope: moving a load-bearing wall, or anything that needs an engineer's drawing. Those are separate lines.
What's included
Doors widened to a 32-inch clear opening
Offset hinges that gain up to two inches where a wall can't move
Lever handles in place of knobs
Thresholds removed or lowered to a half inch
Flooring changed at doorways so wheels roll
Switches and lights moved within reach
What changes the cost
What moves the price of a door
The opening is cheap; what's inside the wall is not. We look first.
What's in the wall
Wires, pipes and ducts may have to move.
Load-bearing walls
A wider opening there needs a beam and a drawing.
Trim, drywall and paint
The new opening is finished to match the room.
Flooring that has to match
A new threshold may mean new floor at the door.
How it goes
How a doorway job goes
- 01
Step 1: Site walk
We measure each door and hall and mark the ones that matter most.
- 02
Step 2: Look in the wall
A small test opening tells us what's behind it before we promise anything.
- 03
Step 3: Estimate
Door by door, so you can do some now and others later.
- 04
Step 4: Work
Dust walls, masked floors, and the house swept at the end of each day.
Permits and rules
When a door needs a permit
Whether a permit is needed depends on the wall and the work. We check with the City of San Antonio for your address and tell you before you sign.
A load-bearing wall needs a drawing and an inspection. A plain partition usually doesn't. Either way, the cost is on its own line.
Questions
Common questions
How wide does a door have to be?
For a wheelchair, a clear opening of 32 inches. A 36-inch door usually gives you that. Walkers need less.
What if the wall can't be widened?
Offset hinges swing the door fully out of the opening and can gain up to two inches. Sometimes a pocket or sliding door is the answer.
Can you remove the thresholds?
Yes. We take them out or lower them to a half inch and blend the floor on each side.
Measure one door and text us the number
Width of the opening, side to side, with the door open. A photo helps. We'll tell you where we'd start.