Doors, Frames and Hardware Estimating: How to Takeoff a Complete Opening Schedule
A door schedule looks simple on paper. One column for the door, one for the frame, one for hardware. But a missed hardware group or a wrong frame gauge can throw off a bid by thousands of dollars on a mid size commercial job.
This guide breaks down how to take off doors, frames and hardware the right way, with real productivity rates and waste factors you can use on your next bid.
Why Door and Hardware Takeoffs Go Wrong
Most estimating errors on openings come from three places.
- Counting doors but skipping the frame and hardware that go with each one
- Missing fire rated openings that need rated frames, closers and hardware
- Using one labor rate for every door type instead of separating hollow metal from wood
A clean takeoff treats every opening as a system. The door, frame and hardware set move together as one unit, not three separate line items.
The Virtual Estimation builds every door schedule takeoff this way, so contractors get a number that matches the actual scope, not a rough guess.
Step 1: Read the Door Schedule Correctly
Every set of construction drawings includes a door schedule, usually on the architectural sheets. Start here before touching the floor plans.
The schedule lists:
| Column | What It Tells You |
|---|---|
| Door number | Matches the door tag on the floor plan |
| Door type | Single, double, sidelite, transom |
| Door material | Wood, hollow metal, aluminum, glass |
| Frame type | Hollow metal, wood, aluminum |
| Size | Width, height, thickness |
| Fire rating | 20 minute, 45 minute, 60 minute, 90 minute |
| Hardware set number | Points to a hardware group on a separate sheet |
Cross check the door schedule against the floor plans. Architects sometimes update plans without updating the schedule, and that gap causes missed doors in a bid.
Step 2: Count and Classify Every Door
Group doors by type before pricing them. A typical commercial project breaks down like this.
| Door Type | Common Use | Average Cost Range Per Door |
|---|---|---|
| Hollow metal, standard | Stairwells, mechanical rooms, back of house | 350 to 650 dollars |
| Hollow metal, fire rated | Stair towers, corridors, electrical rooms | 450 to 800 dollars |
| Solid core wood | Offices, classrooms, exam rooms | 300 to 550 dollars |
| Wood with vision lite | Offices needing visibility | 400 to 700 dollars |
| Aluminum storefront | Entries, vestibules | 800 to 1800 dollars |
Costs shift based on size, finish, rating and region, but these ranges give a starting point for a rough order of magnitude estimate before final pricing.
Step 3: Estimate Frames Separately From Doors
Frames get priced on their own line, not bundled into the door cost. Knock down frames and welded frames carry different material and labor costs.
| Frame Type | Material Cost Per Unit | Install Labor Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Knock down hollow metal | 90 to 160 dollars | 0.75 to 1 hour |
| Welded hollow metal | 150 to 280 dollars | 1 to 1.5 hours |
| Wood frame | 60 to 120 dollars | 0.5 to 0.75 hour |
| Aluminum frame | 200 to 450 dollars | 1.5 to 2.5 hours |
Welded frames cost more but install faster on tight tolerance openings since the corners arrive square. Knock down frames cost less but add field labor for assembly and bracing.
Step 4: Build the Hardware Schedule
Hardware is where most estimators leave money on the table. Each hardware set usually includes:
- Hinges, typically three per door, four on fire rated or heavy doors
- Lockset or latchset
- Closer, required on most fire rated and exterior doors
- Stop, wall mount or floor mount
- Threshold and weatherstrip on exterior openings
- Panic hardware on doors serving as a means of egress
- Kick plate or armor plate on high traffic doors
| Hardware Item | Average Cost Per Door |
|---|---|
| Hinges, set of three | 25 to 60 dollars |
| Cylindrical lockset | 80 to 180 dollars |
| Mortise lockset | 250 to 500 dollars |
| Door closer | 150 to 350 dollars |
| Panic hardware, single door | 400 to 900 dollars |
| Wall stop or floor stop | 10 to 25 dollars |
| Kick plate | 30 to 70 dollars |
Panic hardware and mortise locksets drive the biggest swings in hardware pricing. Always confirm grade one versus grade two hardware before locking in a number, since the cost difference between grades can run 40 percent or more on the same door.
Step 5: Apply the Right Labor Rates
Labor productivity changes based on door type and hardware complexity. Use these average install rates for budgeting.
| Task | Labor Hours Per Unit |
|---|---|
| Hollow metal door set, standard hardware | 1.5 to 2 hours |
| Hollow metal door set, panic hardware | 2.5 to 3 hours |
| Wood door set, standard hardware | 1.25 to 1.75 hours |
| Frame install, knock down | 0.75 to 1 hour |
| Frame install, welded | 1 to 1.5 hours |
| Closer adjustment and final hardware set | 0.5 to 0.75 hour |
A 50 door commercial project with a mix of standard and fire rated openings typically runs between 100 and 150 total labor hours for door, frame and hardware install combined.
Step 6: Account for Waste and Damage
Doors and frames rarely get a zero waste allowance, but smart estimators still build in a buffer.
- Add 2 to 3 percent on frame counts for damaged units during shipping or handling
- Add 1 to 2 percent on hardware for lost or mismatched parts during install
- Add a full spare lockset cylinder allowance on projects with 30 or more openings, since owners often request rekeying
Skipping this buffer looks fine on paper until a damaged frame shows up on site with no backup ordered.
Step 7: Don't Forget Fire Rated Openings
Fire rated doors carry their own rules. A 90 minute rated opening needs a rated frame, rated door, self closing device and often a smoke seal. Mixing a non rated component into a rated assembly fails inspection every time.
Check the fire rating column on the door schedule against the life safety plan. The life safety plan shows fire rated walls and corridors, and every door in a rated wall needs a matching rated assembly.
Sample Hardware Set Breakdown
Here is a simplified look at what a single hardware set includes for a fire rated office door.
| Component | Quantity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hinges | 4 | Heavier gauge for fire rating |
| Mortise lockset | 1 | Grade one, office function |
| Closer | 1 | Self closing, fire rated |
| Wall stop | 1 | |
| Smoke seal | 1 set | Required for rated assembly |
| Kick plate | 1 | Optional, owner preference |
Multiply this out across every fire rated opening on the schedule, and the hardware line item alone can represent 15 to 20 percent of the total door package cost.
When to Bring in a Professional Estimator
A door schedule with 20 openings is manageable in house. A door schedule with 150 openings across multiple buildings, mixed ratings and a tight bid deadline is a different story.
This is where outsourcing the takeoff to a dedicated estimating team pays off. The Virtual Estimation handles full door, frame and hardware takeoffs for contractors bidding commercial, education and healthcare projects, with turnaround in 24 to 48 hours and accuracy around 98 percent.
A detailed GC estimating package includes the door and hardware schedule as part of the full scope, so general contractors get one consistent number instead of piecing together quotes from multiple suppliers.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Pricing doors without pricing frames separately
- Forgetting transom panels and sidelites attached to door openings
- Missing weatherstrip and threshold on exterior doors
- Using interior hardware rates on exterior rated assemblies
- Skipping the hardware allowance for owner directed upgrades
Final Thoughts
Doors, frames and hardware feel like a small piece of a large project, but the line items add up fast once panic hardware, fire ratings and mortise locksets enter the schedule. Treat every opening as a complete system from takeoff through pricing, and the bid stays accurate from preconstruction through closeout.
If your next bid includes a complex opening schedule, send the drawings to info@thevirtualestimation.com and get a free quote on a full door, frame and hardware takeoff. You can also browse other trade guides on the blog or check service areas to see where The Virtual Estimation supports contractors across the US, Canada, Australia and the UK.
