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AfterStorm & Exterior Doors in Fort Myers, FL
Door Installation services in Fort Myers means selecting and setting a storm or exterior door that holds against sustained 150+ mph wind loads, sheds water when a tropical system stalls overhead, and still operates cleanly in August when the humidity does its worst to frames and hardware. Most Fort Myers homeowners need this work after a storm event, after noticing daylight around the frame, or when an older door starts binding so badly that getting out during an evacuation order becomes a real concern. TruePane Windows & Doors has been doing this work for over 42 years, and we carry it out the same way whether the job is a single front door on McGregor Boulevard or a full perimeter replacement in a Pelican Landing estate. A live person answers at (239) 323-5522 around the clock – no voicemail tree.
If you are already researching the broader scope of what this work involves, our Door Installation in Fort Myers page covers the full picture. This page focuses specifically on storm-rated and exterior door products, the code requirements that apply in Lee County, and what you should expect from us start to finish.
When You Need Storm & Exterior Doors
Fort Myers sits inside Florida’s High-Velocity Hurricane Zone designation for Lee County, which means any exterior door replaced on a permitted job must meet Florida Building Code wind-load requirements. That narrows the field of products considerably and makes the installation method as critical as the product itself. Here are the situations we see most often that push a door from “watch it a while” to “get it replaced now.”
- The door binds in summer and gaps in winter. Fort Myers sees 58 inches of rain annually, concentrated from June through September. A wood or poorly sealed fiberglass door that swells shut in July and leaves a draft gap in January has lost its weathertight integrity – and in a wind event, a gap at the frame is where the pressure differential begins.
- The door is not rated for Lee County wind loads. Pre-2002 doors – and many doors replaced by non-authorized contractors in the years immediately after Hurricane Charley in 2004 – often carry no Florida Product Approval number. An unrated door is not only a storm risk; it is a homeowner’s insurance exposure that some carriers have started flagging during policy renewals.
- You see daylight, water staining, or rot at the frame corners. In Cape Coral and south Fort Myers neighborhoods built on fill, slight slab movement over decades works frame corners out of square. Once water gets behind the brick mold, the rot moves fast in our climate. We have replaced door frames in Whiskey Creek that looked fine from the street but had sill plates soft enough to push a finger through.
- The door is a single-pane glass sidelite with no impact rating. Sidelites are frequently the weak point in an otherwise solid entry door assembly. A non-impact sidelite next to a steel or fiberglass slab creates a false sense of security – the glass breaks, the pressure equalizes, and the roof is at risk.
- You are adding a storm door over an existing exterior door. Older Ranch-style homes in Fort Myers Shores and Lehigh Acres often have the original 1970s hollow-core steel door still in place. A properly fitted storm door from a manufacturer like PGT can add an insulating air buffer and a secondary barrier – but only if the exterior door behind it is still structurally sound.
- Your door failed inspection or your permit was closed out without one. We handle the Lee County permit process from submittal to final inspection, and we have corrected more than a few jobs where a previous installer pulled a permit and then disappeared before the inspection was scheduled.
Our Storm & Exterior Door Process
We do not send a salesperson first and a measurer second. The person who walks your threshold is the same person who will be on the job, and they come prepared to do both. Here is what the process looks like from your first call to the day the truck leaves your driveway.
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Opening Assessment and Rough-Opening Measurement.
We measure the rough opening twice – not once – because a Fort Myers door frame that is out of plumb by a quarter inch at the top can cause a door to bind at the latch strike within one humid season. We check the sill for rot, confirm the threshold substrate is solid, and look at how the frame is tied into the surrounding masonry or framing. If there is rot or a structural issue, we tell you before you sign anything. -
Product Selection with Side-by-Side Quotes.
TruePane is an authorized installer for more than a dozen manufacturer lines, including PGT and CGI – two Florida-founded brands whose products are engineered specifically for our wind zone and tested to Miami-Dade protocols. We put quotes for each option on paper, side by side, with the Florida Product Approval number for every door we recommend. You see what you are buying and what each warranty covers before we order anything. -
Lee County Permit Submittal.
Exterior door replacement in Fort Myers on a permitted job requires a Lee County building permit and a product with a current Florida Product Approval on file with the state. We handle the submittal, provide the required documentation, and schedule around the inspection timeline so your project does not stall waiting on a permit cycle. -
Installation Day.
Our background-checked, uniformed technicians arrive at the time we said they would. The old door and frame come out carefully – we have seen asbestos-containing caulk in Fort Myers homes built before 1980, and we do not disturb what should not be disturbed without flagging it first. The new unit goes in level, plumb, and square, with proper flashing at the sill and head, foam-filled frame cavities where the product spec requires it, and exterior caulking matched to the substrate. Every fastener pattern follows the approved installation drawing for that Florida Product Approval number. -
Hardware, Weatherstripping, and Operational Check.
A door that is set true but fitted with worn weatherstripping still fails the water-infiltration test. We install or match the specified hardware, adjust the door sweep, confirm the multi-point locking mechanism (on impact-rated units) engages cleanly at all lock points, and operate the door through full swing range before we consider installation complete. -
Warranty Registration Before the Truck Leaves.
This is the step most contractors skip. Under The Keystone Standard, both manufacturer warranty layers – product and finish, where applicable – are registered in writing with the manufacturer before our truck leaves your driveway, and you receive documentation with durations stated. The 90-Day Done Right Promise covers our workmanship separately: if anything we installed does not perform the way it should in the first 90 days, we come back and make it right. No paperwork fight, no arguing about what the warranty covers.
Storm & Exterior Doors Pricing in Fort Myers
Storm and exterior door costs in Fort Myers range more widely than most homeowners expect, because the product category spans everything from a basic fiberglass slab rated for 130 mph to a fully impact-rated, laminated-glass French door assembly rated for 170 mph with multipoint hardware. The table below reflects realistic installed ranges we see in the current Lee County market – not Internet list prices that exclude labor, permits, and frame work.
| Door Type | Typical Installed Range (Fort Myers) | What Drives the Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Single storm door over existing exterior door | $600 – $1,200 | Door width, frame condition, hardware grade |
| Fiberglass entry door (Florida Product Approval, non-impact) | $1,400 – $2,800 | Panel style, glass lite size, sidelite configuration |
| Impact-rated fiberglass or steel entry door (Miami-Dade compliant) | $2,200 – $4,500 | Impact glass type, multipoint lock hardware, frame system |
| Impact-rated French door or double-door assembly | $3,800 – $7,500+ | Width, active/inactive panel configuration, sidelites, transoms |
| Frame replacement (added to any of the above) | $400 – $1,200 additional | Rot extent, masonry opening modification, lintel work |
| Lee County permit (if required) | $150 – $350 typical | Project valuation, permit type |
A few factors push jobs toward the higher end of those ranges in Fort Myers specifically. Homes in Fiddlesticks and Pelican Bay communities with HOA-mandated finishes may require a premium color or hardware package. Concrete block construction – which covers the majority of Fort Myers homes built after 1960 – sometimes requires masonry anchors and modified frame systems that add time and material. And if the existing opening is not square, which is common in homes that have settled on fill lots near the Caloosahatchee, the correction work before the door goes in is non-negotiable.
We do not give ballpark estimates over the phone that turn into surprises on the bill. The price we quote after measuring your opening is the price on the invoice. Seniors and veterans receive a standing 5% discount on any job, and we take $50 off any repair over $250. Call (239) 323-5522 for a free on-site estimate – a live person answers any time you call.
FAQs – Storm & Exterior Doors
Do I need a permit to replace an exterior door in Fort Myers?
Yes, in most cases a permit is required for exterior door replacement in Fort Myers under Lee County Building Code, particularly when the door is load-bearing or the opening is being modified. Florida’s High-Velocity Hurricane Zone requirements also mean the replacement product must carry a current Florida Product Approval number, which is part of what the permit inspection verifies. We handle the full permit process – submittal, documentation, and inspection scheduling – as part of every job where a permit is required. You do not need to navigate the county building department on your own. Call (239) 323-5522 and we will walk you through what applies to your specific project.
What is the difference between a storm door and an impact door?
A storm door is a secondary door installed in front of an existing exterior door, typically lighter-gauge aluminum or steel with a full-view or partial-view glass panel. It provides an insulating air buffer and some protection against wind-driven rain, but it is not rated to withstand the sustained wind loads or missile-impact tests required under the Florida Building Code for primary exterior door protection. An impact door – such as a PGT or CGI impact-rated unit – uses laminated glass (similar to automobile windshield construction) and a reinforced frame system that is tested and approved as the primary protective barrier. In a code-required application in Lee County, an impact-rated door is what qualifies for the opening protection credit on your homeowner’s insurance. If you are unsure which applies to your home, we measure the opening, check what is currently installed, and give you an honest recommendation on paper before any work begins.
How long does a storm or exterior door installation take?
Most single-door installations in Fort Myers take four to six hours on the day of installation, assuming the rough opening is in good condition and no frame rot or masonry modification is needed. A full entry system with sidelites and a transom, or a French & Double Doors assembly, typically runs six to eight hours. We complete the large majority of these jobs in a single visit – no second appointment left hanging, no return trip to finish trim work. If we find rot or structural issues during installation that we could not fully assess before opening the wall, we tell you on the spot, explain the scope and cost, and do not proceed without your approval. That conversation happens at your home, not in a phone call three days later.
My door was installed two years ago by another company and it already sticks in summer. Can TruePane fix it?
Yes. Sticking or binding after one to two Fort Myers summers almost always points to one of three things: the door was not hung plumb to begin with, the threshold or sill has rotted and shifted, or the frame cavities were not properly foam-filled and the assembly is flexing with seasonal moisture swings. We diagnose the root cause before recommending a fix – sometimes it is an adjustment and a weatherstripping replacement, and sometimes it means pulling the frame and resetting the whole unit correctly. We are also familiar with situations where a prior installer pulled a permit and the inspection was never completed, which can affect what a corrective job requires. Call (239) 323-5522 for a free assessment.
Why Fort Myers Homeowners Call TruePane First
Dale Kessler started TruePane with a specific frustration: too many homeowners in this area were left with doors and windows that were almost right – installed fast, permitted in name only, and warranted in language that covered nothing when something went wrong. Over 42 years of community work, the standard that stuck was simple. If the pane is not true, the job is not done. That applies to a door as much as it does to a window lite.
What that means practically for a Fort Myers homeowner replacing a storm or exterior door:
- Both warranty layers – product and finish – registered in writing with the manufacturer before the truck leaves, under The Keystone Standard, with durations stated so you are not reading fine print later.
- A 90-Day Done Right Promise on workmanship – if anything is not right in the first 90 days, we come back and fix it. No forms, no fee.
- Authorized installation for PGT, CGI, Therma-Tru, and more than a dozen other lines, with side-by-side quotes on paper so you can see exactly what you are buying.
- Lee County permit handled from submittal to final inspection – not left open on the county’s books.
- A live person answers at (239) 323-5522 any time you call – day or night, weekday or weekend.
We are not the lowest bid in Fort Myers. We are the call you make when you want the job done right the first time and you want a company that will still be here, and still answer the phone, if something ever needs attention. That is a square deal, and we put it in writing.
To learn more about the full range of doors and entry systems we install, visit our home page or reach out directly at (239) 323-5522 for a free on-site estimate. There is no obligation, and the person who picks up will be able to answer real questions about your specific door and opening.
Written by Dale Kessler, Owner at TruePane Windows & Doors, serving Fort Myers.
Six Reasons Homeowners Choose TruePane Windows & Doors
Impact systems engineered to design pressures up to +/-100, matched to your wind zone - your openings hold when the storm arrives.
Low-E insulated impact glass from our manufacturer lines commonly cuts monthly cooling bills 20-30%.
Laminated impact glass shuts out up to 40% of outside noise - traffic, neighbors, weather.
Monitoring services run $30-90 a month. Laminated impact glass resists forced entry around the clock, with no subscription.
Florida homeowners average around 25% savings on the windstorm portion of their policy after protecting every opening - some homes qualify for more.
A full impact package upgrades curb appeal, buyer confidence and appraised value in one project.