What is the existing front door? Typically if the door is due to be replaced the frame is also as that is the weak link. Not only that but not all frames are easily compatible with all doors ,weather-strip and lock wise. Wood doors versus fiberglass doors most often are not sized exactly the same either

@millworkman The existing door is a steel door. Looking to go fiberglass.

What condition is the frame in? Do what you want but personally i would not do that. No guarantees it will fit 100% correctly. Just my .02.

Here are some pics.

What is the issue that prompts you to want a new door or are you just wanting to swap it out for a new door of a different kind?

Are you wanting to remove the storm door because you don't want one or is there a problem with it? If the storm door is aluminum, you likely can remove and repaint and rehang it or even may be able to repaint it in place.

Generally, the door frame comes not with the storm door but with the interior door. It appears it is the door frame that is damaged rather than either the door or storm door. You need to check on the extent of the damage.

Since your budget is an issue, before making a decision, remove that bottom horizontal trim board on both your sidelights and find out if the wood behind it is solid or soft.

Also see if you can remove the thresh hold beneath the door and check the wood beneath and beside it for damage -- is the wood solid or soft.

If there is water damage or rot at the bottom of either the door and/or the sidelights, all that would need to be removed. You should also want to find out why there is damage so you can prevent future damage.

Is the top horizontal board of the door frame also damaged?

You may be able to just remove the two vertical pieces and the two horizontal pieces from within the door frame and replace them IF that is all that is actually damaged. Take the pic to your local building supply and ask about replacement vertical pieces IF nothing else is actually damaged.

@suezbell Thank you so much for this information. We were looking to modernize the front door which is currently a bland steel door that looks like it was painted over numerous times. The storm door has several issues, too many to mention so we want to take that out.

I will check for water damage under the sidelights and beneath the door.

The top horizonal board of the door isnt damaged. Just the side that shows on the picture. The storm door flew open during a bad storm and pulled that section out causing the damage.

I live in NJ and had my storm door and front door replaced with only a fiberglass Therma-Tru multi locking system front door. My carpenter said the door was so well sealed and well made, that I would not need a storm door❣️ I plan to paint it a light gray; now the door is primed in white.

"Also see if you can remove the thresh hold beneath the door and check the wood beneath and beside it for damage"

That typically cannot be done as the threshold is beneath and attached to the underside of the jamb legs. Honestly spending money on a new door and leaving that frame is good money after bad. Again, not all sizing and locking mechanisms are not identical. The hinge mortise may be off as well. Save up the dollars and do this right.

@kculbers That's a nice door! Did you have any issues with the locking system... did it have to be compatible with your old door?

@millworkman Thank you. I checked with Window Rama and Home Depot to order a Therma Tru with sidelites and transom.... just so darn costly. Do you recommend any other brand thats not so expensive but still good quality?

My Therma-Tru fiberglass multi locking door was installed with a new threshold and door frame. Absolutely no issues with the locking system. Locks easily❣️I had a very experienced carpenter install it. My new door was the same standard size of my old steel door. My carpenter had installed many of these Therma-Tru doors with the multi locking system and is quite impressed with them❣️

"Do you recommend any other brand thats not so expensive but still good quality?"

Nope, honestly I cannot recommend going any lower on the food chain than TT. In fact Lowes used to sell TT (not sure if they still do) and I could not even in good conscious recommend even a TT from them.

What area of the country are you in? If you're in Minnesota, western Wisconsin, etc. - Bayer Built is a much better door than Therma Tru.

@Mary Elizabeth I'm in Long Island, NY.

9K for just the door? that seems really high.

you can find a door like that, with sidelites, for under 2500.

something like this at HD is only 1500. (where are you getting this 9K price?

$2200. custom options like color, avail. all are pre-hung.

The transom is another matter. were you looking for the same shape or would you want it squared off?

what about a door like this?

this is a pre-hung (which is what you want) Fiberglass, door/lites. $2300

$2800.

are you being quoted install price? never have HomeDepot do the installation. They charge you to be the middleman. They hire out.

Go find your own door install guy and save thousands.

since you want help picking a color/door style, post a pic that shows the front of the house,

love the pacific blue
are you staying w/the shake? or the planks?

btw-Just asked my husband, who is a GC, what he would charge to install any one of these doors on your front. he said about 1500. Transom would prob be $500 more

I got a thermatru door like the green one up in the photos posted and the rope half is window. The bottom half of the window lifts to reveal a screen. We also had storm door kept being taken by the wind so we replaced the reg and screen door with the one thermatru. So ask hd they have them in their thermatru catalogue

Looks just like this only bottom half lifts and screen is inside we love it

@Beth H. : This is the door that Home Depot quoted at $9k. Thats just the door, not installation.

Window Rama quoted me $9668 for this door. No installation.

The house will be Certainteed Pacific Blue

Considering the cost of the door, sidelites and transom I was giving up and just thinking I would keep that arch above the door, remove the storm door and just getting a new door.

@Lisa Dipiro our storm door gets taken by the wind constantly! Thats how the door frame got damaged and the spring hinge collapsed (see prior pic I had posted of the damage).

@Beth H. : We are doing pacific blue planks. The house faces west and since the town took down our trees we have no shade so the summers are crazy hot.

well those prices are something! 9K ?? for what? those are fiberglass?

are you sure it's for the door alone?

look at this link and the prices. even with customizing, I don't see how you can add 6K to the price!

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Steves-Sons-64-in-x-80-in-Savannah-Clear-6-Lite-LHIS-Mahogany-Stained-Wood-Prehung-Front-Door-with-Double-12-in-Sidelites-M6410-123012-CT-4ILH/206188786

this is actual wood too. mahogany. pre-hung. it's less than 2500

Here, same size

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Steves-Sons-64-in-x-80-in-Craftsman-Savannah-6-Lite-LHIS-Autumn-Wheat-Mahogany-Wood-Prehung-Front-Door-with-Double-12-in-Sidelite-M6410-123012-AW-4ILH/304245554

here's a douglas fir w/lots of custom options. 1700.00

https://custom.homedepot.com/custom-doors/p/Krosswood-Doors-Krosswood-Classic-Douglas-Fir-Exterior-Wood-Door/315188343/51879-Pre-Hung/51881-Single/51885-36-x-80/51891-38-x-82/51900-Grey/57420-6-Lite/52016-Left-Hand-Inswing/52019-5-1-2

I gave you other choices for doors at under 3K. the transom you can do seperately. maybe adding it w/the door ups the price.

Or, better yet, since the siding is getting replaced, just cover the transom.

up to you

Instead of side lights, could you do double doors? or one larger door and one side lite?

https://www.wayfair.com/filters/smooth-prefinished-fiberglass-prehung-front-entry-door-l7233-k~vron3559-a126048~470889-a126051~450654-a136111~450656.html

@Beth H. : The pricing makes no sense. Way over the budget. I made a few calls today and was verbally quoted the same price range when I asked for fiberglass Therma Tru with sidelites & transom. I didn't think to look at Wayfair. Will check that out.

The transom on your house looks like a bad hair day, everyday, forever. I think you should consider removing it and replacing it with a window. If you seperate the door and the transom, it will probably end up costing you less. A good carpenter or a competent window installer could save you a lot of money.

@Beth H. : HD website doesn't let you build and customize a TT Door. They do that in the store with the sales rep. I was also trying to avoid glass in the door. Maybe that drives the price up? I'm not sure.

@phassink OMG Yes! A bad hair day every day is the truth. I hate the transom.... the railings, the siding, the door... Can't wait to change it all. But yes maybe seperating the door from the transom will change the price.

Definitely cover the transom with the new siding. Get prices WITHOUT the transom. I redid doors in my previous house - mahogany craftsman design shipped from Oregon to NY and they weren’t $9,000 for TWO. Something is wrong here. TT doors are fine without storm doors so nix that extra cost.
You may do better looking for a handyman to install the door and repair any rotten wood. But keep shopping the door itself. There’s no way this should be that high.
I have also found that specialized window-and-door companies are very pricey.

it's prob the transom. it becomes a special order.

try calling and getting a quote on just the door. whoever does the siding can frame up the transom portion and cover it. (or like mentioned, have a space between it and the door and put up a regular fixed pane of glass, but not in an arch)

I think a window that is seperate will save you from having to change the whole door if the glass fails or if you change your window design in the future. I really like your door ideas, Beth!