If you’re reading this, then chances are you’re just now discovering how much folding doors are really going to cost you. Perhaps you were watching your favorite home renovation show on HGTV and saw a beautiful set of folding doors installed on a home. Or maybe your next-door neighbor just installed some folding porch doors on their back patio.

So, here you are, looking at residential folding doors, and realizing that your dream bi-folds are going to cost several thousand dollars, not including professional installation fees. Bummer, right?

Well, in today’s post we’re going to show you several “hacks” that you can use to reduce your folding door cost and make your dream home renovation a little bit more affordable. It’s time we saved you some money!

6 Tips To Reduce The Cost Of Your Folding Doors

If you call most folding door companies on the phone, you’ll be connected directly to a salesperson. They’ll usually start by asking you some questions about the type of doors you want and the overall look that you’re trying to achieve.

Before long, they’ve subtly guided you to your dream folding door system. The only catch is, it costs $10,000…

Like any good salesperson, it’s their job to show you the best of the best, not the cheapest option. However, the good news is that there are several different choices you can make in order to reduce your folding door cost and make them a bit more affordable.

Before you directly ask your sales rep about lowering the prices, though, it helps to know what you’re talking about. This will give you some leverage in the sales process, as you’ll be able to tell when the sales rep is leading you down a rabbit trail.

So, with all of that being said, here are 6 tips to reduce your folding door costs (that actually work).

1) Go For Fewer Door Panels

We’ll start with something a bit more obvious – your folding door size. When it comes to folding doors, you’ll typically be charged per panel. The more panels you have in your folding door system, the more money you’ll shell out.

Sure, it might be nice to dream about a giant panoramic 7-panel folding door system. But, at the end of the day, a 4 or 5-panel system might make you just as happy and could save you $1,000 to $2,000 in overall costs.

2) Consider Pre-Fabricated Bi-Folds

If you’re really looking to save some money, then you might also consider installing pre-fabricated bi-folds instead of ordering custom folding doors. Just like purchasing a car, the more custom options you add, the more expensive your doors are going to be.

Once you start customizing the glass, asking for custom colors, custom hardwood, custom door handles, etc., you’ll really drive the cost of the doors up. However, if you purchase a set of folding doors that’s pre-fabricated and ready to ship off the factory shelf, then you could save a good bit of cash.

3) Don’t Add Privacy Glass

If you’re installing your folding doors in a bedroom space or somewhere else where you value your privacy, then you’ve probably been considering the option to customize your doors with privacy glass such as frosted or sandblasted glass. However, the sandblasting process is both labor-intensive and expensive, meaning that it can significantly increase your costs.

If you still want to install privacy glass but you don’t want to shell out the extra cash up front, then you can always install an aftermarket privacy film to the glass after installation. You can apply a window film that mimics the appearance of sandblasted or frosted glass at a very affordable rate, and may even be able to install it yourself!

4) Use An Existing Doorframe

Folding doors can be expensive enough by themselves. However, one of the most expensive parts of installing folding doors is the custom carpentry and home renovation work that goes into installing them. This is especially true if you have to create a new doorframe or knock down a load-bearing wall in your home.

If your doors require you to start knocking down large walls, re-routing electrical and plumbing lines, or creating new structural supports for your home, the cost of installation can easily be as much as the doors themselves.

If you want to cut your folding door costs, then your best bet is to use an existing doorframe where a sliding glass door or patio door is already installed. Even if the doorway has to be slightly expanded, it won’t be as labor-intensive as installing an extra-large folding door system somewhere where there wasn’t an existing doorframe.

Less labor = lower costs… Simple, right?

5) Go For A Vinyl Doorframe

When it comes to folding door systems, you’ll typically be able to choose between three different doorframe materials; hardwood, aluminum, or vinyl.

Of the three, hardwood and aluminum are the most expensive. Vinyl (or PVC, depending on what the manufacturer calls it), on the other hand, is quite affordable. Yes, it’s the same material that’s used to make the plumbing pipes in your house. But once they’re hung up, a set of high-quality folding doors can look incredible in your home.

In addition to the lower price point, vinyl folding doors are also very low-maintenance. Unlike wood doors and aluminum doors, they’ll never need to be re-stained or re-painted. Vinyl itself is scratch-resistant, will never corrode, and isn’t susceptible to mold and mildew the way that hardwood or even wood-clad aluminum doors are.

6) Don’t Get Hurricane-Proof Doors

If you live in an area that’s prone to storms, it can be tempting to go for the hurricane-rated folding doors. However, these will cost you a pretty penny. For one, hurricane-proof doors almost always utilize a reinforced aluminum doorframe. Secondly, they’re going to have ultra-high-quality impact-resistant glass.

As you can imagine, this all costs extra money. So, unless you live in an area where hurricane-proof doors are required for city building code (such as Miami-Dade County), then just go with the regular residential folding doors.

Can You Finance Folding Doors?

Perhaps the biggest barrier preventing you from purchasing the folding doors of your dreams is the large up front cost. While $8,000 may seem like a lot of money to pay all at once, it’s a lot more affordable when it’s spread across a couple of years of monthly payments.

While most manufacturers don’t offer in-house financing, you can always finance them using a third-party lender or by putting them on a credit card.

A) Standard Bank Loan or Credit Card

The easiest way to finance your new folding doors is to obtain a third-party loan or put some of the cost of the doors on your credit card. As long as you have decent credit and you own the home you live in, there’s a fairly good chance that a small lender or bank will give you some money to put towards your doors.

B) Home Equity Loan

If you have considerable equity in your home (e.g., you’ve paid off at least 75% of your home), then you can go to your mortgage holder and ask them for a reverse mortgage. Essentially, you’ll be borrowing agains the value of your home, so you’ll just be extending your mortgage payments.

For some, this may seem like a bad idea. However, when you account for the fact that these doors will greatly increase the market value of your home, they’ll pretty much pay for themselves if you ever decide to sell the house.

Are Cheaper Folding Doors Worth The Sacrifice?

It’s certainly possible to get bi-fold doors on a budget by sacrificing a certain level of quality, size, and impact-resistance in your doors. Whether or not it’s worth the sacrifice, though, is completely up to you.

When it comes to folding doors, you really do get what you pay for. If you have access to the extra funds (or can finance some of the cost of the doors), then you can get a super-high-quality folding door system that can last upwards of 15 to 20 years. You’ll enjoy them every day, and they’ll raise the value of your home.

On the other hand, if you live in an area where you don’t need hurricane-proof doors and you’re fine with a smaller set of doors, then a basic pre-fabricated vinyl folding door system may be just what you need.