How much does Weather Stripping cost in LA?

Front door full re-strip: $100–$180

A front door re-strip — pulling old failed weather stripping from the jamb and head, cleaning the channels, and installing fresh stripping all the way around — is the most common LA call. For a standard 36x80 inch entry door with a metal or vinyl jamb, the typical LA price is $100–$140. For a wood jamb where the stripping channel is custom-routed (common in 1920s–40s Spanish-revival, craftsman, and Tudor doors in Hancock Park, Highland Park, and Pasadena), expect $140–$180.

What's actually included: removing old kerf-mounted, nail-on, or adhesive-mounted stripping; cleaning residue from the jamb channel with a putty knife and denatured alcohol; measuring all three sides (head and both jamb legs); installing fresh stripping using whatever attachment method the door was built for (kerf-mount, nail-on, or adhesive); and adjusting strike plates or door sweep if the new stripping changes the seal compression.

What's not included unless you specify: door sweep replacement at the bottom (usually a separate $40–$80 line item, see below), threshold replacement if the threshold itself is rotted or cracked, or weatherproofing the door bottom corners where the sweep meets the jamb (the so-called 'Q-Lon corner gaps').

Door sweep replacement: $60–$100

The bottom of an exterior door — where the door meets the threshold — uses a different sealing component than the jamb-mounted weather stripping. The 'door sweep' is the brush, vinyl flap, or rubber gasket that seals the gap between the door bottom and the threshold. Sweeps fail faster than jamb stripping because they take more abuse from feet, vacuums, and the door dragging across them.

Replacement runs $60–$100 for a standard sweep on a residential door. M-D Building Products and Frost King are the two brands LA pros use most for off-the-shelf replacements. The sweep typically attaches with screws into the door bottom; it takes 15–25 minutes of pro time once they have the right product on hand.

If you're already booking a front door re-strip, bundling the sweep replacement on the same visit usually saves money — most pros price the bundle at $140–$220 instead of $160–$280 separately. Mention 'sweep too' when you book.

Interior door sweep: $60–$100

Interior doors don't typically have weather stripping, but they often have or need a sweep — typically for sound dampening between rooms, light blocking under bedroom doors, or pet/draft control. A standard interior door sweep installation runs $60–$100, and the brush-style sweeps (M-D Building Products Premium Door Sweep) are the most common LA spec because they handle uneven hardwood and tile floors without dragging.

Common LA scenarios: a bedroom adjacent to a noisy living area where the homeowner wants more sound separation, a home office that needs door-bottom sealing for video calls, a laundry room or pantry where draft and dust control matter. None of these need full weather stripping — just a clean sweep installed flush with the door bottom.

Window seals per window: $40–$80

Window weather stripping — the foam, vinyl, or felt that seals the sash to the frame — is replaced one window at a time. For a typical single-hung or double-hung window in an LA home, the per-window price is $40–$80. Casement and slider windows can run slightly higher because the stripping geometry is more complex.

What's included per window: removing old stripping from the sash channels, cleaning the channels, cutting fresh stripping to length, installing it (usually adhesive-backed foam from M-D Building Products or kerf-style vinyl from Q-Lon for higher-end windows), and testing the seal by closing the window and checking compression along the full perimeter.

For a whole-home window re-strip — typically 8–15 windows on an average LA single-family — bundle pricing usually lands at $300–$600 instead of the per-window total, because the pro saves time on setup and travel between openings.

Garage door bottom seal: $120–$200

The rubber bulb seal at the bottom of a garage door — the gasket that seals against the concrete slab when the door is closed — fails faster in LA than most weather stripping because it sits in direct sun all day, gets walked on, runs over by tires, and dries out. Replacement runs $120–$200 for a standard 16-foot two-car garage door, $80–$120 for a single-car 8-foot door.

What's included: pulling the old seal out of the retainer track at the door bottom, cleaning the track of old adhesive and grit, sliding in a fresh T-shape or P-shape rubber bulb seal (Frost King and M-D Building Products both make residential-grade replacements), and trimming to length. The job takes 30–45 minutes once the right seal profile is on hand.

One thing LA pros watch for: if the seal has been failing for years and dust, water, and small animals have been coming under the door, the bottom edge of the door panel itself may have wood rot (on older wood doors) or rust (on steel doors). Pros will check the panel before installing new seal and quote separately if there's panel damage to address first.

Whole-home audit and treatment: $600–$820

A whole-home weather stripping audit and treatment is the highest-value version of this work — a pro walks the entire envelope, identifies every failing seal, quotes the work, and treats everything in one or two visits. Pricing runs $600–$820 for a typical LA single-family home (2–4 exterior doors, 8–15 windows, garage door).

What's included: an inspection of every exterior door (jamb stripping, sweep, threshold), every window (sash stripping, frame seals if applicable), the garage door (bottom seal, side seals if installed), and any other envelope penetrations (mail slot weatherstripping, attic hatch, doggy door). Deliverables: a written list of what was found, what was replaced, and what was left alone (because it's still in good condition). This is the right call before a real estate listing, after a remodel, or when energy bills have crept up year over year.

Whole-home audit is also the right call for fire-zone homes — see the next section.

Marine air, fire zones, and old doors

Three LA-specific factors change weather stripping spec or lifespan:

• Marine air on the Westside (Pacific Palisades, Santa Monica, Venice, Marina del Rey): salt mist degrades vinyl and EPDM rubber stripping faster — typical lifespan 5–8 years instead of 10–15. Pros often spec marine-grade silicone or higher-end Q-Lon kerf stripping for these homes.
• Fire-zone foothill homes (La Cañada, Sunland-Tujunga, Bel Air, parts of Brentwood, Hollywood Hills): California Building Code Chapter 7A requires fire-rated weather stripping at exterior openings in Wildland-Urban Interface zones. This means intumescent stripping (foams that expand when heated to seal the gap) at door jambs, and sometimes ember-resistant vent screening as part of the same audit. Fire-rated stripping costs roughly 2x standard EPDM. A whole-home audit on a 7A-zone home runs $800–$1,200 instead of the standard $600–$820.
• Older Pasadena Spanish-revival doors (1920s–40s solid wood entry doors with custom-routed kerf channels): these usually need custom-fit Q-Lon kerf stripping, not off-the-shelf kits. The original kerf width may be a non-standard dimension, and the pro has to test-fit a few profiles to find one that compresses correctly without binding. Add $40–$80 per door for the custom-fit work. The same applies to original 1910s–20s craftsman entry doors in Highland Park and craftsman homes throughout Northeast LA.