Until you’ve lived in an old house with a basement cellar door, you don’t know what you’re missing. That direct entrance is easy access to the lower level, which is particularly useful when you have an old furnace or appliance to remove and replace. To manhandle the old monster up the stairs and through the house to the outside is not easy; neither is maneuvering its replacement. A sturdy new cellar door provides an easy opening and direct access—not to mention an emergency exit—to a basement, so it’s a popular replacement project in older homes.
A contractor will charge $1800, which includes labor and material, to replace an old cellar door with a new cellar door assembly. Assuming you have carpentry experience and tools, you can buy a cellar door assembly for $790 and install it yourself, saving 56 percent. Despite that handsome saving, seriously consider having a professional installation. The replacement is rarely a direct swap since most older homes will require some custom carpentry work on the stairs, framing or siding, which will require carpentry work and cost more.
