Refinish My Door
Our Door Refinishing Warranty
Every door we refinish carries a one-year written craftsmanship warranty. You get it in writing before we start, not after we have your money.
We publish the terms here because almost nobody in this market does. Across every door refinishing company we could find in Washington DC, Northern Virginia and Maryland, published warranty terms are close to nonexistent. That makes it hard for a homeowner to compare quotes honestly, so here is ours in plain language.
What the One-Year Warranty Covers
If the finish we applied fails because of how we applied it, we come back and put it right at no charge. That means peeling, lifting, blistering or flaking of our own coating, an uneven or blotchy stain that we left behind, and runs or sags in the topcoat.
It covers our workmanship and our materials. If we stripped it, sanded it, stained it or sealed it and that work does not hold up for a year in normal use, the repair is ours to make.
What It Does Not Cover
Physical damage after we leave: impact, scratches, pet damage, forced entry, storm damage, or anything a contractor does to the door afterwards.
Rot or structural failure that was already in the wood and that you asked us not to repair. If we find rot during the job we will tell you and quote it separately; if you decline, that area is excluded and we will note it on the invoice.
Normal wear on a door in an extreme exposure. A fully exposed south or west door with no overhang lives a hard life. We will tell you before we start if yours is one of those, and we will recommend the maintenance interval that keeps it right.
Why Exposure Changes What Is Realistic
This is not fine print, it is physics. The USDA Forest Service's Wood Handbook records that a north-facing door's finish lasts about twice as long as a south-facing one, and that a clear varnish in direct sunlight generally needs recoating every one to two years.
So a sheltered north door and a fully exposed south door are not the same job, and it would be dishonest to pretend one warranty period means the same thing on both. We say up front which one you have, and we would rather quote a light maintenance recoat than watch a finish fail early.
How to Make a Claim
Call or text (202) 979-9977 with a photo of the problem area and we will arrange a look. Most claims are settled by scheduling a return visit, not by paperwork.
Keep your written quote and invoice; those record what was done and any areas we excluded. We keep our own copy too, so a lost invoice is not a reason for us to say no.
Maintenance Keeps the Warranty Meaningful
The National Park Service recommends inspecting exterior doors every six months. It takes two minutes: look at the bottom rail, look at the top edge, and look at the side that faces the afternoon sun.
Catching a finish while it is only dulling means a light recoat instead of another full strip. That is the cheapest door work you will ever buy, and it is why we offer a maintenance service rather than waiting for the next failure.
More About Us
Ready for a price?
Send your number and we text you straight back. No email, no waiting.
- On-site — your door never leaves the house
- Most single doors done in one day
- Itemised written price before we start
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the warranty actually in writing?
Yes. It is stated on the written quote you approve before any work begins, and again on the invoice. You do not have to ask for it and you do not have to chase it afterwards. If anything about the job changes the terms, such as declining a rot repair we recommended, that is written on the same document rather than mentioned in passing.
Does the warranty transfer if I sell the house?
The warranty follows the door, not the owner, for the remainder of the year. If you sell within that window, pass the invoice to the new owner and we will honor the balance of the term. Ask us for a copy if you cannot find yours.
What if the finish fails after the year is up?
Call us anyway. A finish that fails just outside the term usually points to an exposure problem rather than a workmanship one, and the fix is often a maintenance recoat rather than a full strip. We will tell you which it is and what it costs before you commit to anything.
Do you warranty work on a door someone else refinished?
We warranty our own work on it. If we strip a door back to bare wood and rebuild the finish, that finish is ours and it is covered. What we cannot warranty is a previous contractor's repair we were asked to leave in place, or damage in the substrate we were asked not to address.
Free written quote
Get a Free Door Refinishing Quote
Send your number and we text you straight back. No email, no pressure, and no “starting at” figures that change when we arrive.
- Just your number is enough to get started
- Itemised written price, agreed before any work begins
- We tell you if your door is not worth saving — that happens, and we say so
- Most quotes answered the same day, Mon–Sat 8am–7pm