How to Buy Doors Online in Australia: A Practical Checklist for Homeowners, Renovators and Builders

Do I need a door only, a prehung door or a full door system?

It depends on the state of your existing frame. If the frame is square, sound and the right size, a door only (slab) is usually enough. If the frame is damaged, or you're building new, a prehung door or full door system saves time and avoids fitting errors.

Here's how the three options differ in practice:

• Door only: You're swapping like for like into a good frame. Hinge positions and lock preparation have to match your existing setup, so photograph them and check with us. Browse entrance doors or internal doors to see what's available.
• Prehung: The door arrives already hung in its frame. It suits new builds, and renovations where the old frame has rotted or shifted. Your installer fits one unit instead of building up a frame around a slab.
• Full door system: The door and frame come as a matched package. Our door systems collection is the place to start if you want everything to fit together from day one. If you'd like a door and screen combination for airflow, look at the 2-in-1 doors.

Renovating a heritage home? Sometimes the original frame is worth keeping for its character. If it's sound, a door only can preserve that look. If you can see rot, termite damage or a frame that's clearly out of square, a prehung unit is the safer path. When in doubt, send us photos and we'll tell you what we'd do.

How do I measure and check my site before ordering?

Measure the existing opening or frame in several places, record the swing direction, and check the frame, floor and surrounding wall for damage or movement. Then send photos and measurements to our team before you pay. Our door sizes guide covers standard dimensions, so we won't repeat it here.

Old openings are rarely perfectly square, which is why one measurement isn't enough. Work through this list:

• Width: Measure at the top, middle and bottom of the opening. Use the smallest figure.
• Height: Measure at the left, centre and right. Again, note the smallest.
• Thickness and frame depth: Check the existing door thickness and how deep the frame sits in the wall.
• Swing and hinge side: Stand outside and note which way the door opens and which side the hinges are on. Take a photo so there's no confusion.
• Floor and threshold: Check the finished floor level, including tiles, carpet or a step. This affects clearance at the bottom of the door.
• Frame condition: Look for rot, termite damage, gaps and movement. A tired frame can undo a brand new door.
• Existing hardware: Photograph the lock, hinges and any cut-outs. They tell us a lot about what's needed.
• Cavity sliders: Confirm there's enough wall space for the door to slide into, and check what's inside the wall.

A quick tip: take a wide shot of the whole entry, plus close-ups of the frame, hinges and lock. It takes five minutes and saves a lot of back and forth. Send the measurements and photos through our contact page and the team will check them before you commit.

How do I narrow down the range?

Start with where the door sits and how much weather it copes with. Entrance doors need to handle sun, rain and security. Internal doors are mostly about style, space and function. Hardware ties both together. If you're in a bushfire-prone area, confirm your BAL requirement with a certifier before you choose anything.

Entrance doors: match the material to the exposure

Our range covers solid timber, engineered timber, aluminium and composite entrance doors, plus pivot and wide doors, and 2-in-1 door and screen options. For entry doors in Australia, exposure matters as much as looks.

Solid and engineered timber give you warmth and real street appeal, and they're a great fit for a sheltered entry. Our solid and engineered timber entrance collection is the place to compare them. Aluminium is a different story. It's stable in harsh sun, which is why our aluminium entrance range suits exposed positions.

We've seen this play out first-hand. Not long ago, a homeowner who'd just moved into a new Sydney house rang and spoke to Mark. Their front door had started bowing and cracking almost straight away. The builder had fitted a very cheap timber door on an entry that gets full sun all day, with barely any overhead protection.

They expected to order another timber door. After a few questions, Mark suggested aluminium instead. As a Parkwood Specialist, he walked them through the benefits, including the 10 year warranty (always check current warranty terms on the product page). He sent a quote and arranged a local installer experienced with Parkwood aluminium doors. The customer loved the result and came back to order a second door for the back of the house.

The lesson isn't that timber is bad. It's that the right door for your house depends on where it sits and how much shelter it gets.

Internal doors: style, space and function

Our internal doors include solid timber, engineered timber, shaker, French, barn and cavity sliders. Ask yourself what the door needs to do. A bedroom wants privacy and quiet. A pantry might want a slider to save swing space. A heritage hallway might call for French doors that let light through.

Brands in the range include Hume, Corinthian, Four Seas, Parkwood, Crown and Zanda, so you can compare like with like across different price points and finishes.

Hardware: don't leave it to last

The door hardware collection covers handles, locks, digital locks, hinges, closers and sliding hardware. Check that the lock suits the door preparation, that the finish matches the rest of your fittings, and that sliding hardware suits the door's size and type. Ordering hardware with the door means you can check everything fits in one go.

If you're flexible on style, it's also worth a look at the clearance sale collection before you settle.

BAL needs: check with a certifier

Our entrance range includes bushfire-rated doors from BAL 19 to BAL 40. But a BAL rating is assigned to a site, not chosen from a catalogue. In bushfire-prone areas, the requirements come from the National Construction Code and AS 3959, and they can apply to doors, frames and glazing.

We can tell you which doors in our range carry a rating. We can't tell you what your site needs. Check with your certifier, building surveyor or local council first, then bring that requirement to us.

Can I preview a door on my home before I buy?

Yes. DoorVision lets you see a door on your own home before you order, so you can judge colour, style and proportion against your brick, render or cladding. It replaces the showroom walk-around for the question that matters most: will this look right on my house?

We built it because we believe that when you buy online, photos aren't optional. People expect to see a door properly before they decide, and a supplier's catalogue shot on a white background doesn't answer the real question. That's also why we've started producing more imagery than our suppliers can provide.

Here's how to get the most from it:

• Try two or three styles, not just your favourite. The runner-up sometimes wins.
• Check the door against your roof colour, trims, gutters and garage door, not just the wall.
• Judge it as if you were standing at the letterbox. Street appeal is about the view from the road.
• Remember it shows how the door looks, not whether it fits. You'll still need your measurements.
• Not sure? Ask the team for a second opinion on your choice.

What should I check when my doors are delivered?

Inspect the packaging before the courier leaves, then open it promptly and check size, handing, finish and hardware against your order. Photograph any damage straight away and contact us. Store doors flat, dry and out of direct sun until they're finished and installed.

We don't list prices or lead times in this guide because they change by product and supplier. Check the product page for current information, or ask the team before you order. If you have a hard deadline, tell us at the start.

Timing can be tight, and we've had to solve it first-hand. A builder once placed an order online without realising the lead time was well beyond the deadline his client had given him. He texted us, starting to stress. We called the manufacturer to get his doors onto the next truck to our warehouse, then spoke to our courier. Her fortnightly Melbourne run lined up perfectly, and the doors reached him by Friday. He's ordered with us since.

That result took a phone call, not luck. Ask early.

How your doors are packed

We ship with LiteCorp's HexPack honeycomb cardboard instead of traditional timber pallets. It bears 3 tonnes, protects doors on long Australia-wide trips, and can be cut up and put in your recycling bin. There's no pallet to take to the tip.

Your receiving checklist

• Check the outer packaging for dents, crushed corners and moisture before signing.
• Note any visible damage on the courier's paperwork and take photos.
• Open the packs soon after arrival and check the size, handing, finish and hardware against your order.
• Keep the packaging until you've inspected everything.
• Store doors flat, off the ground, under cover and away from direct sun.
• Don't paint, cut or hang a door until you're happy with it.

If something isn't right, contact us quickly. Under the Australian Consumer Law, goods must be of acceptable quality and match their description, and the ACCC explains your rights on its consumer guarantees page. Get in touch with the team with your photos and order details and we'll sort out the next steps.

Who installs the door once it arrives?

You can use your own carpenter, or one of our preferred installers in Sydney, Wollongong, Melbourne, the Central Coast and the Gold Coast. Either way, book the installer before the door arrives, share the door specifications with them, and confirm they're licensed for the work.

If you're searching for door replacement in Sydney, see our page on professional door installation in the Sydney metro area. For doors on the Central Coast, Newcastle and Maitland, there's a page on door installation across the Central Coast, Newcastle and Maitland. For Wollongong, Melbourne and the Gold Coast, ask the team and we'll point you to the right installer.

Before the installer arrives, sort out these details:

• Licence: Check your installer's licence with your state regulator. In NSW, that's NSW Fair Trading.
• Frame and structure: Ask the installer to check the frame, flashing and sealing, especially on an exposed entry.
• Finishing: Timber doors usually need finishing before and after hanging. Follow the manufacturer's instructions, because skipping steps can affect warranty.
• Compliance: If you're in a bushfire-prone area, confirm that the installed door meets your BAL requirement.
• Hardware: Give your installer the lock and hinge details early.

The homeowner in the aluminium door story above had a local installer arranged as part of the order. They told us they felt taken care of from ordering through to installation. That's what we aim for with every job.

Can builders and installers open a trade account?

Yes. Complete Doors Online offers trade accounts for builders, carpenters and installers, with the same Australia-wide delivery as retail customers. Contact the team to set one up, then order doors and hardware for each job without starting from scratch every time.

As an online door supplier, we've built the trade side around what tradies tell us they need: a broad range, competitive pricing, reliable supply and expert advice. If you're looking for a trade door supplier you can order from quickly and confidently, contact the team to open an account.

A few habits make trade ordering smoother:

• Confirm lead times at the quoting stage, not after the client has signed.
• Order doors and hardware together so the whole job arrives matched.
• Use a job reference on every order so deliveries are easy to track.
• Check site access and who'll receive the delivery.
• Ask the team about installers if you're short on labour in a given area.

What's my pre-order checklist?

Before you click buy, confirm you've chosen the right format, measured twice, matched the door to its exposure and any BAL requirement, previewed it, planned delivery and booked an installer. If any box is unticked, ask our team before ordering.

• I know whether I need a door only, a prehung door or a full door system.
• I've measured the opening in several places and noted the swing and hinge side.
• I've checked the frame, floor and threshold.
• I've matched the material to the sun, weather and shelter at the door.
• If I'm in a bushfire-prone area, my certifier has confirmed the BAL requirement.
• I've previewed the door on my home with DoorVision.
• I've checked the product page or asked the team about lead times.
• I know who'll receive the delivery and where the doors will be stored.
• My installer is booked, licensed and has the door specifications.
• My hardware is chosen and matches the door preparation.

Want to see how other buyers found the process? Our reviews page is the place to look. And if you'd like a quick sanity check before you order, message the team through our contact page.

Why we don't think you need a showroom to choose a door

Most people in our industry will tell you a showroom is needed to make the sale. We used to believe it too. A decade ago, when we started, it was the expectation: renovators and tradies wanted to walk in and see the doors in person.

Then we watched the showroom get quieter while online orders picked up. We read that as a clear signal and, about 18 months ago, made the big decision to close it. The result for us has been a market that went from Sydney only to Australia-wide, and customers who like the convenience of ordering online.

Here's what we've learned. A showroom gave people confidence. Online, that confidence has to be rebuilt deliberately. That means good photos, because we're now practically online only and people expect to see the product properly. It means DoorVision, so you can see the door on your own home. It means measuring checks before you pay and a real person on the end of a phone or text. It even means packaging, which is why we moved to HexPack.

We'll also be honest about the limits. You can't feel the weight of a solid timber door through a screen. If that matters to you, tell us. We'd rather talk it through than have you guess.

FAQs

Can I really buy a door online without visiting a showroom?

Yes. Measure your opening, choose the format and material, and preview the door with DoorVision. Then send your measurements and photos to the team for a check before you pay. This is how most of our customers now buy, and we deliver Australia-wide.

How do I measure for a new door?

Measure the width at the top, middle and bottom, and the height at the left, centre and right. Use the smallest figures, then note the swing direction, hinge side, frame condition and floor level. Our door sizes guide covers standard dimensions, and our team can check your numbers.

Do you deliver doors Australia-wide?

Yes. Complete Doors Online delivers Australia-wide. Lead times and delivery details vary by product, so check the product page or contact the team before you order, especially if you have a deadline to meet.

Can you arrange installation?

Yes, through our preferred installer network in Sydney, Wollongong, Melbourne, the Central Coast and the Gold Coast. You're also welcome to use your own licensed installer. Either way, book them before the door arrives.

Do you offer trade accounts for builders?

Yes. We offer trade accounts for builders, carpenters and installers who order doors and hardware for jobs. Contact the team through our contact page to set one up and talk through your upcoming projects.

What is DoorVision?

DoorVision is our door visualiser. It lets you see a door on your own home before you order, so you can judge style, colour and street appeal. It shows how a door looks, not whether it fits, so you'll still need to measure.