Definitely look into local millwork shops and such. We were able to get semi custom 3 panel solid oak doors (8' tall) in custom widths (one is 42" wide), some for barn door sliders, etc.. all for the "big box store" prices or less. It does take a bit more planning to get the order prefect, but having nice doors that aren't the same "off the shelf" as everyone else is worth it in the end (at least to us).

We got all of ours from Home Depot. I searched and searched locally and various online sources, but no one came close to the HD prices. We didn't need anything special....just solid core 2 panel shaker doors, so nothing custom other than they were mostly 8' tall doors which were special order.

They were all just delivered today so we still need to through each one and inspect for damage, but my DH said so far they all look good and amazingly they got the order right.

I agree with looking for a local source for the doors. A materials supply company, perhaps. Doors? It hardly matters the brand- inevitably, something is completely wrong. You want a supplier on your side that you can go to and say "not up to 'snuff'- not fitting well- whatever. Plus you get that supplier to help you enforce the warranty, when and if things go wrong. And they do.

I don't suggest self-order on this sort of product.

My general contractor tells me that solid wood doors tend to change shape over time. He advised to go with solid core doors because they are going to be painted and what is the beauty of wood if it is going to be painted vs stained?

I barely managed to reach out to a few millwork shops around here in the Bay Area. It's hard to find them. Do i search for carpenters? My search for carpenters leads me to framers. With everything so mass produced the trade for custom carpentry seems to be dwindling.

If to be painted, I recommend checking out TruStile. Great product, can accommodate nearly any style, and they in fact stand by their work. I have them in so many different forms- pocket doors, hinged doors, even a couple of heavy sliders (very tall, due to ceiling height) and they're the least thing I ever worry about.

During the build, we had a couple that showed up a bit warped. Not to worry- they made them again, expedited the shipping and boom- we still stayed on schedule.

Yep- my GC had a lot to do with that, as he has a relationship with the local supplier of the doors, who in turn has a big relationship with TruStile. By myself? Who knows who would have listened to me/responded that well? Get pros on this.

EDIT: I should also say that I live in a fairly high humidity area. MDF solid core is very stable in this environment.

Susha,

Look for door manufacturers. Go on their website and they will list the local mill shops or hardware store for your area.

1. Trustile
2. Supa Doors
3. Simpson Doors

These are just a few examples.

Good luck!

We used Masonite solid core doors. While you can get them from Lowes our GC got them from his source - I assume the lumberyard. I know that anything less than solid wood doors are a horror for many on here, but we love them - they are smooth and the paint took very well. They feel robust and do a good job at insulating sound. I'm much happier to have these doors and the thousands in the bank rather than real wood doors. If I had a historical home or wanted stained wood it would be a different matter, but as I have a generic home and wanted white it was the best choice for us.

Where in Bay Area? We used Carrera Millwork in Santa Clara thought they were great but I wouldn't say they are the low cost option.

Has your contractor worked with Wooden Window in Oakland? They made our front door (this was a splurge item for us I don't know what their pricing would be for interior doors). Sorry I don't know any other shops out that way.

Check out Simpson. I had a Simpson wood door quote for that exact size for less than $2K. We ended up going with Fiberglass so I didn't save the quote but I distinctly remember being pleasantly surprised at how affordable it was.