Armor for the Hardest-Hit Part of the Door
The lower half of a screen door takes everything: dog paws, feet, stroller wheels, grandkids. A kick plate — a solid aluminum panel fitted to the door's lower section — takes that abuse instead of the mesh. It is the single most effective door upgrade for pet households, and it looks intentional, not patched.
Pet Doors: End the Scratching
Dogs scratch screens because they want in or out. A proper pet door in the screen door gives them the path — and ends the daily damage to the mesh. We install pet doors sized to your dog, fitted cleanly into new or existing screen doors, with secure flaps. For cats, smaller pet doors work the same way.
The Combo That Survives Real Pets
Kick plate plus pet-resistant mesh plus a pet door is the full pet-proofing stack for a screen door — armor below, tough mesh above, and a legitimate way through. We install all three, often in one visit. Our pet-proofing guide covers the strategy.
Standalone or With Other Work
Kick plates and pet doors install as standalone jobs or alongside door repair and rescreens. Tell us about the door — and the dog.
Our Process: Measure, Fit, Done
- Door assessment. We check the door's condition — frame straightness, existing mesh, hinge health. A kick plate on a dying door is the wrong order; we will tell you if the door needs work first.
- Measurements. Kick plates get cut to your door's exact measurements. Pet doors get sized to your pet — we measure the pet, not just the door, because a too-small pet door is a scratched-up pet door surround.
- Written quote. Plate, pet door, mesh work if needed — itemized and fixed in writing.
- Installation. Kick plates get fitted and fastened to the door frame. Pet doors get cut in cleanly, framed, and sealed — no ragged edges, no gaps.
- Adjustment and test. The pet door flap gets tested for smooth swing and proper seal. The door gets re-hung adjustments if the added weight changed the swing.
What Kick Plates and Pet Doors Cost
Kick plates are among the most affordable upgrades in the trade — typically in the low hundreds installed, depending on door size and finish. Pet doors run higher, scaling with size (a Great Dane door is a different project than a cat door) and with the door work around them. Bundled with a door rescreen or a rescreen project, the incremental cost is small. Starting ranges only; your written estimate is free and the final quote is fixed before we start.
Sizing a Pet Door: Measure the Pet
The number-one pet door mistake is sizing to the door instead of the animal. Measure your pet's shoulder height and width — the door opening needs to clear the shoulders comfortably, not just barely. For puppies that will grow, size for the adult dog or plan on an adjustable panel. For multi-pet households, size for the largest animal; the smaller ones will manage fine. A pet door your dog has to squeeze through becomes a pet door your dog scratches around — defeating the purpose.
Kick Plate Styles and Finishes
Kick plates are not one thing: standard aluminum plates in white or bronze to match the door, taller plates for big dogs that hit higher, and full-length armor panels for doors that take serious abuse. The plate gets fastened through the door frame — not just the mesh — so it becomes part of the door's structure. Done right, it looks intentional: a clean metal panel, straight edges, matched finish. Done wrong (screwed crookedly through the screen), it looks like a patch. We do it right.
The Scratching Cycle: Why Pet Doors Pay Off
Here is the economics of a chronic door-scratcher: a shredded door screen costs $150 to $400 to replace, and the dog shreds it again within months. Two replacements a year is $300 to $800 annually — every year. A pet door installation plus pet-resistant mesh on the door breaks that cycle permanently. Most pet-door projects pay for themselves within a year for chronic scratchers, and then keep paying in sanity.
Security and Weather
Two fair questions we hear on every pet door job. Security: modern pet doors have rigid locking panels and secure flaps — you can lock the pet door when you want the door fully closed, and the opening is sized for your pet, not a person. Weather: quality pet doors seal against rain and drafts with magnetic or weighted flaps; a properly installed pet door does not turn your lanai into a wind tunnel. We will walk you through the options for your door, your pet, and your comfort level.
Renters and HOAs
Renting? A kick plate and pet door modify the door — get your landlord's written OK first, or plan on restoring the door at move-out. In HOA communities, pet doors on street-visible doors occasionally draw architectural attention; check your association's guidelines. We have done both situations many times and we will tell you what to check before we start.