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Hand-Carved Wood Doors in St. Petersburg, FL
Carving cut into solid wood by hand, drawn for your opening, and hung by the carpenter who carved it.
St. Pete Custom Doors carves solid wood front doors by hand in St. Petersburg, FL. The design is drawn to your opening, cut into the panel itself, and the finished door is installed by the same person who carved it.
Hand-Carved Door Styles We Make in St. Petersburg
Relief-carved panels
Rosettes, vines, acanthus leaves and borders raised from the panel, from a single carved field to a full relief across a double door.
Mediterranean and Spanish Revival carving
Arched tops, rosettes and deep mouldings that suit the 1920s houses of Snell Isle, Davis Islands and the Old Northeast.
Custom motifs from a sketch or photo
A family crest, a pattern from a trip, a detail from elsewhere in the house, drawn to scale on the door before any cut.
Hand-Carved vs Machine-Routed vs Applied Overlay
| Method | How it is made | How to spot it |
|---|---|---|
| Hand-carved | Cut into the solid panel by hand | Depth and edges vary slightly across a repeated motif |
| Machine-routed | A CNC router follows a digital file | Every repeat identical; flat, even depth |
| Applied overlay | A moulded piece glued onto a flat slab | A seam or grain change where the piece meets the panel |
Routed doors cost less and can be good doors. A door sold as hand-carved should not have a glue line around its ornament.
How a Carved Door Is Made
Drawing to scale
The motif is drawn full size for your opening and agreed before the wood is chosen.
Carving by hand
The design is cut into the panel, following the grain as it changes direction across the board.
Sealing every recess
Carved relief has more surface and more end grain than a flat panel, so every recess is sealed along with all six sides of the door.
Woods That Hold Fine Carving
Fine carving needs close, even grain that cuts cleanly without tearing. Mahogany is the classic carving wood for that reason; Spanish cedar and teak also have long records on exterior doors in warm, humid climates. The final choice is made at the consultation, matched to the carving and the sun on the opening.
How Much Does a Hand-Carved Wood Door Cost?
Most of our custom doors run $4,000 to $20,000, installed; the exact number is set in a written quote once the opening is measured and the materials are chosen. Carving is paid for in hours: a border and one motif is a fraction of a full relief panel. Size, species, glass and hardware follow.
FAQ
Hand-Carved Door FAQ
Can you carve a design I bring you?
Yes. Bring a sketch or photo and we draw it to scale on the door before cutting.
Can a carved door have glass?
Yes. On an exterior opening where code requires protection, it is paired with approved shutters, because our carved doors are not impact-rated.
Are your carved doors hurricane rated?
No. Where a rated exterior door is required, we install approved impact-rated wood doors from certified makers.
Who installs the door?
The carpenter who built and carved it.
Get a Quote for Hand-Carved Wood Doors
Based in St. Petersburg · serving St. Pete, St. Pete Beach, South Tampa & Apollo Beach