Andersen patio doors sit at the top of most contractors’ recommendation lists, and for defensible reasons: the company has built windows and doors since 1903, the 400 Series gliding door is arguably the most-installed premium patio door in America, and the wood-composite Perma-Shield and Fibrex exteriors solve the rot problem that kills bare-wood doors. But Andersen sells across four distinct product tiers with a price spread from roughly $1,600 to well over $10,000 installed, and the tiers are not interchangeable. This review breaks down each series, what the doors actually cost installed, and where a competitor makes more sense.
The Andersen Lineup at a Glance
| Series | Construction | Door types | Installed price (6-ft gliding) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A-Series | Wood interior, Fibrex/fiberglass exterior | Gliding, hinged inswing/outswing | $5,500-$10,000+ |
| E-Series | Full wood, aluminum-clad, custom | Gliding, hinged, multi-panel/bifold | $6,000-$15,000+ |
| 400 Series | Wood core, vinyl Perma-Shield cladding | Frenchwood gliding, hinged | $3,500-$6,500 |
| 200 Series | Wood core, Perma-Shield cladding, fewer options | Narroline/Perma-Shield gliding | $2,200-$4,000 |
| 100 Series | Fibrex composite throughout | Gliding | $1,600-$3,200 |
Prices assume standard 6-foot two-panel gliding doors with low-E dual-pane glass and professional installation into an existing rough opening. Larger 8-foot and multi-panel units, retrofit framing work, and upgrades like blinds-between-glass push numbers up fast.
400 Series: The Default Choice
The 400 Series Frenchwood gliding door is Andersen’s workhorse and the model most people mean when they say “an Andersen door.” It pairs a solid pine interior (paintable or stainable; oak and maple interiors optional) with Perma-Shield vinyl cladding outside — a rigid vinyl skin bonded over the wood that hasn’t fundamentally changed since Andersen introduced it in 1966, because it works. No exterior painting, ever, and rot protection at the sill where patio doors die.
Strong points: the Frenchwood profile gives you the wide, furniture-like stiles and rails of a French door in a gliding format; hardware options run from basic to Yuma bronze; and glass packages include High-Performance Low-E4, SmartSun (blocks 95% of UV), and HeatLock coatings. U-factors land around 0.28-0.30 for standard low-E dual pane — solid, not exceptional.
Weak points: exterior cladding comes in only a handful of colors (white, sandtone, terratone, forest green, black/dark bronze on some configurations), and Perma-Shield can’t be repainted. If you want an unusual exterior color, you’re shopping A-Series or E-Series money.
A-Series: The Premium Tier
The A-Series is Andersen’s architectural line: richer interior wood species (pine, maple, oak, cherry, mahogany, walnut), 11 exterior colors on a fiberglass-and-Fibrex composite exterior, bigger sizes, and both gliding and hinged French configurations with true divided-light options. Performance is the best in the residential lineup — triple-pane options push U-factors to about 0.20. Expect $5,500 minimum installed for a basic gliding unit and $8,000-$12,000 for large hinged French pairs with upgraded glass and hardware. Worth it for a design-driven build; overkill for a standard patio slider replacement.
200 Series and 100 Series: Budget Andersen
The 200 Series Perma-Shield gliding door is essentially a decontented 400: same wood-core, vinyl-clad construction, fewer sizes (mostly 6-foot two-panel), fewer colors (white and sandtone), simpler hardware. At $2,200-$4,000 installed it’s the value pick if the standard size fits your opening.
The 100 Series is different material entirely: Fibrex composite frames throughout, no wood interior. Fibrex is Andersen’s proprietary blend of about 40% reclaimed wood fiber and polymer — stiffer than vinyl, so frames are slimmer and glass area larger, and it won’t warp at dark exterior colors the way hollow vinyl can. A 100 Series gliding door runs $1,600-$3,200 installed and beats commodity vinyl doors on stiffness and warranty while costing only modestly more. It’s the sleeper in the lineup for rentals and budget remodels.
Fibrex: Marketing or Material?
Both. Fibrex is a genuine engineered composite, not repainted vinyl. Independent testing supports Andersen’s stiffness claims (roughly twice as rigid as PVC), and the wood fiber content gives it a lower thermal expansion coefficient, which is why Andersen confidently offers it in black. The honest caveat: it’s an exclusive material, so repairs and matching parts run through Andersen’s channel, and it doesn’t have the 50-year track record bare Perma-Shield has. Neither point should scare you off; both should be priced in.
Gliding vs Hinged: Which Configuration?
- Gliding (sliding): zero floor swing space, better for furniture-tight rooms, generally $800-$1,500 cheaper than hinged in the same series. Andersen’s gliders ride on adjustable dual ball-bearing rollers and are noticeably smoother than builder-grade sliders — a real, feelable difference.
- Hinged French (inswing or outswing): the traditional look, full clear opening when both panels open, better compression sealing against wind-driven rain. Needs 3+ feet of swing clearance. Outswing units seal tighter in storm-prone regions.
Whichever you choose, the opening prep and flashing details matter as much as the door — our patio door installation guide walks through sill pans, shimming, and why a $6,000 door leaks when it’s set on a bare subfloor.
Andersen vs Pella (Briefly)
The eternal showroom question. Short version: Andersen’s Perma-Shield/Fibrex exteriors are lower-maintenance than Pella’s painted aluminum cladding over the long haul, and Andersen’s gliding hardware is best-in-class. Pella counters with more exterior color flexibility, integrated between-glass blinds done better, and frequently sharper pricing at the mid-tier through Lowe’s. Both are top-quartile doors; installation quality decides more outcomes than brand. We compare the lines head-to-head in our Pella patio doors review.
Warranty and Service
Andersen’s standard coverage is 20 years on glass and 10 years on non-glass components, transferable to a new owner — among the better warranties in the category (100 Series carries the same 20/10 structure). Parts availability is a quiet Andersen advantage: because the 400 Series has been in continuous production for decades, rollers, locks, and weatherstrip for a 25-year-old door are stock items. That is emphatically not true of orphaned vinyl brands.
Buying Tips
- Get three bids, and make one a certified Andersen installer. Big-box installed pricing on 200/400 Series is often competitive, but complex openings favor a dedicated door contractor.
- Price the glass upgrade honestly. SmartSun adds $200-$400 per door and pays off on south- and west-facing exposures; skip it on shaded north walls.
- Measure for 8-foot ceilings. If your wall height allows, the 8-foot-tall (95.5-inch) 400 Series units transform a room for roughly 20-30% more money.
- Ask about retrofit vs full-frame. Replacing a slider inside the existing frame saves $500-$1,000 but hides rot. If the old sill is soft, pay for full-frame replacement.
- Order hardware and screens up front. Retrofit gliding screens and upgraded handles cost more as parts orders later.
FAQ
Are Andersen patio doors worth the money?
At the 100 and 200 Series level, yes almost unconditionally — the premium over commodity doors is small and the hardware and warranty are better. The 400 Series is worth it if you’ll own the home 10+ years. A-Series and E-Series are design purchases, justified by aesthetics rather than payback.
How long do Andersen patio doors last?
Perma-Shield doors from the 1980s are still in service routinely. Plan on 30+ years for the frame and panels, with rollers and weatherstrip refreshed every 10-15 years for $50-$150 in parts.
Can I install one myself?
A confident DIYer can set a gliding door in an existing square opening in a day. Hinged French pairs are less forgiving — racked jambs mean doors that never latch right. If the opening needs resizing or the home is older than the 1980s, hire it out.
Do Andersen doors come in black?
Yes — 100 Series and A-Series offer true black exteriors (Fibrex handles dark colors well), and the 400 Series gliding line offers a dark bronze/black exterior on select configurations. Pair the door style to your entry hardware and any nearby glass exterior door so the finishes read as one system.
Verdict
Buy the 400 Series Frenchwood gliding door if you want the safe, proven premium answer; the 100 Series if you want 80% of the performance at half the price; the A-Series if the architecture demands it. Skip only the temptation to buy any of them and cheap out on installation — flashing and sill prep are where patio doors succeed or fail.
