La Jolla’s older homes were built with French doors and ocean views in mind — not with a screen door that blocks either one.
Book your measure visit for La Jolla.
Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars from 95 Google reviews. Mobile service — we come to you. Hablamos español.
The View Is the Reason You Bought Here
A lot of La Jolla homes were built around the ocean, and the door onto that view usually got the best opening in the house. A conventional screen door sits parked across that opening every day whether you are using it or not — it becomes part of the view, permanently. A Phantom retractable screen rolls into a slim housing at the edge of the frame. Pull it across when you want the airflow, roll it back when you do not, and the rest of the time the opening is just glass and whatever is on the other side of it.
French Doors and Odd Entries Nobody Stocks a Screen For
Older La Jolla homes tend to have original French doors, in-swing doors, or single entry doors sized to whatever the builder had in mind at the time — not to a standard slider width. Conventional screen doors are built for a short list of stock sizes, which is exactly why so many of these openings have never had a screen at all. Phantom is made to measure, so it is built after we have your actual opening in hand: French pairs, in-swing doors, single entries, all of it.
What a Measure Visit Actually Involves
We come to the house — the van does the driving, not you. We measure the exact opening, note the frame material and condition, and talk through mesh and housing color. Our Phantom prices are published rather than held back for an appointment: $795 installed for a single door up to 48 inches, $1,495 for a double up to 96 inches, and a quote after measuring for anything wider.
What it costs
We publish our Phantom prices instead of making you sit through an appointment to hear one. A Phantom Legacy single door is $795 installed on an opening up to 48 inches wide. A double Phantom — two units meeting in the middle, which is what most French door and patio openings take — is $1,495 installed on an opening up to 96 inches. Phantom XL for wide multi-panel openings up to 15 feet, and motorized patio screens up to 40 feet, are quoted after we measure, because those openings vary too much to price off a chart. Service or repair on a retractable door already in place is $195 plus parts. Those are installed prices, not the cost of a unit shipped to your door. Phantom warranties every part of the unit except the mesh, and we warranty our labor for one year. See every Phantom model and price.
Timeline: Honest Numbers, Not a Sales Pitch
The measure visit itself usually happens within a few days of booking. After that, a standard-color single or double door is typically ready to install in about a week. An XL opening runs closer to four weeks. A special color order takes about eight weeks, since it is built to order rather than pulled off a shelf. If anyone tells you a custom retractable screen door can be measured and installed in a couple of days, they are describing the measure visit, not the install.
We Also Handle the Regular Screen Work
Phantom installs are one part of what we do across San Diego County every week — the crew that installs your retractable door is the one you call if it ever needs service later. For comparison, a standard sliding screen door service (new mesh, rollers cleaned and lubed, track cleaned, door re-hung) runs $159, and a new conventional sliding screen door runs $395 to $595 depending on size; a Phantom door is a different product built to your opening, which is why it starts with a measure rather than a number. If you have both — a retractable door on the ocean-facing opening and a conventional sliding screen somewhere else in the house — we can quote and service both on the same visit. We are a mobile business and hablamos español — call (619) 330-5221 to book.
What happens when you call
- Book a measure visit — usually within a few days.
- We measure your exact opening and check the frame for corrosion or damage.
- Standard-color single or double doors are usually ready in about a week; XL openings run about four weeks, special colors about eight.
- We install, show you how to use it, and stay on for service afterward.
What neighbors say
“Alex was a true craftsman. He made sure my new screen door slid and moved perfectly, and considering he had to make it fit French doors from the 1980s I’m sure it was a challenge!”
— Dino C., 5★ on Google
Read all of our Google reviews →
Phantom Screen Door Questions in La Jolla
How much does a Phantom retractable screen door cost?
The measure visit confirms the width, the model and the fit — it is not where you first hear a number. Pricing depends on the size, whether it is a single or double door, and the color, and the only way to get a real number is a measure visit — there is no stock size to quote off a shelf.
How long does it take to get one installed?
Plan on a measure visit within a few days of booking, then about a week for a standard-color single or double door, about four weeks for an XL opening, and about eight weeks for a special color. A promise of a custom door installed within days is describing the measure visit, not the finished job.
Will it fit our French doors?
Yes — French doors are one of the openings Phantom is specifically made for. It is measured to the exact pair of doors and their swing, which is more than most conventional screen options can say.
What about an odd-sized or in-swing entry door?
That is exactly the kind of opening a made-to-measure screen solves. Since Phantom is built after we measure your actual door, size and swing direction are not a problem the way they are for a stock screen.
Will the screen block our ocean view when we are not using it?
No — when it is not pulled across, the screen sits rolled into a slim housing at the edge of the frame, so the opening is just glass and whatever is beyond it. It only covers the opening when you pull it there yourself.
One less thing standing between you and the view.
Nearby and related: how Phantom retractable screens work · La Jolla window screens · Del Mar · Pacific Beach