Screens for French Doors: 4 Options, Costs and Fit

Buyer’s guide · 3 min read · Updated October 2026

Yes, French doors can have screens. The four common options are retractable, magnetic mesh, hinged and sliding, and which one fits depends mostly on whether your doors swing in or out.

For most pairs, a retractable screen is the one that works with either swing and disappears when you do not need it. A magnetic mesh is the cheap way to try one for a season.

Chart of which screen fits which French door: retractable works with inswing and outswing doors, magnetic mesh works with both, hinged screen doors fit inswing doors only, sliding screens fit sliding French doors only — Check the swing first, since it rules some options out. Source: Doors and Beyond, May 2026.

Table of Contents

The four options

Doors and Beyond’s comparison lays out each one.

Retractable. Two panels sit in slim casings on each side of the frame, glide along a top track and meet at a center magnet, then roll back into the housing. They work with inswing and outswing doors, because the screen never touches the door leaves.

Magnetic mesh. Two mesh panels attach with hook-and-loop tape or adhesive strips, and magnetic edges close after someone walks through.

Hinged screen door. It mounts outside the French door frame and swings inward. It suits inswing doors and does not work with outswing ones.

Sliding screen. It is built for sliding-style French doors, not for swinging pairs.

What each one costs

Cost card for French door screens: magnetic mesh screens cost 30 to 120 dollars and often last one to two seasons, retractable screens run about 300 to 800 dollars or more installed for a standard double opening — Retractables cost most but last longest. Source: Doors and Beyond, May 2026.

Doors and Beyond puts magnetic mesh at $30 to $120, installed in under 30 minutes with no tools. Wind can make the panels billow and separate, and most last one to two seasons.

A professionally installed retractable runs about $300 to $800 or more for a standard double opening. The article says retractables fit openings up to 128 inches wide and 108 inches tall.

Both figures come from a retailer’s blog, so get a quote for your own doors.

If your doors swing out

Apollo Screen & Shade says retractable screens for outswing doors go on the inside of the home, which leaves room for the door to swing out.

Hinged screens are the one to skip here. Doors and Beyond states that for any outswing installation, hinged screens are not workable, though its own table is inconsistent on hinged compatibility, so confirm with the maker before you buy.

A garden patio with plants seen through an open glass door — A retractable screen keeps the view clear when it is rolled away. Photo: Lydia Griva on Pexels.

Pick the mesh too

Apollo lists three mesh types: standard mesh for insects, solar mesh for UV and privacy mesh for shade and privacy. Choose by what the door faces, not just by bugs.

My pick · George Anderson

If the door is the one you use every day, I would pay for a retractable and have it installed. If it is a seasonal door on a patio you open twice a month, a magnetic mesh is fine until you know how much you use it.

Before you buy

Note which way the doors swing, and whether there is a handle or hardware on the outside.
Measure the opening width and height against the screen’s maximum size.
Ask whether the screen mounts inside or outside the door frame.
Ask what the warranty covers, since makers often warrant the retractable mechanism.
Pick the mesh type: insect, solar or privacy.

To see how the retractable type works in more detail, read whether retractable screens are made for French doors. If you are weighing a different door style, how French doors compare with sliding patio doors covers that.