Pet Doors in Australia: How to Choose One

Start with the type of door or wall, then work through size, security, weather and cost. Each choice has a trade-off.

• Flap doors: one Australian retailer describes a plastic model with an ABS plastic frame, a soft vinyl flap with a magnetic closure and a lock-out slide, sold in a range of sizes. The trade-off is wear: the exterior flap takes the weather and UV, so it usually wears out first. The petdoors.com self-framing guide says thin or hollow-core doors (doors with a hollow centre) need to be framed out, and that this can be difficult without specific tools.^[2],[3],[4]
• Screen doors: a flyscreen pet door is sold on Pillar Products' Australian site and clamps onto an existing flyscreen. The trade-off is size, because the maker says it suits large cats and medium dog breeds.^[5]
• Electronic and microchip doors: these are designed to open only for a pet carrying a chip or collar key, which helps keep other animals out. The trade-off is a higher price than a simple flap, as the Cost point below shows.^[1],[6]
• Wall-mounted doors: one large aluminium door listed by an Australian retailer can be fitted to wooden doors, brick walls, PVC and metal doors. The trade-off is fitting: Bunnings lists installation into walls, including brick walls, as outside its installation service.^[7],[8]
• Glass doors: Bunnings lists pet door installation into single or double-glazed glass, screen and timber doors. The trade-off is that, according to one Australian installer guide, installers typically replace the existing glass with A-grade toughened safety glass that has a pet door built in, rather than cutting a hole in the glass you have. The Western Australian Department of Training and Workforce Development says licensing of glazing work applies in Queensland, NSW and South Australia and that local regulations should be checked, so check your state's current rules with its licensing authority. The pet doors for sliding doors page covers sliding doors, and the how to install a pet door guide covers the fitting steps.^{[9],[10],[11]}

• Door thickness: self-framing models (frames that wrap from the inside of the door to the outside) each have an adjustment range for how thin or thick a door they suit. Check your door against it first. Interior doors are most likely hollow core, and exterior doors are typically solid core.^[4]
• Size: measure your own pet, whether cat or dog, and compare it with the flap opening, not only the outer frame. Shoulder height and chest width are the usual measures. One large aluminium door lists a flap opening of 413mm x 260mm, a frame of 502mm x 329mm and a cut-out (the hole you make in the door) of 451mm x 277mm.^[7],[12]
• Who can use it: a lock-out slide lets you shut a simple flap door.^[2]
• Weather and wear: a pet door should stop wet and cold blowing in when it is closed. A new flap sits against the frame more tightly than a relaxed older one, and mixing the two can leave the seal uneven. Caulk the seam even with self-framing doors so moisture cannot get through.^[1],[3],[4]
• Cost: installation and product prices are separate. For installation, one Australian article says costs depend on the size of the door, the material, extra features and labour, and gives a range from under $50 for a simple screen flap to upwards of $900 for a glass door with added security. Bunnings lists installation from $249. The how to install a pet door guide covers what store fitting includes. For the products themselves, one Australian cost guide puts a flyscreen doggy door at about $20 and an electronic door at $250 to $300.^[6],[9],[10]

1. [1]How to choose a cat flap or dog door - BUILD.com.au (checked 2026-10-19)
2. [2]Ideal Pet Doors Plastic Pet Door (checked 2026-10-19)
3. [3]Watchdog Steel Security Cover for Pet Doors, 3 Sizes (checked 2026-10-19)
4. [4]How to Install a Dog Door with a Self Framing Pet Door (checked 2026-10-19)
5. [5]Flyscreen Pet Door - Pillar Products (checked 2026-10-19)
6. [6]Cost of Pet Door Installation (checked 2026-10-19)
7. [7]PetSafe Staywell Aluminium Pet Door 640 Large - Mega Pet Warehouse (checked 2026-10-19)
8. [8]Pet Door - In-Screen or Timber Installation (checked 2026-10-19)
9. [9]Pet Door Installation (checked 2026-10-19)
10. [10]The best dog door installers in Canberra | Region Canberra (checked 2026-10-19)
11. [11]Certificate III in Glass and Glazing Qualification Endorsement - Department of Training and Workforce Development (checked 2026-10-19)
12. [12]How to Determine Which Size PetSafe® Sliding Glass Door- 1 Piece is Needed (checked 2026-10-19)
13. [13]Electronic SmartDoor™ Pet Door | PetSafe® Australia (checked 2026-10-19)

Drafted with AI assistance from the sources listed, then fact-checked and edited by the PouchMe team. PouchMe researches products from published information; we have not tested them ourselves.