How to Install a Pet Door: Timber, Screen and Glass Doors

• A pet door sized for your pet. The buying guide linked above covers measuring and sizing.
• The step-over height. This is the height of the bottom of the pet door above the ground, which your pet has to step over to get through.^[3]
• Your door's thickness. Pet doors suit a stated thickness range. PetSafe Australia says its Electronic SmartDoor suits panelled, wood, metal or PVC doors 32 mm to 51 mm thick. Check the range for your model.^[4]
• A spirit level, a drill, a 10 mm drill bit for the corner hole and a 4 mm bit for the fastening holes, as used in an Australian handyman guide for a timber door.^[5]
• A jigsaw and the other tools your model's instructions list. One maker's guide for fitting a cat door in a metal door lists a jigsaw, drill, tape measure, Phillips screwdriver, sandpaper, masking tape, pencil, ruler and level.^[6]
• Exterior-grade caulk for sealing the outside edges, and masking tape if your door has a recessed panel.^[7],[8]

1. 1Check what your door is made of. One maker says wooden and composite doors are generally the easiest to work with, while brick, metal or glass may need additional tools or professional help.^[9]
2. 2Confirm that your door's thickness sits inside the model's stated range, and choose the step-over height that suits your pet.^[3],[4]
3. 3Mark the base line. An Australian handyman guide says the base should be no higher than tummy height so the animal can pass through easily, and to use a spirit level to mark the base cut-out line while the door is still on its hinges.^[5]
4. 4Mark the sides and top from your model's template or instructions. The same guide's example for a 230 mm wide pet door is 115 mm either side of the centre, with two vertical lines 265 mm long. Double-check that the opening is centred and the heights are right, then trace around the template with a pencil.^[5],[8]
5. 5Check the edge clearance in your own model's instructions before you mark the final cut lines.
6. 6Support and clamp the door. One maker suggests laying it on a pair of sawhorses and clamping or weighing it down so it cannot move.^[6]
7. 7Drill a hole in one corner of the rectangle, keeping it inside the lines for a neat finish. The Australian handyman guide uses a 10 mm hole here, so use the drill size in your own model's instructions. One maker says to put the jigsaw blade into the hole so it goes right through the door, then cut along the marked line, using a blade that suits the door material and a new one if possible.^[5],[6],[8]
8. 8Mark the fastening bolt positions. The Australian handyman guide drills 4 mm clearance holes at each one. Use the drill sizes in your own model's instructions.^[5]
9. 9On a timber door, the handyman guide says to paint all cut surfaces to protect the timber, then fit the internal and external parts tightly against the door. One maker says the side with the flap system faces outside, with the flap hinge towards the top. Check which way round your own model goes in its instructions.^[5],[8]
10. 10Fasten the frames with the supplied screws. One maker warns to go carefully with an electric or battery screwdriver, because over-tightening can damage the frame.^[8]
11. 11Seal the outside. One maker says to apply exterior-grade caulk where the tunnel meets the exterior frame and where the frame meets the door. Where there is a recessed panel, another maker says to tape the door and frame, fill with caulk and remove the tape.^[7],[8]

Metal doors. The maker of one microchip cat door says you need to buy its installation adaptor to fit it into a metal or metal core door. It also says not to cut the tunnel, because key components sit inside it and any change affects how it works.^[6]

Screen or security screen door. A listing for one medium security-screen pet door from an Australian retailer gives a cut-out of 375 mm high by 285 mm wide. It says the door can be fitted without taking the security screen door off, and can fit a standard insect screen door using a support L bracket sold separately.^[10]

Mesh flyscreen door. One maker's flyscreen pet door guide walks through measuring and marking the position, separating the door frame, aligning both sides and securing them through the mesh with screws.^[11]

Glass door. A pet door can go in a glass door, but glass may need additional tools or professional help, and Australian installers say toughened safety glass usually needs a custom replacement panel with the pet door built in. Consider a professional for the cutting or the new panel. Some makers offer other options. SureFlap says its Microchip Pet Door Connect needs a circular hole in the glass, with an optimum size of 300 mm and a limit of 320 mm. PetSafe Australia lists a Big Cat Small Dog Door Glass Installation Adaptor.^{[1],[2],[9],[12],[13]}

Bunnings lists an in-home pet door installation service for screen and timber doors. The service is available only for compatible products bought from Bunnings, and for glass doors the listing says to contact your local Bunnings store. Before any glass is altered, check which local regulations apply to your door.^{[14],[15],[16]}

• Fitting a pet door to a door that leads to an unfenced swimming pool. The warnings for one security-screen pet door say it is not to be fitted on any such door. Read the warnings for your model.^[10]
• Forgetting that a pet door can let in more than your pet. The warnings for one security-screen pet door say it may increase the risk of theft or damage by an intruder or unwanted animal. Home security is covered in the dog doors guide at Pet Doors for Dogs: Flap, Electronic or Screen-Door Models.^[10]

1. [1]Sydney Wide Pet Doors | Pet Door Installation Sydney (checked 2026-10-19)
2. [2]The best dog door installers in Canberra | Region Canberra (checked 2026-10-19)
3. [3]Installing a Dog Door in a Sliding Glass Door | How To Video (checked 2026-10-19)
4. [4]Electronic SmartDoor™ Pet Door | PetSafe® Australia (checked 2026-10-19)
5. [5]Install a pet door (checked 2026-10-19)
6. [6]How to Install the PetSafe® Microchip Cat Door in a Metal or Metal Core Door (checked 2026-10-19)
7. [7]How to Install My PetSafe® Big Cat Door (checked 2026-10-19)
8. [8]Door-Mount Installation - RANGER Pet Doors Canada (checked 2026-10-19)
9. [9]Cat Doors, Flaps, & Electronic Cat Doors | PetSafe® (checked 2026-10-19)
10. [10]Stone Beige Petway Pet Door for Security Screens - Medium | Prime Dog Doors (checked 2026-10-19)
11. [11]Flyscreen Pet Door - Pillar Products (checked 2026-10-19)
12. [12]Microchip Pet Door Connect - Support (checked 2026-10-19)
13. [13]Dog Doors | PetSafe Australia (checked 2026-10-19)
14. [14]Pet Door Installation (checked 2026-10-19)
15. [15]Pet Door - In-Screen or Timber Installation (checked 2026-10-19)
16. [16]Certificate III in Glass and Glazing Qualification Endorsement - Department of Training and Workforce Development (checked 2026-10-19)
17. [17]Glazing work (checked 2026-10-19)
18. [18]ABLIS | Enabling business (checked 2026-10-19)
19. [19]Making changes to a rental property (checked 2026-10-19)
20. [20]How to Install a Dog Door with a Self Framing Pet Door (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.