Why builders import aluminium doors direct
Large glazed doors are one of the biggest single line items in a modern Australian home, and one of the most heavily marked up. A wide aluminium sliding door or a three or four panel bifold, double-glazed and to a habitable-room spec, commonly runs $4,000 to $12,000 each through an Australian supplier, and a home with an alfresco opening, a courtyard door, and a couple of sliders can carry $25,000 to $50,000 in doors alone. Aluminium sliding doors from China, at the same specification, typically land at 50 to 70% below that.
The saving is a margin story, not a quality story. The larger Chinese factories that export to Australia, New Zealand, and the UK build to AS2047, glaze to AS1288, and offer double glazing and thermal breaks. The risk is in the detail: the wrong threshold, thin sections, or weak weather seals turn a cheap door into a callback. This guide covers the door types and what they cost to run, compliance, glazing and energy performance, the hardware and threshold details that decide whether a door lasts, the anti-dumping trap, and a realistic landed cost. Treat duty and standards detail as ranges to confirm with a customs broker and your certifier, because classifications and requirements change.
Sliding, stacking, or bifold: which door
The three common configurations for a large opening behave differently, and the choice affects both price and how the opening lives.
| Type | How it opens | Clear opening | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sliding (2 to 3 panel) | Panels slide behind each other | Up to about half the opening | Cheapest, simplest, always a fixed panel |
| Stacking slider | Multiple panels stack to one or both sides | More than a standard slider | More panels and tracks, higher cost |
| Bifold | Panels concertina and fold back | Nearly the full opening | Widest clear opening, most hardware, highest cost |
A standard slider is the value choice and the most weatherproof, but you never get more than about half the opening clear because one panel is fixed. A bifold opens almost the entire wall, which is why it suits alfresco connections, but it has more hardware, more seals, and a higher price and maintenance load. Stacking sliders sit in between. Match the door to how the space is actually used rather than defaulting to a bifold because it looks impressive.
Do Chinese aluminium doors meet AS2047?
The key standard for windows and glazed doors in Australia is AS2047, which covers structural performance, weatherproofing, and safety glazing for units installed in habitable rooms. It is a performance standard, so a door made in China complies if it has been tested and meets the criteria. Origin is not the test, evidence is.
What to demand before ordering:
- Test reports to AS2047 from a NATA-accredited laboratory for the specific door series, not a generic certificate.
- Wind load performance class matching your site's wind zone under AS4055. Coastal and exposed sites need higher-rated units, and large door panels see high loads.
- Safety glazing to AS1288. Full-height glazed doors are a high-risk location and require grade A safety glass, normally toughened or laminated. Our guide to shower screens and glass covers the same AS1288 principles.
If a factory cannot produce these, it does not belong on your shortlist. For the full compliance picture, see our AS2047 compliance guide and the windows and doors category page.
Double glazing, thermal breaks, and NCC energy ratings
The National Construction Code energy efficiency requirements have tightened, and large areas of glass are where a design gains or loses its rating. Two upgrades matter for aluminium doors:
- Double glazing. An insulated glass unit of two panes with a spacer and a sealed gap cuts heat transfer and noise. Chinese factories produce double-glazed doors routinely, but the seal quality on the insulated glass unit is what decides whether it fogs in a few years. Ask about the spacer type and the sealing system.
- Thermal breaks. Bare aluminium conducts heat, so a thermally broken frame places an insulating barrier between the inside and outside of the frame. It improves the U-value and reduces condensation on the frame, and it is often what gets a large opening across the line for NCC compliance.
Ask for U-value and Solar Heat Gain Coefficient figures for the exact door configuration, because your certifier needs them for the energy assessment. Some certifiers accept factory test data and some require Window Energy Rating Scheme figures, so confirm what yours needs before you order.
Thresholds, hardware, and the details that fail
This is where a cheap door reveals itself. The glass and the frame are rarely the problem. The moving parts and the sill are.
- Threshold and sill. A flush or low-profile sill looks clean and suits accessibility, but a fully flush sill sheds water less easily and needs good drainage detailing and grated channels outside. A standard raised sill weatherproofs more easily. Decide the trade-off deliberately and detail the drainage, because a flush sill on an exposed elevation is a common leak point.
- Rollers and tracks. On sliders, cheap rollers are the first thing to fail on a heavy panel. Specify stainless or heavy-duty rollers rated for the panel weight, and a stainless or capped track.
- Bifold hardware. Bifolds live or die on their hinges, top-hung or bottom-rolling carriages, and alignment. Specify quality hardware and confirm the system is rated for the panel size and weight.
- Weather seals. Brush and bubble seals keep water and air out. Thin or poorly fitted seals are a frequent cause of draughts and leaks. Check the seal specification and condition at inspection.
Every one of these should be on the pre-shipment inspection checklist. Open and close every panel, check the seals seat, and confirm the hardware matches the schedule.
Anti-dumping on aluminium: the bill to check for
Aluminium doors carry the same anti-dumping risk as aluminium windows. Australia has active measures on certain Chinese aluminium extrusions, the profiles that form door and window frames, and where they apply the additional duty can run from a few per cent to over thirty per cent of the goods value. It is assessed separately from ordinary customs duty and is not removed by ChAFTA.
The factory you choose therefore affects cost, not just quality. Cooperating exporters with an established Australian track record often have lower, company-specific duty rates, while unknown factories can attract the high residual rate. Confirm exposure with your customs broker before you order, and read our guide to anti-dumping duties on Chinese aluminium windows. For how clearance and duty are handled at the wharf, see our customs clearance guide.
What aluminium doors cost landed
For a set of three doors, a four-panel bifold of about 3.6m, a two-panel slider of about 2.4m, and a single hinged door, double-glazed and to AS2047:
| Item | Range (AUD) |
|---|---|
| Factory price (three doors, FOB) | $4,500–$9,000 |
| Crating and export packaging | $500–$900 |
| Sea freight (shared container) | $700–$1,400 |
| Customs duty (subject to anti-dumping check) | confirm with broker |
| GST (10% of value plus duty plus freight) | $600–$1,150 |
| Clearance and delivery | $600–$1,000 |
| Total landed | roughly $7,000–$13,500 |
The same three doors at the same specification through an Australian supplier commonly retail for $18,000 to $35,000. The duty line is left open deliberately, because anti-dumping exposure is the variable that can move the total, which is exactly why it is worth confirming before you commit. For the freight side, see our container shipping cost guide, and for the general process our guide to importing windows and doors.
Common mistakes when importing aluminium doors
Defaulting to a bifold. Bifolds open the widest but cost the most, carry the most hardware, and need more maintenance. A stacking slider often gives most of the opening for less.
Specifying a flush sill without detailing drainage. A fully flush threshold on an exposed wall is a common leak point. Either detail the external drainage properly or accept a low raised sill.
Skimping on rollers and hardware. Heavy glazed panels punish cheap rollers and hinges. Specify heavy-duty, weight-rated hardware and check it at inspection.
Accepting a generic AS2047 claim. Ask for the performance class and the NATA-accredited test report for the specific series, matched to your wind zone.
Ignoring anti-dumping. It is separate from ordinary duty, not covered by ChAFTA, and can dwarf every other cost on the wrong aluminium. Confirm with your broker before ordering.
Ordering too late. Doors are on the critical path for lock-up. Custom units take 30 to 50 days to make plus shipping, so order the moment the specification is locked.
Frequently asked questions
Can I import aluminium sliding doors from China to Australia? Yes. The larger export factories build to AS2047 and glaze to AS1288, and doors are freely importable. Confirm anti-dumping exposure on the aluminium with a customs broker before ordering, and demand test documentation for the specific door series.
Are Chinese aluminium doors compliant with Australian standards? They can be. AS2047 is a performance standard, so a Chinese door complies if it has been tested to it. Ask for the NATA-accredited test report, the wind load performance class for your site, and AS1288 safety glazing.
Should I choose sliding or bifold doors? A slider is cheaper and more weatherproof but never clears more than about half the opening. A bifold opens nearly the whole wall but costs more and has more hardware to maintain. A stacking slider sits between the two.
How much can I save importing doors direct? At the same specification, aluminium doors from China typically land at 50 to 70% below Australian retail, before installation. Anti-dumping duty on the aluminium is the main variable, so model it before you order.
Threadline sources aluminium sliding, stacking, and bifold doors from audited factories with AS2047 documentation, checks anti-dumping exposure before quoting, and runs a full pre-shipment inspection on the hardware and seals. See the windows and doors category page or our guide to importing windows and doors, and start a request with your door schedule.
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