How do I fix a sagging cabinet door?
Tighten the hinge screws first. If the door still hangs low, use the adjustment screws on the hinge and mounting plate to raise it, a quarter turn at a time. If a screw spins without tightening, fill the hole with glued toothpicks or a dowel, let it dry and redrive the screw.
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By Kasra Taheri, Founder, LoclisPublished
Researched and drafted with AI, then checked claim by claim against the sources listed below before it was published. Prices and rules change; the dates beside each source say when it was last checked.
Step by step
Read when to stop and call a pro, further down this page, before you start.
Step 1: Find the loose part
Open the door and press down on its outer corner to see whether the hinge, the screws or the cabinet frame is moving.
Step 2: Tighten the screws
Snug each hinge screw on the door and on the cabinet with a hand screwdriver, stopping when it is snug.
Step 3: Loosen the mounting plate screws
On a concealed hinge, if the mounting plate is a one-piece wing plate, slightly loosen its screws before adjusting height.
Step 4: Raise the door
Rotate the cam screw on the mounting plate, or slide a wing plate, to lift the door.[1] Change one adjustment at a time and close the door to check the gap.
Step 5: Set the side gap
Rotate the front screw on the hinge to change the door overlay by up to 2 mm either way.[1]
Step 6: Set the depth
Rotate the rear cam screw so the door sits flush with its neighbours.[1]
Step 7: Repair stripped holes
If a screw spins freely, fill the hole with toothpicks or a dowel dipped in wood glue, cut them flush and let the glue dry.
Step 8: Redrive the screws
Drive the screw back into the plugged hole and snug it without overtightening.[2]
Step 9: Recheck the gaps
Open and close the door several times and look for an even gap on all sides.
Most sagging cabinet doors need nothing more than a hinge adjustment. Tighten the hinge screws, then use the adjustment screws on the hinge and its mounting plate to lift the door back into line. If the screws spin without biting, the screw holes are stripped and need repairing first. Both fixes need only a screwdriver.
Work out why the door sags
A door drops for one of three reasons: the hinge screws have loosened, the screw holes in the cabinet have worn out, or the hinge has simply drifted out of adjustment. Open the door and press down gently on its outer corner. If the hinge or the cabinet frame moves, the screws are loose. If everything stays put but the door hangs crooked, it is an adjustment problem.
Tighten first
Start with the screws that hold each hinge to the door and to the cabinet. Use a hand screwdriver, not a drill, and stop when the screw is snug. Overtightening is how holes get stripped in the first place. Many sagging doors are fixed at this step alone.
Adjust a concealed (European-style) hinge
Most newer kitchen cabinets use a concealed hinge with a cup set into the back of the door and a mounting plate on the cabinet. These have separate screws for each direction. Blum's instructions for its CLIP hinge give the following:
- Depth: rotate the rear spiral tech cam screw to adjust the door position (+ 3/- 2 mm), loosening the rear screws on all hinges first for CLIP hinges, then retightening them.[1]
- Side: rotate the front screw to increase or decrease the door overlay (+/- 2 mm).[1]
- Height: on a cam-style mounting plate, rotate the cam screw on the mounting plate to adjust the door position (+/- 2 mm).[1] On a one-piece wing plate, loosen the screws on the mounting plate, adjust the door to position and tighten the screws (+/- 3 mm).[1]
Those ranges are small, which is the point: turn a screw a quarter turn, close the door and look at the gap before turning it again. For a door that droops at its outer corner, raise the hinge nearest the bottom of the door, or adjust the mounting plates on both hinges, and recheck the gap along the top edge. Other makers use similar controls in slightly different places, so if your hinge looks different, look for a model name stamped on the hinge arm and the maker's instruction sheet.
Fix stripped screw holes
If a screw turns freely without tightening, the hole has worn out. Take the screw out and fill the hole with a few wooden toothpicks or a short piece of dowel dipped in wood glue, tap it in, cut it flush and let the glue dry. Then drive the screw back in. This works because a screw's holding power comes from the wood fibres gripping its threads. The Forest Products Laboratory says that, within limits, "the withdrawal load varies directly with the depth of penetration of the threaded portion and the diameter of the screw."[2] A fresh plug of wood gives the threads something to bite into again.
Particleboard cabinet boxes crumble more than solid wood, so use a slightly longer screw if the cabinet frame is thick enough, and do not overtighten. Where the whole hinge plate has pulled away from a thin side panel, the repair becomes a carpentry job.
Older hinges and warped doors
Older surface-mounted or butt hinges have no adjustment screws. Loosen them, shim behind the lower hinge with a thin piece of cardboard or a veneer strip to push the door up, and retighten. A door that has warped will not sit flat whatever you do to the hinges, and replacing the door may be the cleaner answer. If you are weighing larger repairs, see whether to repair or replace kitchen cabinets.
Stop and call a pro if
- The cabinet itself is pulling away. If the box is separating from the wall or the face frame is cracked, the problem is the cabinet, not the hinge.
- Several doors on a run sag together. That usually points to a cabinet that has racked or a wall that has moved.
- The home was built before 1978 and you plan to sand or strip the old finish. EPA says any renovation, repair or painting project in a pre-1978 home that has lead-based paint can easily create dangerous lead dust, and recommends hiring a lead-safe certified contractor.[3] Tightening a hinge is not that kind of job, but sanding is.
- The door or hinge is badly damaged. A cracked door panel or a hinge cup torn out of the door is a repair for a cabinetmaker or furniture repair pro.
Getting help in Virginia
For other cabinet and furniture jobs, see more furniture repair answers and browse cabinet repair pros. Cost questions are covered in how much cabinet repair costs in Virginia.
If the door will not stay fixed, describe the cabinet and local repair pros can quote it.
Common questions
- Why does my cabinet door keep sagging after I tighten the screws?
- Usually because the screw holes are stripped or the cabinet frame is crumbling around the screw. Fill the holes with glued toothpicks or a dowel, let them dry, and redrive the screws. If the frame itself is soft or split, the cabinet needs a repair.
- Can I adjust a cabinet hinge without taking the door off?
- Yes. Concealed hinges have adjustment screws that you can reach with the door open. Change one screw a quarter turn at a time and close the door to look at the gap.
- How much can a concealed hinge be adjusted?
- Not much. Blum lists about 2 mm of side adjustment, about 2 to 3 mm of height adjustment depending on the mounting plate, and +3/-2 mm of depth adjustment for its CLIP hinge. A door that is further out than that needs a different fix.
- What if my hinges have no adjustment screws?
- Loosen the hinge, shim behind the lower hinge with a thin piece of cardboard or veneer to raise the door, and retighten. If the door is warped, the hinges are not the cause.
- Should I replace the hinges or the door?
- Replace the hinges if they are bent, rusted or have worn pivots. Replace or repair the door if it is warped, cracked or the hinge cup has torn out of the door.
Sources
- [1] Euro hinge attachment and adjustment (CLIP top, LIT.HNG6200.10.10), Blum. Checked October 27, 2026.
- [2] Wood Handbook, Chapter 8: Fastenings (FPL-GTR-190), USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory. Checked October 27, 2026.
- [3] Lead-Safe Renovations for DIYers, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Checked October 27, 2026.
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