How to Adjust Cabinet Doors

If you are annoyed by scraping, bumping, or misaligned bathroom or kitchen cabinet doors, you may need to adjust the doors. Cabinet hinge adjustment is one of the easiest, cheapest fixes you can make to your kitchen and bathroom. It’s also a DIY kitchen cabinet project that you need to do regularly since cabinet doors will fall out of adjustment after enough time. All you need to adjust cabinet doors is a screwdriver, a hammer, and possibly some replacement screws. Learn how to adjust cabinet hinges quickly to restore door alignment.

Before You Begin

Check your hinge type before you begin. Most cabinets today have fully adjustable hinges with three directional adjustments: up and down, side to side, and in and out (or depth). Most hinges have mechanisms for side-to-side and depth adjustments, while some are adjusted up and down using the screws that mount the hinges to the cabinet. Others have a mechanism for this, too, and you don’t have to loosen the mounting screws.

In the past, this type of adjustment was only found on select frameless cabinets. But now almost all cabinets have adjustable hinges. If each of your hinges has two or more screws in addition to the mounting screws, you have fully adjustable hinges.

Make sure the mounting screws are secure before you start because if they are not, this can cause movement of the cabinet door in the hinge.

Tip

The only tool you need for adjusting cabinet doors is a standard Phillips-head screwdriver with a #2 screw tip (there are different sizes). Don’t use a power drill with a screwdriver bit because the force of the drill can easily strip screw heads or strip out the cabinet wood.

What You’ll Need

Equipment / Tools

• Phillips-head screwdriver
• Hammer

Materials

• Screws

Instructions

How to Adjust a Cabinet Door Up or Down

Cabinet doors that need vertical or up-to-down adjustment are most common because gravity and frequent use will cause cabinet doors to sag on their hinges.

1. Tighten Loose Mounting ScrewsOpen the cabinet door and look at the part of the hinge attached to the cabinet box. Two screws, located at the top and bottom of the hinge, mount the hinge to the cabinet. Turn these screws clockwise to make sure the door is secure.Often, if the issue is more about loose rather than misaligned cabinet doors, this will solve the problem. If not, move on to the next step.
2. Locate the Adjustment ScrewsIf the door is still too high or low, look for screws on the hinge that allow you to adjust the door up and down. These are characterized by two oval holes on the cabinet hinge that allow some play between the hinge and the screws.
3. Loosen the ScrewsLoosen the two mounting screws on both hinges, but only slightly. Often, turning the screw a quarter-turn or less counter-clockwise is enough to loosen the screws enough to let you move the door. It’s preferable to have the screws too tight than too loose.
4. Adjust the Door
   • Gently close the cabinet door.
   • With the door still closed, adjust the cabinet door to the desired height.
   
5. Open the DoorOpen the cabinet door again, being careful not to jostle the door out of position.
6. Retighten the Screws
   • Retighten the screws by hand.
   • Close the door and check its position.
   

How to Adjust a Cabinet Door Side to Side

Use the side-to-side adjustment feature on the hinges to move the door right or left to align the door with its neighbor or with the edges of the cabinet box. You can adjust one or both hinges on each door, depending on how much correction it needs.

• If the door seems to be tilting down to the right, turn the side-to-side screw on the top hinge so the hinge pulls closer to the side of the cabinet box, thus moving the top of the door to the left.
• If that doesn’t quite do it, adjust the side-to-side screw on the bottom hinge to move the hinge away from the cabinet box, moving the bottom of the door to the right.

How to Adjust a Cabinet Door In or Out

Use the depth adjustment screw to move the door in and out in relation to the cabinet box.

• Push the door inward or pull it outward to the desired location. Then, tighten the screw to hold the door in place.
• If the door doesn’t meet the box at the top, adjust the top hinge toward the cabinet and/or adjust the bottom hinge away from the cabinet.
• If the door is gapped at the bottom, do the reverse.
• Close the door after each minor adjustment to make sure you’re moving it in the right direction and to see if it needs more adjustment. This is a trial-and-error process, and fine-tuning is usually needed.

Tip

Because wood doors can warp a bit with seasonal humidity changes,¹ a door may pull away from the box at the top or bottom rather than meet the box flush when the door is closed, causing the door to bounce when it closes.

FAQ

• How do you adjust surface-mount cabinet hinges?Surface-mount hinges that mount to the front of the cabinet face frame may have some up-and-down adjustment provided by elongated screw holes for the mounting screws. Otherwise, non-adjustable hinges can be moved to reposition the doors. A mark will be left behind in the hinge’s old spot. Since the hinge is located on the inside of the door, this won’t be so obvious.
• What if there is a gap along the edge of the door that shows the frame?The visible gap along any edge of a door or drawer front is called a reveal and this is normal. When you’re checking a door for proper alignment, you’re usually also checking the reveals, since they form the dark, noticeable lines between cabinet elements. The width of the reveal is your choice, but it’s usually limited by the hinge’s capacities.
• What if several cabinet doors in a row don’t look right?Adjusting one cabinet door may throw off the look of an entire row of cabinet doors. You may need to tweak all doors a bit so they work well together and show consistent spacing. This may require a compromise between aligning the outside door edge with the outside of the cabinet and aligning the inside edge with the neighboring door. Stand back a few feet and view the cabinets as a collection. A laser level can help you draw temporary vertical or horizontal lines that run across several cabinet doors at once.