How to Adjust Cabinet Doors and Drawers
Your cabinets are installed, but the doors look slightly crooked and some drawers don't line up. This is completely normal. No installation is perfect straight out of the box. This step is where you transform good cabinet installation into great cabinet installation—with precise adjustments that make everything align beautifully.
Quick Summary
Time needed
2-3 hours
Cost
$0-$30
Difficulty
Easy
The Difference Between DIY and Pro Results
Walk into any professionally installed kitchen and look at the cabinet doors. The gaps are perfectly even. Doors align across their full height. Drawer fronts line up with adjacent doors. This doesn't happen by accident—it's the result of careful adjustment after installation.
The Reality: Even with perfectly level cabinets, doors and drawers need adjustment. Hinges shift during shipping. Drawer boxes settle. Face frames have tiny variations. The adjustment phase is where you fix all of this. Skip it, and your kitchen looks "almost right"—forever.
The good news? Modern European hinges make this easy. You don't need special tools or skills. Just patience and attention to detail.
Step-by-Step Adjustment Process
1. Assess What Needs Adjusting
Stand back and look at your cabinets with fresh eyes. What jumps out as misaligned?
Common Issues to Look For:
- •Doors sitting higher or lower than adjacent doors
- •Gaps between doors that vary in width
- •Doors that stick out farther than they should
- •Drawer fronts that don't align with doors
- •Doors that won't close completely
- •Doors that swing open on their own
Pro Tip: Take photos of your cabinets from straight on. Sometimes misalignment is easier to see in photos than in person. Mark problem doors with small pieces of painter's tape so you don't forget which ones need work.
2. Understanding European Hinge Adjustments
Most modern cabinets use European (concealed) hinges. These have three adjustment directions.
Height Adjustment (Up/Down)
Controls vertical position of the door.
- • Usually the screw closest to the hinge cup
- • Raises or lowers the entire door
- • Adjust both hinges equally to maintain alignment
Depth Adjustment (In/Out)
Moves door closer to or farther from cabinet face.
- • Usually the screw on the hinge arm
- • Pulls door flush with face frame or pushes it out
- • Critical for getting doors to close properly
Side Adjustment (Left/Right)
Shifts door horizontally along the cabinet.
- • Usually the screw on the hinge plate
- • Adjusts gap between door and frame
- • Fine-tunes alignment between adjacent doors
3. Adjust Door Height
Start with vertical alignment. Doors should line up with each other at both top and bottom.
Height Adjustment Process:
- 1.Open the door you're adjusting
- 2.Locate the height adjustment screw on each hinge
- 3.Turn screw slightly (1/4 turn at a time)
- 4.Close door and check alignment with adjacent doors
- 5.Repeat small adjustments until perfectly aligned
- 6.Adjust both hinges equally to prevent door twist
Important: Make small adjustments. A 1/4 turn moves the door more than you think. Big adjustments lead to overcorrection, then you're chasing it back and forth. Slow and steady wins here.
4. Adjust Door Depth and Alignment
Once height is right, fine-tune how the door sits relative to the cabinet face.
For Doors That Won't Close:
- •Adjust depth screw to move door back toward cabinet
- •Check that door isn't hitting adjacent door
- •Verify nothing inside cabinet is blocking door
For Uneven Gaps:
- •Use side adjustment to shift door left or right
- •Aim for 1/8 inch gap all around (thickness of a nickel)
- •Check multiple points—top, middle, and bottom
5. Adjust Drawer Fronts
Drawer fronts are typically screwed to the drawer box from inside, allowing easy repositioning.
Drawer Front Adjustment:
- 1.Pull drawer fully out
- 2.Locate screws attaching front to drawer box (inside)
- 3.Loosen screws slightly—don't remove completely
- 4.Slide drawer front to align with adjacent doors
- 5.Check level and gap consistency
- 6.Hold front in position and retighten screws from inside
Smart Trick: Use painter's tape on adjacent doors as reference lines. Place tape along the edges where your drawer front should align. This gives you a visual target while adjusting from inside the drawer.
6. Test and Fine-Tune
Open and close every door and drawer multiple times. Issues often only show up with repeated operation.
Final Checklist:
Common Problems and Solutions
Door Swings Open on Its Own
Cause: Cabinet isn't level. Even slight forward tilt causes doors to drift.
Fix: Check cabinet level with a 4-foot level. Re-shim base cabinets or adjust wall mounting for uppers until perfectly level.
Gap Between Doors Varies
Cause: Door is higher on one side than the other (twisted).
Fix: Adjust one hinge more than the other. Raise the low side or lower the high side until gap is consistent top to bottom.
Door Won't Stay Closed
Cause: Soft-close mechanism not engaging, or hinge too loose.
Fix: Tighten hinge screws. If soft-close, check that mechanism isn't damaged. May need depth adjustment to ensure door closes far enough to catch.
Drawer Front Is Crooked
Cause: Front not attached squarely to drawer box.
Fix: Loosen mounting screws, use a level on the drawer front, adjust until perfectly level, then retighten. Have someone else verify alignment from outside while you hold it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the three adjustment screws on European cabinet hinges?
European hinges have three adjustment points: 1) Height adjustment (up/down) moves the door vertically along the cabinet, 2) Depth adjustment (in/out) moves the door closer to or farther from the cabinet face, and 3) Side adjustment (left/right) shifts the door horizontally. Each screw is clearly visible on the hinge plate—consult your hinge manual for which screw does what, as positions vary by brand.
How do I fix a cabinet door that won't close all the way?
If a door won't close fully, first check if something inside the cabinet is blocking it. If not, the issue is usually the depth adjustment—the door is sitting too far forward. Use the depth screw on the hinge to move the door back toward the cabinet. Also verify the door isn't hitting an adjacent door or the face frame. For soft-close hinges, make sure the mechanism isn't damaged or misaligned.
What size should the gap be between cabinet doors?
Standard reveal (gap) between cabinet doors and around door edges should be 1/8 inch (about the thickness of a nickel). This gap allows doors to open without rubbing while maintaining a clean, professional appearance. If your cabinets have inset doors (doors that sit inside the frame), gaps are typically smaller, around 1/16 inch. Use painter's tape as a temporary spacer when adjusting.
How do I align drawer fronts with cabinet doors?
Drawer fronts are typically attached with screws from inside the drawer box, allowing adjustment. Loosen (don't remove) the screws, slide the front to align with adjacent doors, check that it's level, then retighten while holding it in position. Use painter's tape on adjacent doors as reference points. The reveal around drawer fronts should match the reveal around your doors—typically 1/8 inch.
Why does my cabinet door swing open by itself?
A door that swings open on its own means the cabinet isn't level. Even a slight tilt forward causes doors to drift open. Check the cabinet with a level—you may need to re-shim. Alternatively, if just one door swings, the hinge might be loose. Tighten all hinge screws. For soft-close hinges, verify the mechanism is engaging properly—a failed soft-close can cause swing.
Ready for the Next Step?
Doors and drawers are perfectly aligned. Time to add the final touch—installing handles, pulls, and any remaining hardware.