Door Repair Cost: Sticking Doors, Hinges, Locks and Sliding Closets

For small, common fixes, most homeowners pay somewhere around $75 to $250 per door, depending on the problem and whether parts are needed. Adjusting or tightening hinges, fixing a strike plate so the door latches, or swapping a worn doorknob usually sits at the lower end of that range. Planing a swollen door edge, replacing hinges, or rehanging a door on a sliding track tends to land in the middle or upper part.

Bigger jobs cost more. Replacing an interior slab door (the door itself, reusing the existing frame) often runs a few hundred dollars once you include the new door, hinge mortises, hardware holes and paint. A full prehung door with a new frame can typically reach $500 to $1,000 or more for labor and materials, especially for exterior doors. Hardware is a separate variable: a basic passage knob costs far less than a smart lock or a heavy-duty deadbolt.

Many handymen quote by the job instead of by the hour for door work, because the time is fairly predictable once they see the door. A photo of the problem door, the hinge side and the latch side is often enough for a close estimate.

The most common cause of a sticking door is a loose top hinge. Over time the screws pull out of the soft wood of the jamb, the door sags at the latch side, and the top corner starts rubbing the frame. The usual fix is to tighten the screws or replace one or two short screws with longer ones that bite into the framing behind the jamb. That alone fixes a surprising number of doors.

If the hinges are tight and the door still rubs, the door may have swollen from humidity or the house may have settled a bit. In that case the edge can be planed or sanded where it rubs, then sealed or painted so the bare wood does not soak up more moisture. Sealing the top and bottom edges matters too, since those are often left unfinished from the factory.

A door that rubs at the bottom (dragging on new flooring or carpet) usually needs to be taken off its hinges and trimmed. That is a little more work, but still a routine repair.

Squeaky hinges are the easiest fix: pull the hinge pin, clean it, add a little lubricant and tap it back in. Sagging or bent hinges should be replaced, ideally with the same size and corner shape (square or rounded) so they sit flush in the existing cutouts.

When a door closes but will not latch, the strike plate on the frame is usually out of line with the latch. Small adjustments can be made by filing the strike opening; bigger gaps may need the strike moved and the old holes filled. This is a cheap repair with a big daily payoff, especially on bedroom and bathroom doors.

Replacing a doorknob or deadbolt with a standard model is usually a quick job if the new hardware matches the existing holes. Costs go up when the door needs new holes drilled, a different backset, or when you move to a smart lock that needs pairing and alignment. The hardware itself can range from inexpensive builder-grade sets to premium brands, so it helps to decide on the product before asking for a price.

Rekeying (changing the key without changing the lock) is common after a move. Some homeowners do it with a rekey kit; others replace the hardware entirely so every exterior door uses one key. If you just moved in, it is worth doing either way.

Sliding closet doors jump off their track, drag on the floor or wobble because of worn rollers, a bent top track or a missing floor guide. Replacing rollers and the floor guide is usually inexpensive in parts; most of the cost is labor to lift the doors out, swap the hardware and adjust them so they glide and stay put.

Mirrored sliding doors are heavier and need more care to handle. If the bottom track itself is damaged, replacing it is still a moderate job. Bifold doors have their own pivots and guides, and those small plastic parts wear out in much the same way.

Repair usually makes sense when the door itself is solid and the problem is hardware, alignment or a bit of swelling. Replacement makes more sense when the door is cracked, delaminating, badly warped or water damaged at the bottom, or when an old hollow core door has holes that would cost nearly as much to patch well as to replace.

For exterior doors, frame rot, gaps that let light through, or a door that will not lock securely are signs to look at a bigger fix. Weatherstripping and a new door sweep are inexpensive and often solve drafts without replacing anything.

Open the door and try to lift it by the handle. If it moves up and down, the hinges are loose. Tighten every hinge screw with a hand screwdriver (not a drill, which can strip them). Look at where the paint is worn on the frame: that tells you exactly where the door rubs. Spray a little dry lubricant on sliding door tracks and clean out the dirt.

If those steps do not solve it, it is time for a pro. A note on California rules: under state law, a handyman without a contractor license can take jobs under $1,000 for labor and materials combined, with no permit required. Most door repairs fall well inside that, but a full exterior door replacement can approach or pass it, so ask about the total up front.

If you are in the San Diego area, Handmax can give you a free quote from a few photos sent by text, and same-day appointments are often available for simple door fixes.