Door Hinge Replacement: DIY Step-by-Step Guide (India 2026)

A worn, rusted or bent hinge is one of the most common reasons a door starts to sag, rub the frame or squeak — and the good news is that door hinge replacement is a genuinely doable DIY job for most homeowners. The trick is to match the new hinge exactly (size, type and finish), then remove and replace one hinge at a time while the door stays supported, so the leaf never drops out of alignment. Get those two things right and you avoid 90% of the trouble people run into. This guide walks you through choosing the correct hinge, working out how many your door needs, the step-by-step swap, and how to rescue a tired mortise or stripped screw hole.

Difficulty: easy to moderate. Time: 30-60 minutes per hinge for a first-timer. When to stop: if the door itself is warped, the frame is rotten or split, or the leaf has dropped because the frame has shifted, replacing a hinge won't fix it — see fix sagging door and door frame repair.

Why hinges fail (and when to replace vs tighten)

Not every hinge problem needs a new hinge. Before you buy anything, diagnose honestly:

Replace the hinge when the metal is bent, the knuckle has visible vertical play, the pin is loose or missing, or rust has pitted the leaf. A door that drags or rubs only when the hinge is intact is usually an alignment issue — check door rubbing frame first.

Step 1: Match the new hinge exactly

Never buy by guesswork. Take the old hinge to the shop, or measure it. Three things must match.

Size

Measure the hinge fully open: height (the long edge), width (across both leaves open flat), and the thickness/gauge of the metal. In India, common butt-hinge heights are 75 mm (3"), 100 mm (4") and 125 mm (5"). A 35 mm internal flush door usually takes 100 mm hinges; heavier teak or main doors take 125 mm. The new mortise must fit the existing recess, so the height and width are non-negotiable.

Type

• Plain butt hinge — fine for light internal doors.
• Ball-bearing butt hinge — has bearings between the knuckles; runs smoother, lasts far longer, and is the right choice for heavy doors, main doors and any door fitted with a door closer. Worth the small premium.
• Spring / self-closing hinge — only if the door must close itself; not a like-for-like swap for a plain hinge.

Finish & metal

This matters more in India than people expect:

For anywhere near the coast, in bathrooms, or for a hard-working main door, choose SS 304 — the extra ₹50-150 per hinge pays for itself the first monsoon. Match the visible finish (satin, chrome, antique brass) to your other hardware so the door looks consistent — see the door hardware guide.

Not sure of the size? Run your figures through the door hinge size calculator.

Step 2: How many hinges does your door need?

More weight and more height = more hinges. As a working rule for Indian doors:

Three hinges is the safe default for most 7 ft Indian doors; the middle hinge stops the leaf bowing and shares the load. If your door currently has only two and it sags, adding a correctly mortised third hinge is often the real fix — but that is a fresh mortise, a step up in difficulty.

Tools & materials you'll need

Total DIY outlay for a single-hinge swap: roughly ₹500-1,200 including the hinge. A carpenter visit for the same job runs ₹400-800 (half-day) — worth it if you're nervous or the door is heavy. GST 18% applies on the goods.

Step 3: Replace the hinge — one at a time

The golden rule: swap one hinge at a time, leave the others screwed in, and support the door. This keeps the door hanging in alignment so the new mortises line up perfectly.

1. Wedge the door. Open it about 90 degrees and push a wood wedge or folded cardboard under the outer (latch-side) bottom corner to take the door's weight off the hinges.

2. Work on one hinge. Start with the middle or bottom hinge. Unscrew the leaf from the door, then from the frame. Don't touch the other hinges.

3. Test-fit the new hinge in the existing mortise. It should sit flush — its face level with the surrounding wood. If it sits proud, the mortise is too shallow; if it sinks, it's too deep.

4. Deepen or realign the mortise if needed (see next section).

5. Fix the screw holes if any screw spins freely (see below) — do this before fitting.

6. Screw the new hinge in. Drive the centre screw of each leaf first to seat it, check it sits flush, then drive the rest. Snug, not over-tight — over-driving strips the hole.

7. Move to the next hinge and repeat. Only when one is fully done do you start the next.

8. Test the swing. The door should open and close without rubbing or springing back. Lubricate the new pin with silicone or graphite.

Doing all hinges at once, or taking the door fully off, almost guarantees misalignment — resist it.

Step 4: Mortise & screw-hole rescue

Deepen or realign the mortise

If the new hinge sits proud, lay it in the recess, score around it with a pencil, then pare the recess slightly deeper with a sharp chisel — bevel down, light taps, test often. If the old mortise is too deep (the door hangs loose toward the latch), pack the recess with a thin slip of veneer or a card shim before screwing the hinge back, so the leaf sits flush.

Fix stripped or spinning screw holes

A screw that spins won't hold a hinge no matter how new it is. Two reliable fixes:

• Matchstick/toothpick plug: snap matchsticks or toothpicks, coat with carpenter's glue, tap them into the hole, snap off flush, let it set 30 minutes, then re-drive the screw into solid wood.
• Larger screws: move up one screw size (e.g. from a No. 8 to a No. 10) if the hole is only slightly worn.

For badly chewed holes, drill out and glue a hardwood dowel, then re-drill. More detail in stripped hinge screw fix.

Costs at a glance

DIY almost always wins on cost for a straight swap; pay a carpenter when a fresh mortise, a heavy main door, or a misaligned frame is involved. To compare across both, try the door repair cost estimator.

When to call a carpenter (or stop)

• The door is warped or the frame split/rotten — a hinge won't cure it; see warped door fix.
• A heavy solid-teak or double main door you can't safely support alone.
• The mortise is so damaged it needs filling and recutting from scratch.
• The door is glass or part of an automatic/sensor system — isolate power and call a pro; never improvise on toughened glass or auto-operators.

For the wider picture, see the complete door guide and the door troubleshooting pillar.

Frequently asked questions

Can I replace just one hinge, or do I have to do all of them?

You can replace just the faulty one — but always match the new hinge's size, type and finish to the others, and consider doing the full set if the rest are old or rusted. Mismatched hinges can throw the door out of line.

SS or MS hinges — does it really matter?

Yes, especially in India. Stainless steel (SS 304) won't rust and is essential near the coast, in bathrooms and on hard-working main doors. Mild steel is cheaper but its coating chips and then corrodes, often within a monsoon or two.

How many hinges should a 7-foot door have?

Most standard 7 ft (2.1 m) Indian doors are fine with three hinges. Light internal doors can manage two; heavy solid-teak or over-8 ft doors may need four. Three shares the load and stops the leaf bowing.

My new hinge sits higher than the wood surface — what now?

The mortise is too shallow. Score around the hinge and pare the recess slightly deeper with a sharp chisel, testing often, until the hinge sits flush with the surrounding timber.

The screws just spin and won't tighten. How do I fix it?

The hole is stripped. Glue-and-pack it with matchsticks or toothpicks, let it set, then re-drive into solid wood — or step up one screw size. For badly worn holes, plug with a glued hardwood dowel and re-drill.

Is hinge replacement a DIY job or should I call someone?

A like-for-like swap is an easy-to-moderate DIY job taking 30-60 minutes a hinge. Call a carpenter for heavy main doors, a fresh mortise, or if the door is warped, glass or automatic.