Door catching · scraping the frame · hard to lock
Dropped or sagging door repair in Essex.
A door that catches on the frame, scrapes the threshold or has become hard to lock has usually dropped on its hinges — not failed. uPVC and composite door slabs are heavy, and over time the hinges wear and the door settles towards the lock side. A&E Window Doctor realigns dropped doors across Clacton, Tendring and North Essex so they sit square and lock cleanly again.
Short answer
A dropped or sagging door has sunk on its hinges so it no longer sits square in the frame. It catches at the bottom corner, scrapes the sill and becomes stiff to lock because the locking points have moved out of line with the keeps. On a sound frame this is a realignment job — the hinges are adjusted or replaced and the keeps reset — not a full door replacement.
Visible proof customers can recognise
What causes a door to drop?
Door slabs are heavy — composite doors especially so — and the full weight hangs on the hinges. Over years of opening and closing, the hinges wear and the door gradually settles towards the lock side. Sometimes the fixings work loose, or the door has never been packed and adjusted correctly since fitting. The result is the same: the slab drops a few millimetres and starts to bind on the frame.
How to spot a dropped door
The tell-tale signs are a door that catches at the bottom corner on the lock side, scrape or rub marks on the threshold and frame, a gap down the opening edge that is wider at the top than the bottom, and a handle you now have to lift or shoulder the door to operate. If you find yourself heaving the door up to get it to lock, it has dropped.
Can a dropped door be repaired?
Almost always. Modern uPVC and composite doors run on adjustable hinges, so an engineer can usually lift and square the door back into the frame, then reset the keeps so the locking points meet again. Where hinges are worn out, they are replaced. Replacement of the whole door is only the answer if the slab or frame has genuinely failed — which is uncommon. A realignment is the definition of repair-first: it restores fit and security without the cost of a new door.
Typical A&E guide prices
| Job | Typical A&E guide price | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Door realignment / hinge adjustment | From £75 (often the lowest-cost call-out) | Hinges are sound but the door has settled and needs squaring up. |
| Hinge replacement | From £65, quoted with the realignment | Hinges are worn out and need replacing as well as adjusting. |
| Keep / strike-plate adjustment | Often included with the realignment | Locking points need resetting so the door locks cleanly. |
These are typical A&E guide prices, not fixed quotes. A dropped-door repair varies with the door type, the hinges fitted and how far it has dropped, so your exact quote is free after inspection. Over-60s receive a discount on all repairs.
How to tell if your door has dropped
- 1. Check the gap down the lock side
If the line of daylight is wider at the top than the bottom, the door has dropped towards the lock side.
- 2. Look for scrape marks
Rub or scrape marks on the threshold and frame show where the slab is catching as it moves.
- 3. Test the handle lift
If you have to lift or barge the door to raise the handle and lock, the locking points have moved out of line.
- 4. Don't force or pack it yourself
Forcing a dropped door or over-tightening hinges can crack the slab or snap the lock — book a repair instead.
Related repair pages
FAQs
- Why has my uPVC door dropped?
Door slabs are heavy and over time the hinges wear and the door settles towards the lock side, so it catches on the frame. It's usually a hinge or alignment issue, not a failed door.
- Can a dropped door be repaired or do I need a new one?
A dropped door can almost always be repaired by adjusting or replacing the hinges and resetting the keeps. A new door is only needed if the slab or frame has genuinely failed.
- My dropped door now won't lock — is that connected?
Yes. When a door drops, the locking points no longer line up with the keeps. Realigning the door usually restores the locking too.
- How much does it cost to fix a dropped door?
A straightforward realignment is often the lowest-cost call-out, priced on inspection. Hinge replacement is added if needed. Every quote is free, with an over-60s discount.
- How long does it take to fix a dropped door?
Most dropped-door realignments are a single visit, often under an hour once the cause is found. If a hinge or mechanism needs replacing, the part is usually fitted the same day where stock allows.
- My composite door has dropped — can you fix that too?
Yes. Composite and uPVC doors both drop as hinges wear or the slab settles. A&E adjusts or replaces the hinges and realigns the door so it closes and locks cleanly again — no new door needed in most cases.
- Do you repair dropped doors across Essex?
A&E covers Clacton, Frinton, Walton, Holland-on-Sea, Harwich, Manningtree, Colchester and the wider Tendring and North Essex area from a local Holland-on-Sea base. Call 01255 763 942 to book.
Get a free, no-obligation quote
Tell us what's wrong and the team will come straight back with the next step — no call-out charge, over-60s discount. For urgent boarding-up, call the office direct.
Door dropped and catching? Let's square it up.
Send where the door catches, your location and the best time to call. If it won't lock and the property is insecure, call the office now — 24/7 across Clacton, Tendring and North Essex.