How to Fit Cabinet Door Hinges: A Step-by-Step Guide

August 25, 2026

Fitting cabinet hinges correctly is essential for ensuring your cupboard doors hang straight, close smoothly, and operate without binding. Whether you are building bespoke kitchen units or replacing old hardware, knowing how to fit cabinet door hinges using industry-standard methods saves time and prevents costly mistakes. This guide explains the step-by-step process of marking out, drilling, and securing standard concealed cup hinges and mounting plates.

Tools and Materials Required

Before you begin, gather the necessary tools to ensure accurate measurements and clean fixings:

Concealed hinges (standard 35 mm cup type) and matching mounting plates
Appropriate wood screws (typically 3.5 mm x 15 mm or 4.0 mm x 15 mm, depending on board thickness)
Cordless drill and a 35 mm Forstner drill bit
Combi drill with a 2 mm pilot drill bit and screwdriver bits
Tape measure, steel rule, and a sharp pencil
Set square or combination square
Handheld screwdriver for final micro-adjustments

Step 1: Marking and Drilling the Door Hinge Holes

Standard concealed hinges sit within a recessed circular pocket on the back of the door. The typical industry standard is a 35 mm diameter hole drilled to a depth of approximately 11.5 mm to 12.5 mm.

Determine hinge positions: Measure in from the top and bottom edges of the door. A standard placement is 100 mm from the edge to the centre of the hinge cup. For taller doors (over 900 mm), a third hinge in the centre provides extra support.
Mark the setback: Mark the distance from the side edge of the door to the edge of the cup hole. For most overlay hinges, this edge-to-hole distance is between 3 mm and 5 mm (check the manufacturer's specification for your specific overlay).
Drill the hinge cup: Secure the door flat on your workbench. Using a 35 mm Forstner bit, drill vertically into the back of the door. Use a depth stop or a piece of masking tape on the bit to ensure you do not drill straight through the face of the door.

Step 2: Installing the Hinges into the Door

Once the recesses are drilled, clear away any wood dust before fitting the hardware.

Place the hinge cup into the drilled hole.
Use a straight edge or square pressed against the hinge arms to ensure both hinges are perfectly parallel to the door edge.
Mark the fixing hole positions, pre-drill small pilot holes using a 2 mm bit, and drive in the fixing screws until secure. Do not over-tighten, especially in chipboard or MDF, to prevent stripping the material.

Step 3: Fitting the Mounting Plates to the Carcass

The mounting plate attaches to the inside wall of the cabinet carcass. In standard 32 mm cabinet systems, plates are often fixed 37 mm back from the front edge of the cabinet side panel.

Measure and align: Transfer the centre lines of your door hinges across to the cabinet side panel, accounting for any top or bottom door overlay (typically 2 mm to 4 mm clearance).
Fix the plates: Line up the mounting plate holes with your marks, drill shallow pilot holes, and secure the plates with wood screws.

Step 4: Hanging the Door and Fine Adjustments

With the hinges on the door and the plates on the carcass, slot the hinge arm onto the mounting plate until it clicks or locks into place. Concealed hinges feature three-way adjustment screws that allow you to align the door perfectly:

Side-to-side (Lateral): Turns the door left or right to set the correct gap between adjacent doors.
Height (Vertical): Loosens the mounting plate screws slightly to shift the door up or down to align with neighbouring units.
Depth: Moves the door closer to or further away from the carcass face to ensure a flush finish and prevent binding.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many hinges do I need per cabinet door?

Standard doors up to 900 mm tall weighing under 5 kg usually require two hinges. Doors between 900 mm and 1600 mm tall generally need three hinges, while taller or heavier pantry doors may require four or more.

Why won't my cabinet door close completely flush?

This is usually caused by the depth adjustment being set too tight against the cabinet carcass, causing the door edge to bind against the side panel. Loosen the rear adjustment screw slightly and pull the hinge forward a millimetre.