How to Fit Soft Close Hinges on Cabinet Doors

August 25, 2026

Upgrading your kitchen or wardrobe cabinets with soft-closing hardware is one of the most practical home improvements you can undertake. Learning how to fit a soft close hinge eliminates noisy slamming and reduces wear on both the door and the carcass. Whether you are replacing tired fittings on existing units or building bespoke cabinetry from scratch, following the correct measuring and alignment steps guarantees a professional, long-lasting finish.

Tools and Materials Required

Before you begin, gather the necessary joinery tools to ensure clean cuts and accurate positioning:

Soft close concealed hinges and matching mounting plates
35 mm Forstner drill bit
Combi drill or cordless driver
Tape measure and steel rule
Combination square and pencil
Wood screws (typically 3.5 mm x 15 mm or 16 mm for 18 mm board)
Pozi screwdriver for fine adjustments

Step 1: Marking and Drilling the Hinge Cup Holes

Concealed hinges sit within a recessed circular pocket routed into the back of the door. The standard industry diameter for this pocket is 35 mm.

Determine vertical positions: Mark the centre of the top and bottom hinge cups roughly 70 mm to 100 mm inward from the top and bottom edges of the door. For taller pantry or wardrobe doors requiring three or more hinges, space the intermediate hinges evenly.
Set the edge setback: Measure the distance from the edge of the door to the edge of the cup hole (the tab distance). For standard full-overlay doors, the hole centre typically sits 21.5 mm to 22.5 mm from the door edge (providing a 4 mm to 5 mm tab).
Bore the cup hole: Using a 35 mm Forstner bit, drill down to a depth of roughly 11.5 mm to 12.5 mm. Take care not to drill entirely through the face of the door. Clear away wood shavings thoroughly.

Step 2: Installing Hinges into the Door

Once the recesses are clean, insert the hinge cups into the holes. Use a straight edge or a set square against the hinge arm to ensure both fittings sit perfectly parallel to the door edge. If the hinges are crooked, the door will bind when closing. Secure the hinge cups using countersunk wood screws through the fixing holes on either side of the cup.

Step 3: Mounting Plates to the Cabinet Carcass

To fit soft close hinges accurately, the mounting plates inside the carcass must align with the hinge arms on the door.

Transfer heights: Measure the distance from the top and bottom of the door to your hinge centres. Transfer these exact measurements to the inside face of the cabinet side panel.
Set the setback line: For standard standard-overlay hinges on standard 18 mm carcasses, draw a vertical line 37 mm back from the front edge of the cabinet. This marks the standard fixing centre line for the mounting plate screws.
Secure the plates: Line up the mounting plate screw holes on your 37 mm line at the correct height, and fix them firmly using appropriate cabinet screws.

Step 4: Hanging and Adjusting the Door

Modern soft close fittings feature clip-on mechanisms that make hanging doors straightforward. Hook the front of the hinge arm onto the front of the mounting plate and press the back until it clicks firmly into place.

Once hung, use the three adjustment screws built into each hinge to align the door:

Side-to-side (Lateral): Alters the gap between adjacent doors or aligns the door edge flush with the carcass exterior.
Height (Vertical): Moves the door up or down by loosening the mounting plate fixing screws or turning the cam height screw.
Depth (In/Out): Adjusts the gap between the door and the front edge of the carcass, preventing the door from binding against the frame when closed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I fit soft close hinges to my existing cabinet doors?

Yes. If your current doors already have standard 35 mm cup recesses, you can usually swap the hardware directly. If the old holes are worn, you may need to fill previous screw pilot holes with timber plugs before driving new fixings.

How many hinges do I need per door?

For standard base and wall units under 900 mm in height and under 5 kg, two hinges are sufficient. Doors between 900 mm and 1600 mm or weighing 6 to 10 kg require three hinges, while full-height wardrobe doors require four to five hinges to prevent warping.