The short answer
Open the door and look at the hinge inside. On a modern concealed hinge, one screw moves the door sideways to even the gaps, another moves it in or out, and height is set at the mounting plate on the cabinet. Blum describes its CLIP top BLUMOTION hinge as having “Easy side, height and infinitely variable depth adjustment”. If a hinge arm is broken or the soft close has failed, replace it with one made for the same door type: full overlay, half overlay or inset. If the screws spin in the particleboard, the hole needs repairing first. Airtasker publishes $100–$226 as the average cost of hinges repair in Sydney (updated 7 October 2026).
How to adjust cupboard hinges
Close the doors and look at the gaps. Then open the crooked door and find the screws on the hinge arm inside. Turn one screw a quarter turn at a time and close the door to check. To move the whole door, turn both hinges the same amount; to straighten a tilted door, adjust the top or bottom hinge only.
- Gaps uneven or doors touching: use the side adjustment screw, which moves the door left or right.
- Door sticks out at the top or bottom, or rubs the cabinet: use the depth screw, which moves the door in or out. On Blum’s CLIP top hinges this is a spiral screw with “infinitely variable depth adjustment”.
- Door sits higher or lower than its neighbour: adjust the height at the mounting plate screwed to the cabinet side. Blum notes that several of its mounting plates have “cam height adjustment”.
- Door won’t stay closed or springs open: check for loose mounting plate screws first, then the depth setting.
Clip-on hinges, such as Blum’s CLIP system, let the door come off the mounting plate without tools: Blum says its CLIP mechanism makes door to cabinet assembly “tool free, quick and easy”. That makes it easy to take a heavy door off before working on it.
Replacing a broken or worn cupboard hinge
Replace a hinge when the arm is cracked or bent, the spring no longer pulls the door shut, or the soft close has stopped working. Take the old hinge with you, or photograph it with the door open, and check:
- Door type: concealed hinges are made separately for full overlay doors (covering the cabinet side), half overlay doors (sharing a cabinet side with the next door) and inset doors (sitting inside the frame). Blum’s leaflet lists a different hinge for each.
- Cup size and depth: the round cup drilled into the door has to match. Most kitchen hinges use a standard cup, but check the old one.
- Opening angle and mounting plate: a corner or wide-opening door may use a special hinge, and the new hinge must clip onto the existing plate or come with its own.
- Brand: hinges and plates from different makers don’t always fit together. Buying the same brand is simplest.
Soft-close cupboard hinges
On many current hinges, the soft close is built into the hinge itself. Blum says “Soft-close BLUMOTION is integrated in the boss”, the round cup that sits in the door. If one of those stops closing softly, the whole hinge usually needs replacing.
To upgrade older doors, fit soft-close hinges made for the same door type and mounting plate, following the hinge maker’s instructions.
Stripped screw holes in particleboard
Kitchen cabinets are often particleboard, and hinge screws are short. Once a screw spins in its hole, tightening it harder only makes it worse. The usual fixes are to fill the hole with a glued timber dowel or plug and re-drill it, or to move the mounting plate slightly so its screws reach fresh material. If the particleboard around the cup in the door has crumbled or swelled from water, the door may need replacing rather than repairing.
Swelling around the sink or dishwasher is usually from water. Fix the leak first: if it is a tap, waste or dishwasher hose, that needs a licensed plumber.
Cupboard hinge repair cost in Sydney
No per-hinge price is published. Airtasker publishes these Sydney ranges, shown separately:
Cupboard hinge and kitchen cupboard repair prices in Sydney
| Job or charge | Published guide | Publisher & scope |
|---|---|---|
| Hinges repair | $100–$226 | AirtaskerAirtasker’s published average cost range for Sydney hinges repair, doors and cupboards (median $150); unit and number of jobs not stated; page last updated 7 October 2026; GST not stated |
| Hinges repair (Inner West Sydney) | $120–$205 | AirtaskerAirtasker’s published average cost range for Inner West Sydney hinges repair (median $150); area not defined; unit and number of jobs not stated; page last updated 17 October 2026; GST not stated |
| Kitchen cupboard repair | $120–$285 | AirtaskerAirtasker’s published average cost range for Sydney kitchen cupboard repair (median $150); unit and number of jobs not stated; page last updated 17 October 2026; GST not stated |
AUD figures as published, checked 23 October 2026. Third-party guides, not quotes from this website. The number of doors, whether new hinges are needed and who supplies them change the price.
For a quote, say how many doors need adjusting or new hinges, whether they are kitchen, bathroom or wardrobe doors, whether they are soft-close, and whether you have bought replacement hinges. A photo of the hinge with the door open helps.
This service covers minor, non-structural work. Residential building jobs are limited to $5,000 in total, including labour, materials and GST. Electrical, plumbing, gas and other specialist trades are outside this service. The limit applies to the whole job; work cannot be split into smaller invoices to avoid licensing. NSW licensing rules.
Questions about this guide
How do I adjust a kitchen cupboard hinge?
Open the door and use the screws on the hinge arm: one moves the door sideways, one moves it in or out. Height is usually set at the mounting plate on the cabinet. Turn a little at a time: both hinges equally to move the door, or one hinge to straighten it.
Why won’t my cupboard door close properly?
Usually a loose mounting plate screw, a hinge knocked out of adjustment, or a broken hinge arm or spring. Tighten and adjust first; replace the hinge if it is damaged.
How do I know which replacement hinge to buy?
Match the door type (full overlay, half overlay or inset), the cup in the door, the opening angle and the mounting plate. Taking the old hinge to the shop is the easiest way.
Can I add soft close to my existing cupboard doors?
Yes, by fitting soft-close hinges made for the same door type. Many current hinges, such as Blum’s CLIP top BLUMOTION, have the soft close built into the hinge.
How do I fix a cupboard hinge screw that keeps spinning?
Fill the stripped hole with a glued timber dowel or plug and re-drill it, or shift the mounting plate so the screws reach fresh particleboard. Swollen or crumbling board may mean a new door.
How much does cupboard hinge repair cost in Sydney?
Airtasker publishes $100–$226 as the average cost of hinges repair in Sydney (updated 7 October 2026) and $120–$285 for kitchen cupboard repair (updated 17 October 2026), GST not stated.
Sources and date checked
- Blum Australia — CLIP top BLUMOTION hinge (no page date)
- Blum — CLIP top BLUMOTION 105° product leaflet (Feb 2025)
- Airtasker — hinges repair in Sydney (last updated 7 Oct 2026)
- Airtasker — hinges repair in Inner West Sydney (last updated 17 Oct 2026)
- Airtasker — kitchen cupboard repair in Sydney (last updated 17 Oct 2026)
Information checked 23 October 2026. Guides explain the source’s published scope; a job needs its own assessment.