Cabinet Repair in Bozeman, MT | Sagging doors, broken drawers and stripped hinges fixed properly
Our team at Custom Cabinets Bozeman MT repairs cabinets that are basically sound but worn: stripped hinge holes, drawers with collapsed bottoms, runners that stick, doors that sag, and sink bases damaged by leaks. A good repair often adds years to a kitchen for far less than replacement.
Free design consultationTell us about the room. We call back to book a measure.
Cabinet Repair in and around Bozeman MT
Most cabinet problems are small failures that get worse: a hinge screw strips, the door sags, the next screw strips, and the door ends up wedged. We fix the cause, not the symptom, and we tell you honestly when a repair is not worth doing.
Typical repair parts
- Hinge repair
- Hardwood dowel plugs and new concealed hinges
- Drawer bottom
- 1/4-inch plywood set in a groove
- Runners
- Soft-close undermount or side-mount replacements
- Sink base floor
- Plywood panel sealed on every edge
Quick fixes compared with lasting repairs
| The usual approach | How we do it |
|---|---|
| Toothpicks and glue in a stripped hole. | A glued hardwood dowel, trimmed and redrilled. |
| Longer screws through the hinge. | Fresh material for the screw to grip. |
| Tape under a sagging drawer bottom. | A new bottom set in a groove. |
| Caulk over a swollen sink base. | The damaged panel cut out and replaced. |
How a repair visit works
Assess
We look at every problem and find the cause.
Quote
We explain what is worth repairing and what is not.
Repair
Most repairs are done on site in one visit.
Adjust
Doors and drawers are tuned throughout the kitchen.
Repairs that fail and why
| What goes wrong | Why it happens | What we do about it |
|---|---|---|
| Hinge sags again | Filler instead of solid wood in the hole. | Glued hardwood dowels. |
| Drawer bottom drops again | Glued or taped bottom. | New bottom captured in a groove. |
| Sink base smells | Wet material left in place. | Damaged material removed and replaced. |
Plugging a stripped hinge hole
Filling a stripped screw hole with toothpicks and glue lasts a few weeks. We drill the hole out, glue in a hardwood dowel, trim it flush and redrill a fresh pilot hole. The screw then bites into solid wood again.
On particleboard boxes, where stripped holes are common, we use a larger insert or move the hinge plate to fresh material. The door then holds its adjustment instead of drifting back down.
Repairs worth considering
Hinge upgrades
Old exposed hinges can often be replaced with concealed soft-close hinges.
Drawer conversions
A base cabinet with doors and a shelf can often be converted to pull-outs.
Door warps
Slightly warped doors can sometimes be corrected with hinge adjustment or a third hinge.
Finish touch-ups
Small scratches and worn edges can be touched in to blend.
Repairs we handle most often
- Stripped hinge screw holes plugged and redrilled.
- Drawer bottoms and boxes rebuilt or replaced.
- Worn or broken runners replaced with modern soft-close.
- Water-damaged sink base floors and panels replaced.
Why some doors warp in winter
A solid wood door can warp when one face dries faster than the other, which happens in a Montana winter when the inside face sits in heated, dry air and the back sits in a closed cabinet. Doors finished only on the front are most at risk.
Minor warps often ease back as humidity returns in spring. A third hinge or careful adjustment can hold a door flat. Doors that stay badly warped are best replaced with a stable construction.
Rebuilding drawer boxes
A collapsed drawer bottom is one of the most common repairs. Stapled bottoms eventually fall out under load. We rebuild the drawer with a new 1/4-inch plywood bottom set in a groove, or replace the box entirely with a dovetailed one that fits the existing front.
We also rebuild drawers to take modern soft-close runners when the old side-mount slides have worn out, which means the repaired drawer works better than it did when new. Old drawer fronts are kept and refitted, so the kitchen looks unchanged from the front.
Before we come to repair
- A list of every door and drawer with problems.
- Photos of the problem areas.
- Any history of leaks under sinks.
- Whether you want hardware upgraded.
When we say replace instead
If most of the boxes are swollen particleboard, repairs will not last. We tell you that rather than selling a repair that fails in a year.
What decides the cost of a repair
Repairs are priced by the work, not by the size of the kitchen.
Number of issues
Many small repairs in one visit are more efficient.
Parts needed
New runners, hinges or drawer boxes add parts cost.
Extent of water damage
Cutting out and replacing panels takes longer than hardware work.
Rural repairs and well water leaks
Many homes outside town run on private wells with pressure tanks, and a small leak under a sink can drip unnoticed for months. The first sign is often a soft, swollen sink base floor or a musty smell. By then the damage can reach the cabinet sides.
When we find water damage, we ask the plumber to fix the source first, then replace the damaged panels with plywood sealed on every edge. Replacing the cabinet floor without stopping the leak just starts the cycle again.
Cabinet Repair: terms we use
- Dowel plug
- A short hardwood peg glued into a drilled-out stripped screw hole and trimmed flush. It gives a new screw fresh solid wood to grip.
- Hinge cup
- The round 35 mm recess drilled into the back of a door that holds a concealed hinge. If the cup area breaks out, the door needs a repair plate or a new door.
- Delamination
- When layers of a board or veneer separate, usually after water exposure. It is common in particleboard sink bases and means the panel should be replaced.
- Racking
- When a cabinet box twists out of square. It causes doors to misalign and is often a sign of loose joints or poor fixing to the wall.
Questions about cabinet repair
Can a sagging cabinet door be fixed?
Yes. Most sagging doors have stripped hinge screw holes or loose hinge plates. We plug the holes with hardwood dowels, redrill, and adjust the hinges. The door then holds its position rather than sliding back down.
Does cabinet repair need a permit in Ennis?
No. Cabinet repair is minor finish work that needs no permit. Ennis is in Madison County and not on the state list of certified local building programs, so any plumbing fix under the sink would need a state plumbing permit from the Department of Labor and Industry.
Can you fix a drawer that has fallen apart?
Usually. We can rebuild the box with a new bottom set in a groove, reglue joints, or build a new dovetailed box that fits the existing drawer front and runners.
Can old drawer runners be upgraded to soft-close?
Often yes. Many cabinets can take modern soft-close runners, sometimes with new drawer boxes. We check the box dimensions and cabinet construction first.
How do you repair a water-damaged sink base?
We remove the swollen floor or panel, confirm the leak is fixed, and fit new plywood sealed on every edge. If the sides are damaged, we replace them too or build a new sink base to match.
Is it worth repairing old cabinets?
It is worth it when the boxes are sound and the problems are hinges, drawers or runners. It is not worth it when many boxes are swollen or falling apart. We give an honest view at the assessment.
How long does a cabinet repair visit take?
Most repairs are done in a single visit of a few hours. Larger jobs, such as rebuilding several drawer boxes or replacing a sink base, may need shop time and a second visit.
Can you match my existing cabinet finish on a repair?
Often closely, using touch-up and toning. Exact matches on old finishes are difficult because wood changes colour with age and light. We test on a hidden area first.
Can a warped cabinet door be straightened?
Minor warps can sometimes be corrected with an extra hinge or adjustment, and some ease as seasonal humidity changes. A badly warped door is best replaced with a new one built to match.
Work that pairs with cabinet repair
Repairs are often the first step in a bigger update. These services commonly follow.
- Cabinet Hardware Installation
- Cabinet Refinishing & Painting
- Cabinet Refacing
- Cabinet Replacement
- Kitchen Cabinets
- Bathroom Vanity Cabinets
Fix what is broken, keep what is goodHinges, drawers, runners, doors and water damage repaired to last.
Call 406-521-7523