How to Hang a Pre-Hung Interior Door
Fit, plumb, shim, and secure an interior pre-hung door into a rough opening to ensure uniform 1/8-inch reveals and effortless swing without binding or sticking.
This guide shows how to hang a pre-hung interior door in 1 to 2 hours. Start with check floor level and rough opening; follow the safety notes and step checkpoints below.
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🧰 Required Tools & Equipment
- ✓ 4-foot spirit level
- ✓ Cordless drill with driver bits
- ✓ Hammer
- ✓ Utility knife
- ✓ Tape measure
- ✓ Pry bar
📦 Materials & Supplies
- ✓ Pre-hung door unit
- ✓ Wood shims
- ✓ 2-1/2 inch finish screws or casing screws
- ✓ 3-inch wood screws
⚠️ Safety Checkpoints & Warnings
- • Wear eye protection when scoring wood shims and driving screws.
- • Support the door slab when swinging open before both jamb sides are fully anchored to avoid pulling the frame out of alignment.
- • Check for hidden electrical wiring in the rough opening studs before driving long anchor screws.
📋 Step-by-Step Guide (6 Steps)
Check Floor Level and Rough Opening
Place the 4-foot level across the bottom opening to determine if the floor is level across the threshold. Measure rough opening height and width to ensure 2 inches of clearance over door slab dimensions. If one floor side is high, note the measurement to trim the opposite door jamb leg.
- • Level resting flat on the threshold with bubble centered or offset clearly marked on the high stud
- • Rough opening verified at least 2 inches wider and 2 inches taller than door slab
- • Assuming the floor is level without checking, causing the jamb head to tilt
Position Unit and Plumb Hinge Jamb
Set the pre-hung unit into the opening, pushing the hinge jamb tight against the shims on the hinge stud. Place the 4-foot level vertically along the face and inside edge of the hinge jamb. Insert pairs of opposing wood shims behind top and bottom hinges until the bubble is dead-center in both planes.
- • Door unit standing centered in rough opening
- • Pairs of opposing tapered shims wedged behind hinge locations
- • Level bubble perfectly centered on both face and edge of hinge jamb
- • Plumbing only the face of the jamb while leaving the frame twisted in the opening
Fasten Hinge Jamb to Studs
Drive a 2-1/2 inch screw through the hinge jamb and shims directly below the top hinge into the framing. Check plumb again, then drive screws through the shim stacks behind the middle and bottom hinges. Remove one factory screw from the top hinge plate and replace it with a 3-inch screw driven deep into the wall stud.
- • Screw heads countersunk just beneath the jamb surface or concealed under hinge leaves
- • 3-inch screw flush in top hinge leaf anchoring into the stud
- • Hinge jamb remains dead plumb after tightening
- • Over-tightening screws without adequate shims, bending the jamb into the stud void
Align and Shim Strike Jamb
Close the door slab and observe the gap (reveal) between the door edge and the frame. Insert shims behind the latch strike plate location and along the top and bottom of the strike jamb until you achieve a uniform 1/8-inch reveal around all three edges. Ensure the door face sits flush with the jamb stop molding.
- • Consistent 1/8-inch shadow line/gap running along top and strike edges
- • Door slab flush with drywall plane and making full contact with weatherstrip or door stop
- • Setting the strike jamb based purely on the wall frame rather than the door slab reveal
Fasten Strike Jamb and Test Swing
Drive 2-1/2 inch screws through the shims along the strike jamb, placing one screw directly through the strike plate area. Swing the door open and closed several times to verify smooth movement and positive latch engagement without binding or self-closing drift.
- • Fasteners driven flush through shim points on strike side
- • Door swings smoothly without friction and clicks cleanly into the latch
- • Door stays stationary at halfway open without swinging on its own
- • Fastening into empty space between jamb and stud where no shims exist
Trim Protruding Shims Flush
Score the protruding wooden shims on both sides of the door frame using a sharp utility knife held flat against the jamb face. Bend the shims upward and snap them off clean and flush with the drywall plane.
- • All shim ends snapped off clean behind the jamb edges
- • Wall plane around door opening completely flat and ready for casing trim
- • Sawing shims aggressively and scratching the finished jamb or ripping drywall paper
Credit: inspired by an original tutorial by HAUS PLANS ®️ — watch the original on YouTube.
Don’t have everything?
- No 4-foot spirit level? 2-foot level placed alongside a straight 6-foot wooden board
- No Wood shims? Composite plastic snap shims or ripped plywood strips
- No Finish screws? 15-gauge 2-1/2 inch finish nails driven with a hammer and nail set