How to Install a Pre-Hung Interior Door
Learn to install a pre-hung interior door plumb, level, and square. Master shimming hinge jambs, establishing even reveals, and anchoring hinges directly to rough framing.
This guide shows how to install a pre-hung interior door in 1.5 to 3 hours. Start with inspect and prep the rough opening; follow the safety notes and step checkpoints below.
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- Read the tools, materials, safety notes, and steps below for free.
- Tap See 20-second demo if you want to understand it first.
- Tap Start Camera Coach when you want hands-free help, or Voice-only if you do not want to use the camera.
- Allow camera and microphone. Point your phone at the work; the coach watches your progress and tells you the next step.
🧰 Required Tools & Equipment
- ✓ 4-foot spirit level
- ✓ 16-gauge finish nailer (or hammer and nail set)
- ✓ Tape measure
- ✓ Utility knife
- ✓ Pry bar
- ✓ Drill and driver bits
- ✓ Oscillating multi-tool or flush cut hand saw
📦 Materials & Supplies
- ✓ Pre-hung interior door unit
- ✓ Wood shims (1-2 bundles)
- ✓ 2.5-inch 16-gauge finish nails
- ✓ 3-inch drywall or wood screws
⚠️ Safety Checkpoints & Warnings
- • Wear ANSI-approved safety glasses during nailing, drilling, and cutting shims.
- • Verify rough opening framing is free from hidden live electrical wiring before driving 3-inch screws or finish nails.
- • Lift the pre-hung door unit with your legs, keeping the door slab secured in its frame to avoid pinched fingers or dropped units.
📋 Step-by-Step Guide (6 Steps)
Inspect and Prep the Rough Opening
Check the floor across the rough opening with a level to see if one side is high. Measure the rough opening width and height to confirm it is roughly 2 inches wider and 2 inches taller than the door slab size. If the floor is out of level on the hinge side, trim the bottom of the jamb leg on the low side or shim the high side accordingly.
- • Spirit level laid flat across the threshold showing level status or marked height offset on the floor.
- • Rough opening cleared of protruding drywall screws, stray nails, and debris.
- • Failing to check floor level before resting jambs, leading to a tilted head jamb.
Set the Pre-Hung Frame into the Rough Opening
Lift the pre-hung assembly into the rough opening, tilting the hinge jamb into position first. Center the entire unit horizontally within the rough frame so you have an even gap on both sides. Keep the shipping plug or clip in place holding the door slab closed while positioning.
- • Door unit standing upright inside the rough opening with approximately 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch space on either side of the outer jambs.
- • Pushing the door tight against one rough stud, leaving no room to adjust or shim the opposite side.
Plumb and Fasten the Hinge Jamb
Place your 4-foot level against the inside edge and face of the hinge jamb. Slide pairs of opposing wood shims between the rough stud and jamb directly behind each hinge location until the jamb is perfectly plumb in both directions. Drive two 2.5-inch finish nails through the jamb and shims at each hinge height into the stud.
- • Level bubble perfectly centered when placed against the hinge jamb face and side.
- • Wood shims visibly seated directly behind top, middle, and bottom hinges.
- • Shimming in random open spots instead of directly behind the hinges, causing the jamb to twist when the door hangs open.
Anchor the Top Hinge to Framing
Remove one of the factory screws from the rough-opening side of the top hinge leaf (the screw closest to the center of the wall). Drive a 3-inch screw through that open hinge hole, through the jamb and shims, deep into the rough stud framing. This permanently carries the heavy cantilever weight of the door slab and prevents future sagging.
- • 3-inch screw seated flush inside the hinge plate countersink without stripping the screw head or bending the hinge.
- • Over-tightening the 3-inch screw, which pulls the hinge jamb out of plumb and bows the frame into the stud cavity.
Set Even Reveals and Secure the Strike Jamb
Remove the temporary door transit clip and close the door slab. Insert shims behind the strike jamb at the top, latch plate level, and bottom to create a consistent 1/8-inch gap (reveal) all around the door perimeter. Once the reveal is uniform and the door sits flush in the frame stop, nail through the strike jamb and shims into the rough framing.
- • Consistent, uniform 1/8-inch shadow line/gap running across the head jamb and down the entire strike jamb.
- • Door slab closes flush against the door stop without binding or rattling.
- • Nailing the strike jamb using a level rather than matching it to the actual door slab edge, creating uneven gaps.
Trim Protruding Shims and Test Operation
Score protruding wood shims with a sharp utility knife along the outer edge of the jamb and snap them off clean, or trim them flush using an oscillating multi-tool. Test the door swing by opening it to 45 and 90 degrees to ensure it does not drift open or shut by itself, and verify the latch clicks smoothly into the strike plate.
- • All shims cut completely flush with the drywall/jamb edge, leaving casing trim paths unobstructed.
- • Door stays stationary wherever parked and latches firmly without requiring hard pushing.
- • Chopping shims with a dull tool, pulling the shim out from behind the jamb and loosening the frame fastener.
Credit: inspired by an original tutorial by This Old House — watch the original on YouTube.
Don’t have everything?
- No 16-gauge finish nailer? Hammer with 2.5-inch finish nails and a 1/16-inch nail set
- No Oscillating multi-tool? Utility knife to deeply score both sides of wood shims, then snap flush