Repairs
Door will not lock or close properly
A door that needs lifting or shoving to lock has almost always dropped on its hinges, so the locking points no longer line up with the keeps. A hinge adjustment or a replacement multi-point mechanism costs roughly £80 to £250. It is very rarely a reason to buy a new door.
This is the second repair most often converted into a replacement sale, and the one where the gap between the repair price and the quote is widest.
Indicative guide, not a quote
per repair, parts and labour
£60 – £250
These figures come from published industry price guides, not official statistics, and several of those sources are installers or comparison sites with a commercial interest. They are a starting point for a conversation, not a quote. Your installer sets the actual price after measuring.
MyJobQuote door installation cost guides · checked 2026-10-09
Why a door stops locking
A uPVC or composite door hangs on adjustable hinges. Over years of use, and with seasonal expansion, the leaf settles a few millimetres. The multi-point lock throws its hooks and rollers into keeps set into the frame, and a few millimetres is enough for them to miss.
The tell is having to lift the handle while pulling the door towards you. That is you manually correcting the drop so the points can engage.
What the repair involves
- Hinge adjustment. Often the whole fix. The hinges have adjustment in two or three planes and a competent repairer will have it right in minutes.
- Keep adjustment. The strike plates in the frame can be moved slightly to meet the lock points.
- A new multi-point mechanism. Where the gearbox itself has failed, which is common after fifteen years and announced by a handle that turns with no resistance.
- A new cylinder. Worth doing at the same time if yours is not anti-snap.
When the door is genuinely finished
Replacement becomes the right answer when the slab itself has delaminated or swollen, when the frame has moved because the opening has, or when the door is an obsolete system with no mechanism still available for it.
A repairer will tell you which of those applies. A salesperson measuring for a new door may not.
Door lock and alignment repair: common questions
- My handle goes floppy and the door will not lock. What is that?
- Usually the gearbox inside the multi-point mechanism has failed. The mechanism is replaceable, and it is a fraction of the price of a new door.
- Can a dropped door be fixed permanently?
- Usually yes. Hinges have built-in adjustment and resetting them properly lasts. If a door drops again quickly, something else is moving and that is worth investigating.
- Should I change the cylinder at the same time?
- If yours is not anti-snap, yes. Cylinder snapping is still a common way doors are defeated and the upgrade is inexpensive alongside work already happening.
Other repairs
- Glass only, not the window
Misted unit replacement
Misting means the sealed unit has failed, not the window.
£60 – £180
per repair, guide only
- Parts, not products
Window hinge and handle repair
Stiff, dropped or draughty windows are usually hinges, handles or seals rather than the window.
£60 – £250
per repair, guide only
- Same frame, new pane
Replacement glass
Cracked, broken or inappropriate glass can be replaced in the existing frame, including toughened, laminated and obscure glass to order..
£70 – £250
per repair, guide only
TrustedGlazing does not make, supply or fit windows and doors, and the prices above are published industry guides rather than our own. We match your enquiry to one vetted local installer, who quotes and contracts with you directly.