Planing a sticking door is a small repair that can make a big difference. Learn how much it costs to plane a door and what factors affect the cost.
How to Plane a Door, Step-by-Step
Fix that annoying sticking door once and for all
Get quotes from door pros near you
No obligation · 100% free
Get quotes from door pros near you
No obligation · 100% free
SKILL LEVEL
Simple
COMPLETION TIME
2 hours
COST
Up to $25
Get quotes from up to 3 pros!
Enter a zip below and get matched to top-rated pros near you.
What you'll need:
TOOLS
- Carpenter’s pencil
- Ruler
- Screwdriver
- Pliers
- Sawhorses
SUPPLIES
- Thin cardboard
- Paper
- Scrap wood
- Sandpaper
- Paint (optional)
Most of us tend to take our home’s doors for granted, even though we use them countless times a day. When a door starts sticking or you redo your floors and the doors no longer have the clearance they need, it quickly becomes an annoyance that you need to deal with. Learning how to plane a door will give you a quick and easy way to fix some common door problems and make sure your doors fit properly, and can open and close without issue. Let us walk you through how to plane doors in a few simple steps.
Prepping to Plane a Door
Removing a door from its frame can often be a two-person job. Enlist some help to make sure you don’t get hurt or damage the door while removing or rehanging it. You’ll want to set up your sawhorses ahead of time so you have somewhere to put the door once it’s removed.
Identify and Mark Problem Spots
Begin by determining what needs to be planed. There are a few ways to accomplish this, and you may need to use more than one to pinpoint the problem spot:
Open and close the door several times to find where it’s making contact with the jamb. If you have a door that won’t close, start to close it carefully and note where it first touches the jamb.
Measure the gap between the door and the frame on all sides. There should be about 1/8 of an inch clearance all around the door.
Run a piece of thin cardboard or thick paper between the closed door and the jamb to find the starting and ending point of the area of contact.
Once you’ve found what needs to be planed, mark both the front and back of the door with the starting and ending points, and use a ruler to draw a connecting line both front to back and the length of the surface to be planed. Use the pencil to shade the entire area you’ll be planing off; this makes it easy to see what’s already been planed.
Remove and Secure the Door
Photo: Angelov / Adobe StockNext, remove the door by either taking out the removable hinge pins with a pair of pliers or by unscrewing the hinges from the door. Set the door on the sawhorses and secure it with clamps so it won’t move as you’re planing. Position the door so that the side that needs to be planed is easy for you to access.
Plane the Door
Check your plane to be sure it’s adjusted to plane off very thin layers of wood. You can test your plane by running it across some scrap wood. If the wood it removes is too thick, adjust the plane so that the blade is protruding less. Plane the door by using gentle pressure and gliding the plane smoothly across the wood. Work in the direction of the grain from the outside edges in, and be careful not to push down too hard and to keep the plane level, otherwise you can take off too much of the surface. Remember—once the wood has been removed, you can’t put it back!
Check the Fit
Once you’ve planed the surface, rehang the door and open and close it several times to be sure you’ve made the right adjustments. This may seem like an unnecessary step, but it’s better to check the fit before you refinish the wood. Sanding and painting or staining is much easier with the door off the hinges, so once you’ve confirmed a proper fit, remove the door again.
Sand the Exposed Wood
Photo: uladzimirzuyeu / Adobe StockLightly sand the exposed wood, first with coarse sandpaper to remove any grooves from the plane and then with fine sandpaper to smooth the finish. Try not to remove anything more than a very small amount from the very top surface as you’re sanding so you can keep the perfect fit you’ve just made. Brush away any sawdust.
Refinish the Planed Wood
Prime and repaint or restain the planed surface using a foam applicator. You may want to repaint or restain the entire edge for a more consistent finish. Let the paint or stain dry fully before rehanging the door.
Rehang the Door
Photo: photovs / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty ImagesOnce the surface is dry, rehang the door by replacing the hinge pins or screwing the door back on the hinges. Enjoy your newly unstuck door!
DIY vs. Hiring a Pro
Small adjustments to the fit of a door can be a simple job for homeowners who know how to shave down a door. For more involved fixes, you may want to enlist the help of a local door repair service. Ensuring that the job is done right can save you the cost of having a new door installed, or the aggravation of a door that just doesn’t fit well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Door services reviews from real Angi homeowners in Columbus, OH
4.8★ avg. • 25 total reviews
- Sue B.
Terrible experience. Walls/trim/floors/cabinets/doors all have drip marks, overspray, etc. Tiling at the fireplace had to be redone by another vendor due to incorrect and shoddy install by Profect. Contractor had his children in our house while he was on site without prior authorization or...
Profect painting & exteriors - Maggie M.
Jason has helped me with multiple household projects, with the most recent being new door installation. He has always showed up on time and organized and has done an incredible job! Jason is very professional and he's now my go-to for anything around my house that needs to be fixed or...
Huff Garage Rescue, LLC - Thomas S.
Company came to look at my garage door that was off track. They also said I needed a brace on the other garage door. They put the door back on track, and I paid to install the brace. The technician told me I needed a new garage door opener, and it would cost $1000. Red flags went off in...
Precision Overhead Garage Door Service - Lisa S.
On Sunday 2/26 I requested quotes via Angi from 4 refrigerator repair businesses. Northwest Appliance responded to me Monday morning (2/27) and my refrigerator was repaired by noon the same day. Great communication, they did everything they said they would. The technician had the parts on...
- Warren C.
Excellent customer service and knowledge. I was recommend to him from my neighbour. My front door and window came in great and were installed beautifully perfectly, I m very satisfied with their excellent work, so decided to order one more big bow window for my living room. I cant wait for...
Window Depot USA of Central Ohio - Matthew L.
Called ahead and worked quickly to install keyless locks on vintage wooden doors.
Expert Lock and Key, LLC - Lori M.
Scott did not get appropriate access to the property prior to the scheduled inspection which required us to come back later in the day to complete it. He also, unprofessionally, knocked on a neighbor?s door in his attempts to reach someone with access. His overall report was fine though the...
Security First Home Inspections - Gary K.
Door Depot was very responsive - they came out the day after my call to assess my needs, then returned at my convenience to complete the work. They arrived early, and the work was completed in a shorter period of time than estimated. Very pleased with the results. I would definitely use them...
Door Depot LLC - Jim L.
Replace garage doors: Fast response, competitive estimate, timely work done well.
Village Garage Door - Dana M.
Jeremiah did an awesome job cleaning 28 windows inside and out! He was fast, efficient and now I have a beautiful view again. This was a Groupon for $139 for 20 windows, but I had 28 windows/doors cleaned, so there was an extra $6 per window. Totally worth it.
Complete Home Services
The homeowners guide to door services
From average costs to expert advice, get all the answers you need to get your job done.
Whether you’re installing a new door or replacing an existing one, the cost of door installation varies based on location, door type, framing needs, and other factors.
Welcome home! How much does exterior door installation cost when it's time to add a new entryway to your front or back porch? Let's take a look.
You’re not imagining it: The door that previously fit your frame is suddenly too big. Learn how to fix a door that sticks using multiple methods here.
Patio doors do more than just open to your outdoor space. Learn how the type of door you choose impacts the lighting, airflow, and atmosphere of your home.
When replacing a door, you need to decide between a right hand vs left hand door. Learn about their differences, and which is right for your project.