Doors, locks & repairs
Door will not latch or lock? Five causes and what to check
A door that suddenly will not latch, or a deadbolt you have to lean on to turn, feels like a lock problem. Most of the time the lock is fine and the door has moved.
By Timmy Creighton, founder and licensed locksmith · Major Key Locksmith · October 2026
1 · The house settled
Frames shift a few millimeters with the seasons and with age. That is enough for the latch to miss the hole in the strike plate. Look at the strike: shiny scrape marks above or below the opening tell you which way the door has moved.
2 · Loose hinge screws
The top hinge carries most of the door’s weight. When its screws loosen, the door sags at the lock side and the latch drops below the strike. Open the door, grip the handle and lift gently. If the door moves up and down, tighten the hinge screws first. It fixes more doors than anything else.
3 · Weatherstripping or paint
New weatherstripping, a fresh coat of paint on the frame, or a swollen door in humid weather can stop the door closing far enough for the latch to catch.
4 · A worn latch
If the latch does not spring all the way out, or the handle feels loose and floppy, the latch mechanism itself may be worn. That one is the lock, and it will get worse.
5 · The deadbolt only locks when you push
If you have to push, pull or lift the door for the deadbolt to turn, the bolt is rubbing the strike. It will work today. In winter, or on a smart lock with a motor, it will eventually stop. The fix is usually adjusting the strike rather than replacing anything.
When to call
If tightening the hinges does not fix it, or the lock clicks, sticks or the handle turns without opening the door, it is worth having it looked at before it fails shut. Our door repair visit is $250: the visit, the diagnosis and the common fix, such as strike and latch alignment or freeing a binding deadbolt. If the lock body or the door needs replacing, the technician prices that with you before starting.
Questions people ask
Should I just file the strike plate hole bigger?
It sometimes works as a quick fix, but it treats the symptom. If the door has sagged, it will keep moving. Tightening or adjusting the hinges usually fixes the cause.
My handle turns but the door will not open. What now?
The latch is not retracting, which means something inside the lock has failed. Do not force the door. If you are shut in a room, call us; a closed door is easier to work with than a forced one.
Will the door fix itself when the weather changes?
Sometimes a swollen door will close again when it dries out. A sagging or shifted door will not.
Want us to look at yours?
Send a photo or describe it in a sentence. Estimates by text, photo or video are free, and if it is a five-minute fix we will tell you so.
Keep reading
Any price mentioned here is the one published on our pricing page as of October 2026. The final price is always confirmed with you before any work begins. More answers from the blog →