Making Metal Cabinet Drawer Adjustments

This article explains how to fix kitchen, office or bathroom vanity drawer faces that are attached to metal drawer sides. Making these adjustments is just a matter of turning a couple of screws, in “theory” and moving the decorative drawer face into a different position. This is not always the case though. Where the problem lies is in how the fabricators attached the front and how the installer adjusted it. If it was installed on the cupboard wrong in the first place, this could take some time to correct.

Sometimes manufactures do not always get the face of the drawer attached to the metal drawer sides in the proper position. Then when the installer fastens the cabinets to the walls and does his final adjustments, sometimes they do not take the additional time required to adjust the drawer face properly. This is why I said that in theory you should be able to just loosen a couple of screws and adjust the drawer part. If it were always that easy, you probably would not be reading this right now; the job would be finished.


What should I do when there’s no more adjustment in the metal drawer parts?

Refer to this article if the drawer is hitting the countertop.

Always try to adjust the doors out of the way first if that is where the problem is. What I am about to suggest if the drawer face is still out of adjustment and you have maxed out the tolerance may come as a disappointment, but there’s really no other option.

You are going to have to reset (re-align) the drawer front in a different position with the metal brackets on the metal drawer slide.

Examine the drawer very carefully and determine exactly how much you need to change the alignment.

If you have a good digital camera and a computer, you should take a picture of the face of the drawer before you move on the the next part of these instructions.

The drawer face has two small brackets that were screwed on in the shop. The metal drawer sides are designed in such a way that the small metal brackets interlock with the metal drawer sides. There are a couple of screws on the outside of the drawer that need to be loosened in order for the front to come apart from the metal sides.

Once you have the decorative drawer front off of the metal sides you can relocate the brackets into a different position. You will be only moving the brackets a small distance; you may need to fill the old screw holes with tooth-picks.

Reattach the decorative face to the metal drawer sides. Make the adjustments as needed and that should be the end of this lesson on how to fix a kitchen, office or vanity cabinet drawer that is out of adjustment which has metal sides.

Remember to take your time during this type of kitchen drawer repair. Fixing the problem once is what we are aiming for.