Cabinet door gaps and alignment should be checked after the cabinet is placed in its intended position and before final acceptance. The goal is to see whether the doors look even, open and close smoothly, sit at a consistent height, and can be adjusted if a visible issue appears.
There is no one-size-fits-all door-gap value that applies to every cabinet project. Any acceptable gap, adjustment range, or tolerance should be confirmed against the approved drawings, hardware instructions, project standard, or written supplier document.
Before judging the doors, check whether the cabinet body is level and sitting correctly. A cabinet that is leaning, twisted, not fixed, or sitting on an uneven floor can make door gaps look worse than they will be after adjustment.
Look at the cabinet from the front and from a normal standing distance. If the whole cabinet body appears tilted, record that first. Door alignment should be reviewed together with cabinet position, wall condition, floor level, and installation status.
Compare the vertical gap between two doors, the horizontal gap above and below the doors, and the spacing between doors and side panels. The gaps do not need to be judged by a guessed number, but they should look visually consistent for the approved design.
Check whether the left and right doors sit at the same height. If one door appears higher, lower, or tilted, photograph the full cabinet first, then take close-up photos of the top, middle, and bottom gaps. This makes it easier to review whether the issue is alignment, installation, or adjustment related.
Open and close each door slowly. Watch whether the door rubs against another panel, hits the frame, swings open by itself, cannot stay closed, or leaves an uneven shadow line. A short video is useful when the issue only appears during movement.
For sliding doors, check whether the panels move smoothly on the track, overlap evenly, and do not scrape the rail or side panel. For hinged doors, check whether hinges feel loose, over-tight, or unevenly adjusted. Do not force the door if movement feels blocked.
Some door-gap issues can be improved by hinge adjustment, drawer slide adjustment, leveling, or final installation work. Buyers should record the visible issue first and then ask the supplier, installer, or project team whether the part is adjustable under the confirmed hardware instructions.
Drawers should also be checked for alignment. Look at the spacing between drawer fronts, whether drawer faces sit flush, and whether drawers slide in and out smoothly. If a drawer rubs, stops, or closes unevenly, record a short video and note the cabinet code or room location.
Use one full-view photo to show the entire cabinet, then close-up photos to show the specific door gap, hinge area, drawer front, or rubbing point. Take photos from a straight front angle where possible, because angled photos can make gaps look larger or smaller than they are.
Record the cabinet location, door number or part code, photo name, issue type, and whether the door can open and close. Keep the approved drawing, hardware note, and inspection photos together so the issue can be reviewed without guessing.
Look at the cabinet from the front after it is placed and leveled. Compare the vertical and horizontal gaps, the height of left and right doors, and the spacing near side panels or drawer fronts. If the gaps look inconsistent, take full-view and close-up photos for review.
No single value should be assumed for every cabinet. Acceptable gaps or adjustment ranges should be based on the approved drawings, hardware instructions, project standard, or written supplier document. Without those references, record the visual issue and ask for confirmation.
Record the cabinet location, door or part code, full-view photo, close-up photo, and a short video showing the movement issue. Note whether the cabinet is level, whether the door rubs at the top, bottom, or side, and whether the issue affects normal use.
