Screen Door Not Latching? Causes and Fixes by Door Type

A screen door that won't latch lets bugs in, blows open in the wind and lets pets out. The good news: the cause is usually an alignment problem you can see, not a broken part. Find your kind of door below, try the simple checks, and call us when it needs parts.

Sliding screen doors

• Rollers too low or worn. As rollers wear, the door drops and the latch hits below the catch. Raise the door with the adjustment screws at the bottom corners, a quarter turn at a time, until the latch lines up.
• The door doesn't reach the frame. Dirt in the track can stop the door short. Clean the track first.
• Bent frame. If the door is bowed, one end reaches the frame and the other doesn't. A mild bend can be straightened; a bad one means a new door.
• Broken latch or handle. Plastic latches crack in the sun. These are a part swap.

Roller and track fixes are quoted flat, usually $45 to $95. A new sliding screen door starts at $329. If your door also jumps the track, read why a screen door keeps coming off its track.

Swinging screen doors

• Weak closer. If the door drifts shut and stops just short, the closer needs more tension. Most have an adjustment screw at the end of the tube; turn it a little at a time and test.
• Sagging door. Loose hinge screws let the latch side drop. Tighten them; if the holes are stripped, longer screws or a filled hole fix it.
• Catch out of line. The catch (strike) on the frame can be moved up or down to meet the latch.
• Broken latch or handle. A part swap if a matching one fits your door.

Swinging door repairs are quoted after a look. A new swinging screen door is $599 installed with hardware. We measure, then your door arrives in about a week and we install it.

Retractable screen doors

A retractable screen closes against a catch on the other side of the opening. If it won't stay shut, check that the pull bar reaches the catch squarely and that nothing in the bottom guide is stopping it short. If the screen won't pull across or roll back smoothly, see retractable screen door not retracting.

We service Roll-A-Way retractable screens. If yours is another brand, we can replace it with a Roll-A-Way: $699 for a single door or $1,299 for a French door set, installed.

Security screen doors

On a security door, a lock that is hard to turn or a deadbolt that won't throw almost always means the door has dropped out of line with the strike plate. Check the hinge screws first. Don't force the key or the bolt, which can damage the lock. If tightening the hinges doesn't bring it back, have it adjusted; security door repairs are quoted after a look. See our security screen doors page for new doors.

When to call us

• The latch or handle is cracked or missing.
• The door still won't line up after you adjust it.
• The frame is bent or the corners are pulling apart.
• A security door lock won't turn or the bolt won't throw.

We fix latches, handles, hinges, closers and rollers at your home. Text us a photo of the latch and the catch, and we can often tell you what it needs before we come out.

Common questions