Reverse a Door Swing — Rehang a Door to Open the Other Way
The bathroom door that blocks the vanity, the bedroom door that swings into the light switch, the door that would work if it just opened the other way. We rehang it.
JMB Builders will reverse a door swing on any interior or exterior door in the Twin Cities metro. To change the swing direction we move the hinges and strike to the opposite jamb or face, relocate the stop, fill the old mortises, and rehang the door so it latches. When the jamb is not worth reworking, a new prehung in the right hand goes in. Priced per door, quoted from photos within one business day.
- Priced per door; rework the jamb or replace the unit
- Interior and exterior doors, in-swing to out-swing
- Quote from photos in 1 business day
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
A door can swing four ways: hinged left or right, opening in or out. Changing any of that means moving the hinges, the strike and the stop, because all three are on the jamb in a fixed relationship to the direction the door closes. Swapping the hinges to the other jamb leg keeps the door on the same side of the stop and just changes which way it opens; flipping in-swing to out-swing means the stop moves to the other edge of the jamb or the door is turned around, and the door's lockset gets reversed with it.
On a painted interior jamb, this is a rework: the old hinge and strike mortises get plugged and sanded, new ones are cut, the stop is pried off and renailed on the other side, and the door goes back on. On a stained jamb or a beat-up one, the plugs show and it is faster to hang a new prehung in the correct hand and recase. On an exterior door, out-swing changes the weatherstrip, the threshold and the security of the hinges, so those get addressed too.
JMB Builders reverses door swings across the Twin Cities metro, for one door that has always been wrong or for an accessibility change where an out-swinging bathroom door makes the room usable.
What you supply
- A photo of the door open, showing the hinges and the jamb, and one of the door closed from the side you want it to open toward
- Which change you want: hinges on the other side, swing out instead of in, or both
- Whether the jamb is painted or stained
- A new prehung door in the correct hand if we agree the jamb is not worth reworking, or we supply it
What JMB supplies
- New hinge and strike mortises cut on the opposite jamb or face, existing hinges reused or new ones to match
- Old mortises plugged with wood, glued, sanded flush and primed on a painted jamb
- Door stop removed and renailed on the correct side, or new stop where the old one splits
- Lockset reversed so the latch bevel faces the right way and a privacy or keyed set works from the correct side
- For exterior doors: security hinges or hinge pins for out-swing, weatherstrip and threshold reworked
- A new prehung unit hung and cased when replacing beats reworking
- Photos of the finished door in your job folder
How it is priced: per door
Quoted in writing from your photos within one business day. What moves the number:
- Hinges to the other leg only (same swing side) vs. in-swing to out-swing, which moves the stop and reverses the lock
- Painted jamb (plug and rework) vs. stained jamb (usually replace the prehung unit)
- Interior door vs. exterior door with weatherstrip, threshold and security hinges to redo
- Whether the door itself is beveled on the latch edge and needs re-beveling or turning
- Casing that has to come off and go back on, or be replaced, to reach the jamb
- Number of doors in the same visit
Two photos, one with the door open showing the hinges and one closed from the room it should open into, and we can say whether the jamb can be reworked or should be replaced.
How long it takes
One interior door reworked on the existing jamb: two to three hours. A new prehung in the correct hand: about half a day including casing. Exterior door: half a day.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized quote within one business day. We only come out to measure first when the job needs a tape measure — no pressure, no games.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Situations and options
Hinges to the other jamb leg
The door still opens into the same room, just from the other side. Hinges and strike swap legs, the stop stays where it is, the lockset is flipped. The simplest change and the one most people mean by reversing a door.
In-swing to out-swing
The door opens into the hall instead of the room. The stop moves to the other edge of the jamb or the door turns around, the hinges go on the hall side, and the lockset is reversed. Common for a small bathroom or a closet where the door hits the fixtures.
Replace with a prehung in the right hand
When the jamb is stained, split, or would show too many plugs, a new prehung door in the correct hand is hung and cased. Same cost range as any prehung swap, and it leaves no evidence of the change.
Exterior door reversed
An exterior door that swings out needs hinges that cannot be pinned from outside, weatherstrip on the new stop line and a threshold that sheds water the right way. We rework all three or hang a new out-swing unit with a proper sill.
Reverse a Door Swing — Rehang a Door to Open the Other Way: questions, answered
Can a door be rehung to swing the other way?
Yes. The hinges, strike and stop are what set a door's swing, and all three can be moved. On a painted jamb we cut new mortises on the other side, plug the old ones, move the stop and rehang the door. On a stained or damaged jamb it is cleaner to hang a new prehung in the correct hand. Either way the door ends up latching from the side you wanted.
Is it cheaper to reverse the swing or buy a new prehung door?
Reworking a painted jamb is less work than a full prehung swap because the jamb and casing stay in place; it is a few hours. On a stained jamb the plugs show, so a new prehung in the right hand usually costs about the same once you add the time to hide the old mortises, and it looks better. Send a photo and we tell you which way makes sense.
Can you make a bathroom door swing out instead of in?
Yes, and it is a common accessibility change: an out-swinging bathroom door cannot trap someone who falls behind it and frees up floor space inside. The stop and hinges move to the hall side, the privacy lock is reversed so the lock button is still inside the bathroom, and the door is rehung. If the hall is narrow, we check that the open door does not block the walkway.
Will the old hinge mortises show after the door is reversed?
On a painted jamb, no. The old mortises are filled with wood plugs glued in, sanded flush, primed and painted with the jamb. On a stained jamb the plugs are visible under the finish, which is why we usually replace the unit instead. Painting the reworked jamb is quoted as a separate line, or leave it primed and paint it yourself.
Does reversing an exterior door make it less secure?
Only if the hinge pins end up outside and are the removable kind. An out-swinging exterior door gets security hinges with non-removable pins or a set-screw pin, or a hinge-side security stud, so the door cannot be lifted off from outside. The deadbolt works the same either way. We include the right hinges when we reverse an exterior door.
How do I tell the hand of a door I want to order?
Stand on the side of the door where you push it away from you, usually the hallway or outside. If the hinges are on your left, it is a left-hand door; on your right, right-hand. For an out-swing door the same rule applies from the side you push. If you want it to open the opposite way from now, order the opposite hand. Send a photo before you buy and we confirm it.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough. You hear back within one business day. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
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Read morePage reviewed September 24, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All doors pages
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