Looks to have "sagged". First attempt look at the screws for the hinges, a couple have been replaced in the one from the pic, and are sitting proud either stuck that way or loosened out. If not a wood framed wall, hopefully there is a wood buck in any metal stud walls, either way you should feel a "bite" from screws, sometimes it is just using a longer one to get to virgin wood, or they used sheetmetal screws instead of wood threads, etc. Also on the door slab, not just the frame.

Is the frame steel? How much experience do you have hanging doors, wood or steel? In lieu of experience with hanging a few doors, what kind of building repair do you have experience in? Depending on your experience and tools owned I might have suggestions. I would estimate $250-$350 to repair.

" I would estimate $250-$350 to repair."

And that's exactly why "none of them are interested in providing me an estimate."

Who in their right mind would risk a callback for such a pittance?

If you open the door slightly and lift on the lever handle (hard) is they're movement and does the gap at the upper hinge lessen? The hinge could be worn out or need the screws replaced with longer ones. Surface mounted hinges (not let in to the door frame) are a very cheap way to hang a door.

You don't need a door company specializing in commercial doors. you just need a handy man. Ask some of your neighbors who they use because I've found in many condos people tend to use the same guy who is usually familiar with every problem a unit will have. You can also go the management office and they may have a list of recommended contractors/handy men to use.

Either the hinge pins are worn out, the screws have come lose, the screw holes are stripped out or the top hinge is bent. It's hard to tell if the frame is wood or metal but it looks like the walls are concrete which would lead me to think the frame is steal. To know for sure remove one screw and if the threads are wood screws the frame is wood, if the threads are machine threads (bolt) it's steel.

A wood frame on a wood wall isn't much of a problem to fix if the holes are shot, Wood frame attached to a concrete wall with rotted or stripped holes can be a problem. If it's metal there is a 1/4" metal plate attached to the frame on the inside with threaded holes for the door hinges. If they're stripped you have a bigger problem. I noticed newer shiny screws in the one picture you took in the old crusty hinge. Someone's been working on this sagging door so I hope your frame isn't butchered up. Get a handy man, or women, or transgender or whatever.

@klem1 yes, the frame is steel or at least some kind of metal because I could set a magnet on it. I am totally OK with $250 to $300 in repair costs but I am having one heck of a hard time finding someone to repair it. I do not have any repair experience.

@josephcorlettLLC, is $300 a small job? then how are folks getting jobs done?

@seabornman I agree with your evaluation. One of the hinges was surface mounted and that is exactly what one of the door repairman rejected the job saying it was a sloppy job. I am in despair as I was handed this door down by the previous condo owner and I have no idea what work was done on this door.

@kevin9408 it is a steel frame. thanks for your suggestions. I will reach out to HOA and see if they have any handyman.

All in all, I have two follow up questions:

1. Can someone rule out that it is not due to wall sagging?

2. I am also wondering why the hinge was surface mounted and not mortised in. If there is a need for mortising in the hinges, is that even possible on an old door by a handyman?

3. In the below hinge pictures, all of them are mortised in on the jamb side but surface mounted to the door. Could that be a norm or a sloppy job?

if there are no cracks in the walls and the frame is square it's not sagging.

The hinges should of been mortised on the door and would of giving an eighth inch more space for the door in the frame, and your door would not be touching the frame on the opening side where it's rubbing.

The mortise in the steel frame is factory, it came that way and how it should be. The door is a replacement and the installer did a poor job but common and something I hate to see. Also hate to see people butcher door frames and door sides trying to install door sets trying to recess the hardware, how does it look on the door knob side?

@outpaientzero thank you. I can see two hairline cracks very minute cracks but i do think frame is square. Is there a methodical way to confirm that besides eye-balling?

You asked me about door knob side - what are you specifically looking for? I can share a picture in a couple of hours.

@kevin9408 attached is the picture from door knob side. As you can see from the red arrow, handyman chiseled some metal off so that the door could be locked.

I don't intend to let the air of your ballon Klran but I would like to spare you the usual routine on Garden web. Even an expert can't solve this with a keyboard and wanna bes will only waste your time. The only way this can be fixed is you finding someone competent in your neighborhood to do it. As you have seen , Houzzers haven't answered your simple questions. The answers to your 1-2-3 questions are ; #1 Yes , anyone including yourself can place a carpenter's square in either top corner of frame. If square perfectly fits the frame isn't sagged. If square doesn't fit the amount of sag will be seen as gap between square and frame. #2 Only the installer can answer why hinges weren't mortised when door was insalled. The need or more accuratully the "requirement" for mortising depends on space inside frame AND type weatherstripping to be installed. If mfgr intended hinges to be mortised a skliiled handyman can do it. If mfgr intended hinges to be surface mounted all the kings horses and men will not be able to mortise the door. #3 See 2 above.

Part of your problem in finding someone willing might ly in asking for estimates. NOONE can accurately estimate a job that has already been botched so the majority don't even try. As I said above , in my market and from pictures I'd estimate in the neighborhood of $300 which would be the proposed cost if my man found he could fix it in less than one hour. BUT,,,,, if on arrival my man found it more expensive he would give you a proposal for highr amount. You would be committed to having it fixed for anything less than $350 but could refuse a higher proposal and owe nothing. In which case I likely would never send anyone out for you in the future. Unlike Joseph Corlett LLC we don't add extra to proposals to cover expected call backs. Fix it right the first time and there will be no call back.

@klem1 thank you! i agree with your suggestions. i just heard from a maintenance company who gave me an estimate and are scheduled to "fix" it tomorrow.

I am not at all against service call charges in the event they cannot fix it. What surprises me is they have the tag "we provide free estimates" on their web site and when I call them they don't respond. I will adopt no estimate needed policy from now on.

I will keep you posted and hope the issue gets resolved tomorrow!

Best of luck with it,there's little reason it can't be rectified without taking a loan. Some contractors are frightened of fire rated doors and use them as excuse to pad the bill for fear of "call back". Take a fool's advice and just don't initiate anything about fire rating and don't contractually agree to circumvent code and you'll be fine.

BTW, is it a fire rated door? Is there a metal label affixed to the jamb or on the door? I don't see a closer. Is one of the hinges a spring hinge? The seam in the door and at the joint at the corner, along with the hole at the head jamb makes it look like your average KD frame metal door.

@klem1 unfortunately the professional door repair guy who was here to fix it, threw in the towel. He mentioned that the previous install was a bad job and that it cannot be fixed. I am back to square one. I am not sure if I need to get a new door whether I need to replace frame as well?

@seabornman yes, it is a fire rated door because I am part of condominium association where all the units have this kind of door and I guess the code requires that they all be fire rated. Hinges are not spring hinges. What is a KD frame metal door? It could very well be a different door since previous owner tried to fix it and who knows what transpired... I have another metal door in the unit which is perfectly fine and I guess that was the original install and I can see its hinges are all mortised properly and not surface mounted.

KD means "knock down", referring to the fact that the frame is supplied in pieces and is joined at the two corners. If there is no external identification that the door is fire rated, as evidence by an embossed metal tag affixed to the door and frame, or similar, it is not a rated door assembly.

"@klem1 unfortunately the professional door repair guy who was here to fix it, threw in the towel. He mentioned that the previous install was a bad job and that it cannot be fixed."

So did he get paid for his attempt? Or did he set an hour of drive time and another half hour diagnosis time on fire in an attempt to earn $300.00?

He may be the best door-fixer in the country, but he ain't much of a businessman.

I would have come armed with with pictures, brochures, and a proposal for a replacement door. With my sales skills, I would have left with a profitable contract and a pleased customer. Now my diagnosis time wasn't wasted; it was a lead fee, a cost of doing business.

In addition to being a poor business man he isn't even a "good" door fixer either, much less best in the country. I could understand if building needs attention to structural issues such as foundation before door can be permanently resolved but consumer should be made aware rather than "throwing in the towel" and leaving consumer in the dark.

That is the door, he was referring to the door frame which is either KD or welded. That is the door falling apart for some reason.