Standard Door Sizes

Standard Door Sizes at a Glance

A standard interior passage door measures 30 or 32 inches wide and 80 inches tall, with a standard interior door thickness of 1-3/8 inches. Exterior doors standardize on a 36-inch width and an 80-inch height, built with a heavier 1-3/4-inch thickness to accommodate weatherstripping and exterior lock hardware.

Door manufacturers produce interior passage doors in standard widths of 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, and 36 inches. Ceilings that rise to 9 or 10 feet frequently use taller doors measuring 84 inches (7 feet) or 96 inches (8 feet) high, though 80 inches remains the standard door height across typical residential builds.

The following dimensions reflect standard United States imperial door sizes across common residential applications. Door sizes outside North America follow different metric standards.

How to Measure the Door Slab and Rough Opening

Nominal door dimensions refer specifically to the physical door slab rather than the frame opening or rough stud framing. A nominal 32 by 80 door slab fits inside a finished jamb assembly that occupies a larger opening in the wall studs.

To replace an existing door slab while retaining the original jamb, take three separate width measurements across the top, middle, and bottom of the slab. Use the narrowest number if the door has swollen or settled out of square. Measure height from the top edge to the bottom edge on both the hinge side and latch side, and confirm the slab thickness is either 1-3/8 inches or 1-3/4 inches.

When installing a complete prehung door unit, remove the existing interior trim casing to expose the rough stud framing. If you need help pulling exact increments between the studs, review our guide on how to read a tape measure to record the stud-to-stud width and header-to-subfloor height accurately. Order your replacement prehung unit to match the rough framing pocket rather than the finished trim.

Standard Exterior Door Size Specifications

A standard exterior door size in modern home construction is 36 inches wide by 80 inches tall. This standard exterior door width delivers a wide entryway for moving furniture and appliances, while satisfying model residential building codes for primary egress.

Secondary exterior entries, such as side garage doors or utility room exits, occasionally feature a 32-inch standard door width. Exterior slabs are built at 1-3/4 inches thick, providing structural rigidity and depth for deadbolt throw bolts, weatherstripping channels, and insulated cores. Modern high-ceiling entryways frequently specify 84-inch or 96-inch tall slabs to balance taller exterior wall proportions.

Some older homes have narrower exterior openings, so measure before ordering. When updating hardware on an exterior slab, follow our guide on how to replace a doorknob to ensure your new lockset backset matches the door edge bore.

Interior Door Widths by Room Type

Interior passage openings vary by room function to balance hallway clearance, furniture access, and wall space. Bedrooms and primary living spaces commonly use 30-inch or 32-inch door slabs to allow easy passage for dressers, mattresses, and armchairs.

A standard bathroom door size typically ranges from 28 to 32 inches wide. Compact powder rooms and half-baths often use a 28-inch slab to prevent the swinging leaf from striking the vanity cabinet or toilet fixture, while primary ensuite bathrooms generally use 30 or 32-inch doors.

A standard closet door size ranges from 24 to 30 inches for single-leaf swinging doors. Small linen closets and pantry openings routinely use 24-inch or 26-inch widths to maximize usable interior shelving space while minimizing the door sweep area out into the hallway. If an interior door sticks or binds in its jamb over time, see our walkthrough on how to fix a sagging door to realign the hinges.

Calculating the Rough Opening for Prehung Doors

Framing a wall for a prehung door requires creating a rough opening larger than the nominal door slab dimensions. The extra space provides clearance for the wood door jambs, adjustment shims, and floor level variations.

The standard framing rule of thumb for a prehung door opening adds 2 inches to the nominal door width and 2-1/2 inches to the nominal door height. For example, a standard 30-inch by 80-inch interior door requires a rough opening measuring 32 inches wide by 82-1/2 inches high between the trimmer studs and header. A standard 36-inch by 80-inch exterior prehung door requires a rough framing opening of 38 inches by 82-1/2 inches.

This framing calculation serves as a general trade rule of thumb rather than a universal code mandate. Individual prehung door manufacturers specify precise rough opening tolerances in their installation instructions, and the manufacturer's printed specifications govern your actual framing layout.

Clear Width, Egress Codes, and Accessibility Standards

Nominal door width differs from the usable clear opening width of a doorway. When a door leaf opens to 90 degrees, the physical thickness of the slab and the projection of the interior door stop reduce the open walk-through clearance below the nominal slab width.

The International Residential Code, published by the International Code Council (ICC), requires at least one exterior egress door per dwelling unit. This egress door must provide a minimum clear opening width of 32 inches measured from the face of the open door to the opposite stop, and a minimum clear height of 78 inches. A nominal 36-inch wide door slab easily achieves this 32-inch clear opening threshold, whereas a 32-inch door slab falls short due to slab intrusion.

Under commercial and public accessibility rules set by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards from the U.S. Access Board, accessible doorways must provide at least 32 inches of clear opening width with the door positioned open at 90 degrees. While the Americans with Disabilities Act applies to commercial facilities and public accommodations rather than private single-family interior doors, installing 36-inch interior doors provides equivalent accessible clearance for universal design.

Double Doors and French Door Configurations

Double doors, commonly installed as French patio doors or interior study entries, combine two matched door leaves within a single wide jamb assembly. Standard double door units use two individual slabs ranging from 24 to 36 inches in width per leaf.

A pair of 24-inch leaves creates a 48-inch total door opening, while a pair of 30-inch leaves forms a 60-inch opening, and two 36-inch leaves provide a 72-inch opening. Double door slabs follow standard heights of 80, 84, or 96 inches.

Framing for a double prehung unit uses the same calculation principle as a single door: add 2 inches to the combined width of both leaves, and add 2-1/2 inches to the nominal height. A double 30-inch door set (60 inches total slab width) requires a rough framing opening of 62 inches wide by 82-1/2 inches high.

Common questions

What is the most common standard interior door size?

The most common standard interior door size is 30 or 32 inches wide by 80 inches tall, with a thickness of 1-3/8 inches. These dimensions accommodate standard bedroom and living room entries across modern residential construction.

What is standard door height?

The standard door height for residential interior and exterior doors is 80 inches, which equals 6 feet 8 inches. Homes with 9-foot or 10-foot ceilings frequently use taller doors measuring 84 inches (7 feet) or 96 inches (8 feet).

What is the standard width for a bathroom door?

A standard bathroom door width ranges from 28 to 32 inches. Compact half-baths and powder rooms commonly use 28-inch slabs to save swing clearance, while full bathrooms typically feature 30-inch or 32-inch doors.

Is a 32-inch door ADA compliant?

A nominal 32-inch door often falls short of the ADA clear-width minimum because the thickness of the open slab and the door stop reduce the clear walk-through space below the required 32-inch minimum. A nominal 36-inch door is typically required to deliver a true 32-inch clear opening.

What size is a standard exterior front door?

A standard exterior front door measures 36 inches wide by 80 inches tall, with an exterior thickness of 1-3/4 inches. This size satisfies model building code egress requirements and provides adequate clearance for moving household furniture.

What width is recommended for closet doors?

Single swinging closet doors commonly measure 24, 28, or 30 inches wide. Narrower 24-inch slabs are standard for linen closets and pantries, while walk-in closets generally use 28-inch or 30-inch doors to match adjacent bedroom passage openings.

Related

• How to Read a Tape Measure
• How to Fix a Sagging Door
• How to Replace a Doorknob