Standard Door Size

Are you planning to install a door in your home or business? Perhaps you are adding a new door as part of a home remodeling project. Or, maybe you need to replace a broken door at the office. No matter the scenario, it’s important to understand standard door sizes, door dimensions, and the building codes that govern them.

You may be wondering questions like these:

What are the standard door sizes?
How do you measure door size?
What is a standard exterior door size?
What is a standard interior door size?
What are the standard door measurements?
How tall is a standard door frame?
What size door is right for your entry?
What is a standard door jamb size?

Different door types, such as interior doors, exterior doors, barn doors, French doors, pocket doors, and entry doors, all vary in size. The right door size for your needs can depend on your building or home and your specific situation.

When you are replacing or adding a door, the size of the door opening will help determine the door width and door height. You also need to consider the door jamb, the door frame, and any building codes before deciding on a replacement door or making any changes to your current door frame and door size.

According to homeowner.com, up to 23% of all doors are not properly sized for the room, space, door opening or thickness. A Rustica sales consultant can quickly identify any potential issues you may have ordering a new door and help you pick out the perfect new interior or extierior door to perfectly finish off your project without making a major mistake.

When you are replacing or adding in a new door, you can choose between a pre-hung door and a door slab. A pre-hung door includes the door itself, the door hinges and door frame, which is a great option for a full door and frame replacement. A door slab doesn’t include the frame, hinges, or hardware—it’s the best route if you only want to replace the door panel while preserving the other components. Keep in mind that a standard door size measurement only includes the door panel—not the door frame, door jamb, or door opening.

There are many different door sizes available. The right size can depend on the use of the door, the location of the door, building codes, and building type.

In both commercial buildings and residential homes, the standard door height is 80 inches, which is typically required by building codes. Door widths vary more frequently, but you can find an average exterior standard door width of 36 inches, and an average interior standard door width of between 28 and 32 inches.

Standard Exterior Door Size

Exterior door sizes are dependent upon the International Residential Code (IRC). By IRC building codes, exterior doors are required to be a minimum height of 80 inches. The standard exterior door size is typically 3 feet wide and 80 inches high. Examples of an exterior door include an entry door, back door, garage entry door, or fire/security door. In newer homes, exterior doors can be even taller, with a door height of 96 inches. Stock exterior doors can be readily found in widths of 30 inches and 32 inches, and the standard exterior door thickness is 1 ¾ inches.

For a sliding door or sliding glass door, the standard width and height can vary. You’ll find that these doors have an average height of 80 inches and an average width of 6 feet—but there is a wide range of door width sizes available to fit your needs, from 60 inches to 96 inches.

What is the Standard Garage Door Size?

The standard door size of a garage door can have slight variations, but, on average, a single garage door is about nine feet wide by seven feet high. However, newer homes favor larger standard door sizes for garage doors, with nine to 10-feet widths becoming more common.

A double garage door is usually about 16 feet wide by seven feet high.

Of course, homeowners can opt to forego a standard door size for their single or double garage and get a custom build instead. A custom garage door frame can be helpful for homeowners who prefer a wider or taller garage door, either for looks or functionality. For instance, tall exterior walls may look better with a garage door height of 10 feet or more.

Standard Interior Door Sizes

Internal door sizes are also determined by the IRC building codes. Interior doors are not required to be as large as the main entry door, but they must be at least 80 inches in height, just like an exterior door.

The most common widths for interior doors, such as a bedroom door, bathroom door, pocket door and a barn door (not including a closet barn door), are 28 inches, 30 inches, and 32 inches—but you can also find them in other widths as well. The standard door thickness for interior doors is 1 ⅜ inches, though if your interior door is taller than 80 inches or wider than 36 inches, the recommended thickness by building codes increases to 1 ¾ inches.

Closet doors are narrower and aren’t required to meet the standard interior door building codes. The average closet door has a width of 30 inches and a height of 96 inches, though sizes can vary widely. Bi-fold doors are common closet door types, which have two panels for a single door and four panels for double doors. Bi-fold doors are available in a range of sizes to fit your needs.

Standard Commercial Door Sizes

For commercial buildings, door sizes are determined by the International Building Code (IBC) requirements and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. These building codes define the maximum and minimum height and width of doors to ensure people can properly enter and exit in the event of an emergency.

The IBC building codes require commercial building doors to have a minimum width of 32 inches and a maximum width of 48 inches, with a few exceptions. Rooms in medical facilities are required to be a minimum of 41.5 inches wide.

When it comes to door height in commercial building codes, doors should be at least 80 inches tall. While there is a range of door sizes that fall within the IBC building codes, the
average door width is 36 inches, and the average door height is 80 inches.

When creating accessible doors by ADA building codes, the door opening’s clear width is required to be at least 32 inches and with a maximum width of 48 inches. The clear door height is required to be a minimum of 80 inches. There are also additional requirements in ADA building codes that define the door surface, handles, locks, pulls, latches, thresholds, and closing speed.

How to Measure a Door

Before you can replace a door in your home or building, you must measure the current door’s width, height, and thickness to get the proper dimensions for your replacement door. If you are replacing your current door with a door slab, rather than a pre-hung door, these measurements are all you will need to choose the correct size.

Remember that the measurement of a door only includes the door panel, not the frame or opening.

Measure your door from top to bottom to get your door height, from left to right to get your door width, and then measure the depth of the door to determine how thick your replacement needs to be.

If you have a door that doesn’t fit your frame well or you have a frame without a door, you can measure the door jamb to determine which size door you need. Find the door jamb width by measuring the top,middle, and bottom of the frame’s interior, and find the door jamb height by measuring from the floor to the top. The door jamb thickness can be found by measuring the door jamb between the stops and the backside.

What is the Standard Door Jamb Width?

The door jamb sections make up a whole door frame of an exterior or interior door. The door jambs are important to measure when measuring for a door replacement or custom door. That's because a jamb that's too large for your door may need to be trimmed, while one that's too small could cause problems with the door's appearance or functionality.

When taking measurements for a door, you should measure the door jamb width, height, and thickness in addition to measuring the frame.

The space between the door jambs is about 84 inches wide on most doors.

A standard door jamb thickness varies depending on the size of the frame and drywall thickness. For door frames made with 2x4s, 4 9/16 inches to 5 ½ inches is a common thickness range, with the larger size usually found on doors with thicker drywall. A 2x6 frame usually yields a door jamb thickness of 6 9/16 inches.

To measure a door jamb width, include the drywall but not any decorative casing. Use a measuring tape to measure the width from one end of the door jamb to the opposite side jamb's exterior edge.

Standard Door Frame Size

When installing and framing a new door, you must first determine the dimensions of the rough opening. This allows you to properly install a prehung door, which includes the frame, or you can cut your own rough opening to create your own frame. If you have the space, you may want to cut a new rough opening to install a bigger door, especially if you are upgrading from a single door to a double door or installing a door where there wasn’t one before.

A rough opening is typically 2 inches more than the door width, and 2 ½ inches bigger than the door height. The extra 2 inches of width and height allows your door and door frame to be perfectly plumb, level and square, and it lets your wall expand and contract with the seasons. For example, if you have a door that is 24 inches by 80 inches, your rough opening will be 26 inches by 82 ½ inches. Standard door sizes vary in width, from 24 to 36 inches, but most are typically 80” high. If you have a 28” x 80” door, your rough opening will be 30” x 82 ½”. A 30” x 80” door will have a rough opening that measures 32” x 82 ½”.

To calculate your current rough opening, measure the width from the inside of the side studs on the top, middle, and bottom. Then, measure your rough opening height from the floor to the header on the left, center, and right. Measure the thickness of the wall by using the smallest dimensions on the exposed drywall or sheathing.

Standard Door Sizes

When installing a new door, there are a few important steps to take to ensure you have the correct measurements. First, you should decide what type of door you need. Do you want to replace your old door with a new one of the same size? Or, perhaps you want to upgrade your old door to a larger one—such as going from a single door to a double door. You could also change the function and appearance of the door by replacing a standard door with a pocket door or a sliding barn door.

Next, determine if you need to make any changes to your rough opening. If you’re upgrading your door to a larger one or changing the function of your door, you will likely need to adjust the size of your rough opening. When adding or upgrading to a different or larger door, be sure to take into account building codes and standard sizes. You can even decide to order a custom door. Although standard door sizes and stock doors are a great option, custom doors are a great choice when you want a completely unique look.

Rustica is a popular source for custom front doors, which can add beauty and style to the exterior and interior of your home. We also make high quality, handmade barn doors in a wide range of barn door dimensions to fit every home and building. A Rustica door can elevate your home’s interior design, raise your resale value, and help make a creative statement in your home. If you are considering a custom door, Rustica can create any size and type of custom door for a perfect fit in your living space.

What Should I Do if My Door Isn’t a Standard Size?

Many homes don't use standard door sizes for every interior or exterior door. For instance, historical homes often have smaller-than-average door openings. But, on the other hand, you might need a larger-than-average door in your new home build. In these cases, a custom door could provide you with the door size that you need and the exact design you want.

Ordering a custom door from Rustica is an excellent option when you need a non-standard door size to fit a rough opening or if you'd like to make a statement with a one-of-a-kind piece. These doors can also make your home more accessible.

You can customize your new door to your liking after choosing from a wide range of widths and heights. Rustica can custom-build single doors nine feet high by four feet wide, for example, offering grand entrances to your home, living spaces, bedrooms, and more.

After choosing your door size, move on to other customization options. You can choose a wood species, texture, and finish on wood doors. Select a metal finish for metal doors, and find a glass type you like that meets your needs for privacy for all glass panel doors. Virtually endless customization options are available through Rustica.com.

Rustica's custom door orders are double and triple-checked for accuracy. Then, our team of experts calculates your door measurements to your exact specifications and orders the necessary materials. Each step of the process gets a quality check to ensure that your door is exactly how you envisioned it. Then, we'll ship your door in a custom crate to your home. The full process begins within just 24 hours after placing your order.