What is the clearance around a door opening?

Author: Frank Goyette  |  Last update: Wednesday, December 3, 2025

Door openings shall have a minimum clear opening width of 32 inches; however, if the doorway is more than 24 inches deep, then a minimum clearance of 36 inches is required. The clear opening is measured from the face of the door to the stop of the frame while the door is opened to 90 degrees.

How much clearance is needed around a door?

A gap of around 1/8th of an inch is recommended for standard doors to keep the elements out, protect the paint on the trim, and ensure that the door closes and opens smoothly. The right amount of space is equal to the thickness of your door with a little extra room for clearance while opening or closing.

What is the clearance for a door opening?

Door openings shall provide a clear width of 32 inches minimum. Clear openings of doorways with swinging doors shall be measured between the face of the door and the stop, with the door open 90 degrees. Openings more than 24 inches deep shall provide a clear opening of 36 inches minimum.

How much gap should I leave around a door?

There should be a 2mm or 3mm gap between the door and the frame on both sides and the top. If you do need to cut the door down to size, keep in mind that you need to cut all four sides of the door equally whenever possible to retain an accurate shape or pattern if the door is panelled.

What is the ADA clearance around a door?

Space at least 60″ deep in front of a door will accommodate a forward approach, except in case of hinge approaches on the pull side. On the pull side of hinge approaches, 36″ minimum latch-side clearance is required if the depth is 60″ minimum (The depth can be 54″ minimum if the latch-side clearance is at least 42″.)

AC 007 - UPDATED!!! - ADA Size and Clearance Requirements for Doors

What is doorway clearance?

Door openings shall have a minimum clear opening width of 32 inches; however, if the doorway is more than 24 inches deep, then a minimum clearance of 36 inches is required. The clear opening is measured from the face of the door to the stop of the frame while the door is opened to 90 degrees.

What is ADA code for door threshold?

Thresholds, if provided at a doorway, must not exceed 3/4 inch in height for exterior sliding doors or 1/2 inch for other types of doors. Changes in level up to 1/4 inch can be vertical and do not need an edge treatment. Changes in level between 1/4 inch and 1/2 inch must have a beveled slope equaling 1:2.

What is the acceptable door gap?

the gap between the underside of the door and unfinished floor should be between 10mm and 22mm, with the ventilation requirements for the building taken into account when determining the gap beneath internal doors.

How much smaller should a door be than the opening?

For reference, standard interior door widths range from 24"-36" (finished opening). While a standard door height is 80" (finished opening). The difference between a rough opening and finished opening is usually 2-3 inches.

What is the gap between a door and frame called?

Margins (sometimes also called “rebates”) are the spaces between the door and the door frame. These are often important if you're looking at issues with your hinge jamb. Again, these spaces can be broken down into specific types: the hinge margin, strike margin, top (header) margin, and bottom (sweep) margin.

What is the minimum clearance under a door?

One critical aspect to emphasize is the gap between the door and the floor, which should be between a half-inch and three-quarters of an inch for optimal functionality.

How do you measure door clearance?

Clearance dimensions are measured all along the length of vertical and horizontal edges, between the door frame and door(s) and between meeting stiles (vertical edges) of paired doors.

What are the ADA requirements for door closers?

The closing, or swing speed must not be faster than five seconds. The closing or swing distance is from the open position at 90 degrees to 12 degrees from the latch. Latching speed isn't specified, but should be fast enough to latch the door but not slam it.

How much space do you need for a door opening?

The standard size for a door frame is 80 inches by 36 inches, with the rough opening slightly larger at 82 inches by 38 inches. This standard size can vary depending on how tall are standard doors, the type of door, as well as the specific measurements of your home.

How much clearance do you need around an exit door?

Ceilings of exit routes must be at least 7 feet, 6 inches high. An exit access must be at least 28 inches wide at all points. Where there is only one exit access leading to an exit or exit discharge, the width of the exit and exit discharge must be at least equal to the width of the exit access.

How big should the gap be around a door?

Hold the new door in the frame to see if it needs adjustment. A well fitted door should have a 2mm gap on either side and at the top. The gap at the bottom will depend on the thickness of your flooring/carpet.

What should the rough opening around a door be?

Framing rough opening sizes are really quite simple. Just add 2″ to the width of the actual door size. You should add 2-1/2″ to the height of the actual door.

What is the standard opening space for a door?

Common widths for internal doors range from 520mm to 920mm, while external door widths often fall between 820mm to 920mm.

What is the minimum undercut for a door?

As a guide the average undercut of your door should be between 8mm and 10mm, that's around ⅝ inch to ¾ inch from the bottom of the frame. if you are in doubt, shave or cut off a little and if it's not enough, shave off some more. Remember less is better or you may damage the door's structural integrity.

What is the code for the gap under a door?

NFPA 80 currently allows a maximum bottom gap of 3/4 in.

What is the average gap under a door?

In general, the gap beneath an interior door will be between three-quarters of an inch and half an inch. This width depends largely on the type of flooring, as door frames are generally installed when the floor is unfinished. A standard door can have varying levels of clearance over different flooring types.

What are the ADA rules for door clearance?

Door Clearance
  • Clearance Width: Doorways should provide a clear width of at least 32 inches (815 mm) when the door is open to 90 degrees, measured perpendicular to the doorway. ...
  • Maneuvering Space: The ADA also has requirements for maneuvering space.

What is the standard door threshold?

The height of thresholds can vary anywhere from 1/4″ tall to 1″ or more. ADA requirements may restrict the height of the threshold to 1/2″ tall and a gradual incline no greater than 1/4″ in vertical rise. Thresholds can be supplied in widths from as small as 2″ wide up to 10″ or more.

What is the minimum width of a doorway?

The minimum width of each door opening shall be sufficient for the occupant load thereof and shall provide a clear width of not less than 32 inches (813 mm).

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