Standard Door and Window Sizes: Quick Reference

Standard door and window sizes at a glance

One standard size or range for each opening in a typical US house. Each row links to the guide with the full chart, rough openings and variations.

Door sizes are given width × height of the slab. Window sizes are nominal unit sizes, width first, matching the four-digit codes (such as 3050 for 3 ft 0 in × 5 ft 0 in) on plans and quotes. Door codes work the same way: 3068 is a 3 ft 0 in × 6 ft 8 in door.

How doors and windows line up on a wall

The 80 in door height sets the rest of the elevation. In a room with an 8 ft (96 in) ceiling, builders set window heads at the same height as door heads, so the trim lines run level around the room.

With 9 or 10 ft ceilings, builders either keep 80 in heads and add transom windows above, or move to 96 in (8 ft) doors and raise the window heads to match. Mixing 80 in doors with 96 in window heads in the same room is the most common reason trim lines look off.

Door 36 × 80 in 36 × 80 inWindow 36 × 60 in 36 × 60 in

Rough openings to frame

Each opening is framed slightly larger than the product so it can be shimmed plumb and level. The allowances differ by product, which is why it pays to have the units (or their spec sheets) before framing.

The header above every opening in a load-bearing wall carries the load across it. Wider openings need deeper headers, which can push the head height down if the ceiling is low; plan large patio doors and garage doors with the header depth in mind.

Building-code minimums that fix some sizes

Most door and window sizes are a matter of choice, but a handful of rules in the International Residential Code (IRC) and the ADA Standards set hard minimums. Local codes may amend them, so check with your building department.

• Egress door: each home needs one side-hinged exit door with at least 32 in of clear width (door open 90 degrees) and 78 in of clear height (IRC R311.2). A 36 in door meets this; a 32 in door does not.
• Egress window: every bedroom and habitable basement needs an opening of at least 5.7 sq ft (5.0 sq ft at grade floor), at least 24 in high and 20 in wide when open, with the sill no higher than 44 in (IRC R310).
• Hallways: at least 36 in wide (IRC R311.6).
• Accessible doors: 32 in of clear width in public buildings (ADA 404.2.3).
• Safety glass near doors: glass within 24 in of a door edge and with its bottom edge less than 60 in above the floor must be safety glazing (IRC R308.4.2).
• Safety glass in large low windows: required when a pane is larger than 9 sq ft, its bottom edge is under 18 in above the floor, its top edge is over 36 in above the floor and a walking surface is within 36 in (all four conditions; IRC R308.4.3).
• Fall protection: windows with sills under 24 in above the floor and more than 72 in above the ground outside need opening limiters or guards (IRC R312.2).

Metric door and window sizes in other countries

Outside North America, sizes are set in millimeters and differ by country. These are the sizes builders use most often in two large markets.

The Indian figures are common design conventions for openings rather than mandatory sizes; door and window shutters themselves are covered by Bureau of Indian Standards specifications. The UK figures are leaf (door) sizes; more detail is in the door sizes guide.

Measuring doors and windows for replacements and coverings

• Replacing a door slab: measure the old door itself (width, height, thickness and hinge positions), not the opening.
• Replacing a prehung door or window: remove the interior trim and measure the rough opening at three points in each direction, then use the smallest figures.
• Garage door: measure the finished opening plus headroom, side room and backroom; see the garage door guide.
• Blinds, curtains and rods: measure the window opening or trim after installation. Inside-mount blinds follow the opening; curtains and curtain rods are sized from the outer edge of the trim.

Frequently asked questions