Playhouse Dimensions: Floor Sizes, Walls and Doors by Age
Floor sizes, wall and roof heights for plastic, wooden and raised playhouses, matched to how tall children are at each age. Includes the dimensions to use if you build one, and the size limits for permits.
Outdoor playhouses are usually 4 × 4 ft (1.2 × 1.2 m) to 8 × 8 ft (2.4 × 2.4 m) of floor. Walls are typically 4 to 5 ft (1.2 to 1.5 m) high with a ridge of 5.5 to 7.5 ft (1.7 to 2.3 m), and a 48 in (122 cm) door clears most children up to about age 8. Plastic playhouses are smaller, roughly 3.5 to 5 ft square and 4 to 5.5 ft tall.
- Common floor
- 6 × 6 ft (1.8 × 1.8 m)
- Wall height
- 4-5 ft (1.2-1.5 m)
- Kids' door
- 48 in (122 cm)
- US permit-free
- Up to 200 sq ft (IRC)
On this page
Playhouse sizes by type
Playhouses fall into three groups with very different footprints: molded plastic houses for toddlers, wooden cottages on the ground, and raised playhouses on a deck. The listed size of a kit sometimes includes the porch and roof overhang, so look for the floor size separately.
| Type | Floor | Metric | Overall height | Ages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indoor play tent or teepee | 3-4 × 3-4 ft | 0.9-1.2 m square | 4-6 ft 1.2-1.8 m | 2-7 |
| Plastic playhouse | 3.5-5 × 3.5-4.5 ft | 1.1-1.5 × 1.1-1.4 m | 4-5.5 ft 1.2-1.7 m | 2-6 |
| Small wooden playhouse | 4 × 4 to 4 × 6 ft | 1.2 × 1.2 to 1.2 × 1.8 m | 5.5-6.5 ft 1.7-2 m | 3-8 |
| Mid-size wooden playhouse | 6 × 6 to 6 × 8 ft | 1.8 × 1.8 to 1.8 × 2.4 m | 6.5-7.5 ft 2-2.3 m | 3-10 |
| Large playhouse or cottage | 8 × 8 to 8 × 10 ft | 2.4 × 2.4 to 2.4 × 3 m | 7.5-9 ft 2.3-2.7 m | 3-12, adults can enter |
| Raised playhouse | 4 × 4 to 6 × 6 ft on a deck | 1.2-1.8 m square | 9-12 ft 2.7-3.7 m | 5-12 |
Floor area grows quickly: a 6 × 6 ft house (36 sq ft, 3.3 m²) has more than twice the room of a 4 × 4 ft one (16 sq ft, 1.5 m²), and an 8 × 8 ft house (64 sq ft, 5.9 m²) has four times as much.
Sizing a playhouse to children's height
Children grow out of a playhouse door long before they lose interest in the house. The CDC growth charts give the median height at each age; set door and wall heights against the oldest child you expect to use it in a few years' time.
| Age | Median height | Door height that works | Wall height that works |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 years | 34 in 86 cm | 36-42 in | 4 ft |
| 4 years | 40 in 102 cm | 42-48 in | 4 ft |
| 6 years | 45.5 in 116 cm | 48 in 122 cm | 4-5 ft |
| 8 years | 50 in 127 cm | 54 in 137 cm | 5 ft |
| 10 years | 54.5 in 138 cm | 60 in 152 cm | 5-6 ft |
| 12 years | 59 in 150 cm | 66-72 in | 6 ft |
Heights are averages of boys' and girls' medians, rounded; a tall child of the same age can be 3 to 4 in (8 to 10 cm) taller. Remember that the wall height is the low point of the room, at the eaves. Children can stand upright under the ridge long after they bump their heads at the walls.
Wall, door, window and roof dimensions
If you are building a playhouse or comparing kit drawings, these are the dimensions that make a small building feel right at child scale.
- Walls: a 4 ft wall uses a 4 × 8 ft sheet of plywood or siding laid horizontally, uncut. A 5 ft wall needs a second strip. Framing in 2 × 3 or 2 × 4 studs at 16 or 24 in centers matches standard sheet edges; see the lumber sizes guide for actual stud dimensions.
- Floor: 4 × 8 ft, 8 × 8 ft and 4 × 4 ft floors waste no plywood. A 6 × 6 ft floor uses two sheets with offcuts.
- Door: 24 in is the narrowest width that lets a child carry toys through; 30 in lets an adult squeeze in. Use a finger-safe gap or a slow-closing hinge so small fingers do not get pinched.
- Windows: a sill 18 to 24 in above the floor puts the view at a seated or kneeling child's eye level. Use acrylic or polycarbonate rather than glass.
- Roof pitch: steeper roofs (8/12 to 12/12) give more headroom at the center of a narrow house and shed rain and snow better.
A 6 × 8 ft or 8 × 8 ft playhouse with 5 ft walls and a 60 to 72 in door can be converted to garden storage once the children grow out of it. Compare finished shed sizes in the shed size guide.
What fits inside
Plan the interior around the furniture you want, plus a clear strip of about 2 ft (60 cm) to move around in.
- 4 × 4 ft (16 sq ft): two small children sitting or a single child's table. No room for a kitchen.
- 4 × 6 ft (24 sq ft): a play kitchen against one wall and floor space for two.
- 6 × 6 ft (36 sq ft): a play kitchen plus a kids' table for two to four. A typical play kitchen is about 30 to 40 in wide and 12 to 16 in deep; a small kids' table is about 24 × 24 to 24 × 36 in.
- 8 × 8 ft (64 sq ft): kitchen, table and chairs and a reading corner, with room for an adult to sit on the floor.
Measure toy furniture with the play kitchen dimensions and kids table sizes guides before you settle on a floor size.
Raised playhouses and safety heights
A playhouse on a deck adds a fall height, so CPSC playground guidance applies to the platform:
- Deck 30 to 48 in high: guardrail at least 25 in high.
- Deck 48 to 72 in high: protective barrier (not just a rail) at least 27 in high.
- Deck over 72 in high: protective barrier at least 33 in high.
- Any gap in rails, ladders or balusters should be under 3.5 in or over 9 in, so a child's head cannot be trapped.
- Keep at least 6 ft (1.8 m) of shock-absorbing surfacing such as 9 in of wood mulch on every side of the deck.
A playhouse sitting on the ground with no raised platform needs no protective surfacing under the CPSC home handbook. Platforms built into trees follow the same rules; see tree house sizes. If the playhouse is part of a play yard, keep it out of the clear zone in front of and behind any swing set.
Permits and placement
- United States: the International Residential Code exempts one-story detached accessory structures, playhouses included, up to 200 sq ft (18.6 m²) from a building permit. Many towns use a lower limit, often 120 sq ft, and zoning setbacks still apply.
- United Kingdom: under permitted development rules, an outbuilding within 2 m of a boundary must be no more than 2.5 m tall overall. Further from the boundary, the limits are 4 m for a dual-pitched roof and 3 m for other roofs, with eaves no higher than 2.5 m.
- Ground: set the house on a level base of compacted gravel, pavers or treated skids so the floor stays dry, and leave at least 2 ft around it for maintenance.
Frequently asked questions
What are the dimensions of a playhouse wall?
Most playhouse side walls are 4 to 5 ft (1.2 to 1.5 m) high, framed with 2 × 3 or 2 × 4 studs at 16 to 24 in centers. A 4 ft wall uses a standard 4 × 8 ft sheet of siding laid horizontally with no cut. Gable walls rise to 5.5 to 7.5 ft at the ridge.
How big should a playhouse be for two kids?
About 4 × 6 ft (24 sq ft, 2.2 m²) for two preschoolers, or 6 × 6 ft (36 sq ft) if you want a small table and a play kitchen inside. Older children playing together use 6 × 8 ft or more.
How tall should a playhouse door be?
Make it at least a few inches taller than the oldest child who will use it. 42 in (107 cm) suits toddlers and preschoolers, 48 in (122 cm) works to about age 8, and 60 to 72 in (152 to 183 cm) lets adults duck in and allows the playhouse to become a shed later.
Do I need a permit to build a playhouse?
Under the International Residential Code, a one-story detached playhouse up to 200 sq ft (18.6 m²) is exempt from a building permit. Many towns lower that to 120 or 128 sq ft and still apply setbacks (often 5 ft from property lines), height limits and HOA rules, and any wiring needs a permit.
How big is a plastic playhouse?
Molded plastic playhouses for toddlers and preschoolers are typically 3.5 to 5 ft wide, 3.5 to 4.5 ft deep and 4 to 5.5 ft tall (107-152 × 107-137 × 122-168 cm). Doors are about 36 to 42 in high, sized for children up to about age 6.