What is the difference between a 32 and 36 inch door?

The 4 in nominal difference becomes about 4 in of clear opening: a 36 in door clears roughly 34 in and a 32 in door clears roughly 30 in after the stops and slab. That margin decides wide rigid pieces like dressers and appliances.

What fits through a 36 inch door but not a 32?

Items needing about 31 to 34 in of rigid clearance, such as a wide dresser carried upright or a large appliance with the doors on, clear a 36 in door but fail a 32 in door. Flexible items like mattresses clear both.

How much clear width does a 36 inch door have?

A 36 in nominal door, the widest standard residential size, has roughly 34 in of clear opening with the door swung to 90 degrees. Removing the slab and hinge-side obstruction can recover another 0.5 to 0.75 in.

ItemFits

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Home / Doorway & Entry Clearance

32 vs 36 Inch Door: What Fits Through Each?

The 4 in difference in clear width decides wide rigid pieces. Enter your item to see whether it clears a 32 or 36 inch door.

Trusted across thousands of fit checks · updated daily

Fit summaryFIG. CLEARANCE

Nominal door sizes hide the 2 in the stops and slab steal. Enter your real opening and item so the answer is the clear width, not the label.

Embed this diagram

The space36 in door: ~34 in clear. 32 in door: ~30 in clear

What decides itItem narrowest moving face vs. ~34 in (36 in door) or ~30 in (32 in door) clear opening

What to measureMeasure your item on its narrowest face, with packaging

Real openings run about 1 to 2 inches under the labeled size, and a single inch can flip the result. Check your own measurements before you buy or move.

ReferenceFurniture Dimensions Door Guide Door Sizes by Country

About 10 seconds · no signup

Verdicts compare all six item orientations against the space using verified building standards. See our methodology

10,000+ fit checks run·Last check: a few minutes ago

“Checked my mattress before ordering. Tight fit, but it worked with the door removed.” — Online shopper

Measure smart

What to measure.

Four numbers decide nearly every fit check. Get these right and the rest follows.

01The actual clear opening with the door open 90 degrees, stop to stop, not the nominal size
02Your item on its narrowest moving face, including packaging and rigid handles or feet
03Whether the item can tilt so its diagonal, not its width, passes the frame
04Hallway approach space to rotate the item before it reaches the door

Don't make these

Common mistakes.

Most “it didn't fit” stories trace back to one of these oversights.

⚠Using the nominal door size instead of the roughly 2 in smaller clear opening
⚠Comparing the item width to the door width instead of the narrowest moving face
⚠Forgetting that removing the door slab and hinges can add about 0.75 in of clearance
⚠Ignoring the hallway run-up needed to angle a long item into the frame

Frequently asked

Questions we keep getting.

What is the difference between a 32 and 36 inch door?
The 4 in nominal difference becomes about 4 in of clear opening: a 36 in door clears roughly 34 in and a 32 in door clears roughly 30 in after the stops and slab. That margin decides wide rigid pieces like dressers and appliances.
01
What fits through a 36 inch door but not a 32?
Items needing about 31 to 34 in of rigid clearance, such as a wide dresser carried upright or a large appliance with the doors on, clear a 36 in door but fail a 32 in door. Flexible items like mattresses clear both.
02
How much clear width does a 36 inch door have?
A 36 in nominal door, the widest standard residential size, has roughly 34 in of clear opening with the door swung to 90 degrees. Removing the slab and hinge-side obstruction can recover another 0.5 to 0.75 in.
03

Related fit checks.

30 vs 32 Inch Door: What Fits Through Each?A 32 in door gives ~30 in of clear opening; a 30 in door gives ~28.5 in. See what furniture, appliances, and mattresses fit through each, and check your exact item.Will a 40 Inch Sofa Fit Through a 36 Inch Door?A 36 in door gives ~34 in of clear opening, the widest standard door. A 40 in sofa fits easily on its side, and many fit upright. Check your exact sofa with the calculator.Will a 40 Inch Sofa Fit Through a 32 Inch Door?A 40 in wide sofa usually fits through a 32 in door because it goes through on its side, where sofa height (~34 to 38 in) is the limit, not the width. Check your exact sofa.Will a Refrigerator Fit Through a 36 Inch Door?A 36 in door clears ~34 in, the widest standard size. Most refrigerators (33 to 36 in wide) fit, and a counter-depth model often passes with the doors on. Check your fridge.

Unlock stair simulation, AR visualization, and more.

Will it fit? Know before you buy.

Open the calculator and check any item against any space.

Open the fit calculator

ItemFits

About Blog FAQ Features Pricing Work with us

Home / Doorway & Entry Clearance

32 vs 36 Inch Door: What Fits Through Each?

The 4 in difference in clear width decides wide rigid pieces. Enter your item to see whether it clears a 32 or 36 inch door.

Trusted across thousands of fit checks · updated daily

Fit summaryFIG. CLEARANCE

Nominal door sizes hide the 2 in the stops and slab steal. Enter your real opening and item so the answer is the clear width, not the label.

Embed this diagram

The space36 in door: ~34 in clear. 32 in door: ~30 in clear

What decides itItem narrowest moving face vs. ~34 in (36 in door) or ~30 in (32 in door) clear opening

What to measureMeasure your item on its narrowest face, with packaging

Real openings run about 1 to 2 inches under the labeled size, and a single inch can flip the result. Check your own measurements before you buy or move.

ReferenceFurniture Dimensions Door Guide Door Sizes by Country

About 10 seconds · no signup

Verdicts compare all six item orientations against the space using verified building standards. See our methodology

10,000+ fit checks run·Last check: a few minutes ago

“Checked my mattress before ordering. Tight fit, but it worked with the door removed.” — Online shopper

Measure smart

What to measure.

Four numbers decide nearly every fit check. Get these right and the rest follows.

01The actual clear opening with the door open 90 degrees, stop to stop, not the nominal size
02Your item on its narrowest moving face, including packaging and rigid handles or feet
03Whether the item can tilt so its diagonal, not its width, passes the frame
04Hallway approach space to rotate the item before it reaches the door

Don't make these

Common mistakes.

Most “it didn't fit” stories trace back to one of these oversights.

⚠Using the nominal door size instead of the roughly 2 in smaller clear opening
⚠Comparing the item width to the door width instead of the narrowest moving face
⚠Forgetting that removing the door slab and hinges can add about 0.75 in of clearance
⚠Ignoring the hallway run-up needed to angle a long item into the frame

Frequently asked

Questions we keep getting.

What is the difference between a 32 and 36 inch door?
The 4 in nominal difference becomes about 4 in of clear opening: a 36 in door clears roughly 34 in and a 32 in door clears roughly 30 in after the stops and slab. That margin decides wide rigid pieces like dressers and appliances.
01
What fits through a 36 inch door but not a 32?
Items needing about 31 to 34 in of rigid clearance, such as a wide dresser carried upright or a large appliance with the doors on, clear a 36 in door but fail a 32 in door. Flexible items like mattresses clear both.
02
How much clear width does a 36 inch door have?
A 36 in nominal door, the widest standard residential size, has roughly 34 in of clear opening with the door swung to 90 degrees. Removing the slab and hinge-side obstruction can recover another 0.5 to 0.75 in.
03

Related fit checks.

Unlock stair simulation, AR visualization, and more.

Will it fit? Know before you buy.

Open the calculator and check any item against any space.

Open the fit calculator