Definition
What it means.
- Elevator door opening
- An elevator can be roomy inside and still refuse a sofa at the threshold, because the door opening is usually narrower than the cab. The entrance width and height are a separate gate the item must clear before the interior even matters. ItemFits evaluates the door opening and the car interior as two independent constraints so it can tell you which one fails.
- ADA accessible car door clear width
- 36 in Source: ADA Standards §407 (Elevators), Table 407.4.1
In depth
The fuller picture.
The entrance is its own gate
An elevator door is a separate obstacle from the car behind it. The entrance is almost always narrower than the cab, so a piece can swallow the interior dimensions and still jam at the threshold. ItemFits treats the door opening as its own constraint and reports which one fails, the door or the car, rather than blending them into a single yes or no.
Accessibility rules set the floor. The ADA requires at least 36 inches of clear door width for an accessible car with a side or any door location, rising to 42 inches when the door is centered. Those are minimums, and the strike side, gaskets, and a sill lip can shave usable width below the nominal opening, so the measured clear width is what counts.
Width and height both bind
The opening has a height as well as a width, and a tall item can clear the width yet catch the head of the door frame. A long flat piece sometimes passes only when it is tilted to use the opening on the diagonal, the same trick that rescues a doorway fit.
Measure it
How to measure.
In practice
How it shows up.
A cab deep enough for a long dresser can still reject it at a 36-in door opening, which is the constraint ItemFits isolates.
Go deeper
Related terms and tools.
Frequently asked
Questions we keep getting.
Why check the door if the cab is big enough?
Because the entrance is usually narrower than the interior, so the door opening often binds first.
01What is the minimum elevator door width?
For an accessible car the ADA sets at least 36 inches of clear door width for a side or any door location, and 42 inches for a centered door.
02Does a tall item ever fail the elevator door?
Yes, the opening has a height too, so a tall piece can clear the width yet catch the frame head; tilting it to use the diagonal sometimes helps.
03