Short answer. Canadian interior doors come in steps from 24 to 36 in (610 to 914 mm): 24, 28, 30, 32 and 36 in, and the standard height is 80 in (2032 mm). Exterior (front) doors are usually 32 or 36 in (813 or 914 mm) by 80 in. These sizes are the door itself: with the door open, the gap is 1 to 3 in (3 to 7 cm) less, so a 32 in door leaves about 29 to 31 in (74 to 78 cm).
Interior door sizes in Canada
| Width | In mm | Height | Gap with the door open, about |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 in | 610 mm | 80 in (2032 mm) | 21 to 23 in (54 to 58 cm) |
| 28 in | 711 mm | 80 in (2032 mm) | 25 to 27 in (64 to 68 cm) |
| 30 in | 762 mm | 80 in (2032 mm) | 27 to 29 in (69 to 73 cm) |
| 32 in | 813 mm | 80 in (2032 mm) | 29 to 31 in (74 to 78 cm) |
| 36 in | 914 mm | 80 in (2032 mm) | 33 to 35 in (84 to 88 cm) |
What the size measures: the door slab (the leaf), edge to edge. The frame and jambs go around it, so the hole in the wall is a few centimetres bigger. Doors in older homes are often narrower than today's sizes, so your own tape measure is the only number that counts.
Exterior door sizes
| Exterior door | In mm | Gap with the door open, about |
|---|---|---|
| 32 × 80 in | 813 × 2032 mm | 29 to 31 in (74 to 78 cm) |
| 36 × 80 in | 914 × 2032 mm | 33 to 35 in (84 to 88 cm) |
In a condo or apartment building, the way in also runs through the building's entrance, the hallway and the elevator. Measure those too.
The clear opening: the gap you really get
The clear opening is the gap with the door open at 90 degrees: from the face of the open door to the stop on the other side of the jamb. It is the number a couch, a fridge or a wheelchair actually gets. The open door, its hinges and the stops take a share of the width, usually 1 to 3 in (3 to 7 cm).
So a 32 in door gives roughly 29 to 31 in, and a 36 in door roughly 33 to 35 in. A knob or lever that sticks out takes a little more.
Building code: door sizes for new homes and public buildings
These set minimums for new houses and public buildings. Older homes did not have to meet them, and many do not. Each province adopts its own building code; the house figures below are from British Columbia's code, which is based on the National Building Code 2015.
| Rule | Applies to | Minimum |
|---|---|---|
| Building code, Part 9 (BC Building Code 2018, Table 9.5.5.1) | New houses | Door size (not the clear gap) of 810 × 1980 mm at the entrance, 760 mm for most rooms, 610 mm for bathrooms |
| National Building Code 2015, barrier-free | Public buildings | 800 mm |
The Part 9 sizes are doors, about 32, 30 and 24 in, so the clear gap is less. The barrier-free rule is for public buildings, not private homes.
How to measure a door
- The clear opening. Open the door to 90 degrees. Measure from the face of the open door to the stop on the other side. If the knob sticks out, measure past it too.
- The height. From the finished floor to the underside of the head jamb.
- The slab, if you are buying a new door for an old frame: its width, height and thickness.
- One unit. Write everything in inches or in centimetres (1 inch = 2.54 cm), not both.
Will a couch get through a Canadian door?
Compare the clear opening with the couch's depth and its height, and take the smaller one. If that is less than the gap, the couch goes through on its back or on its side. If not, measure the diagonal depth: if that is less than the gap, the couch can usually be tilted through. Leave about 1 in (2 to 3 cm) for fingers and blankets.
The catch: typical couches are 33 to 39 in (85 to 100 cm) deep and 30 to 35 in (75 to 90 cm) high. A 36 in door, about 33 to 35 in clear, takes many of them. A 30 or 32 in room door, about 27 to 31 in clear, often does not, unless the couch tilts through on the diagonal, the legs come off, or it comes in parts. More in Will my sofa fit? and, for hallways, stairs and elevators, Will it fit through the door?.
Common mistakes
- Measuring the door, not the gap. A 32 in door does not give 32 in. With the door open you lose 1 to 3 in.
- Mixing units. 32 in is 813 mm, not 80 cm. Write every number in one unit.
- Checking only the front door. The bedroom or bathroom door is usually the narrowest point.
- Assuming the code covers your home. It sets minimums for new buildings, and it differs by province.
Measure the doorway in 3D
In Flatwalk the tape measure lives in the 3D plan of your home: tap both sides of a doorway and read its width, in centimetres or in feet and inches. Furniture from real stores stands at its true size, so you can hold a couch's depth against the doorway it has to pass, and walk from the front door to the room at eye level.
What it does not do: Flatwalk does not test the route for you or tell you what your building code requires, and your plan is only as accurate as the measurements you give it. Measure the real doors with a tape measure.
Also for Canada: bed sizes.
What Flatwalk does that older planners skip
Lights
Add ceiling lights, lamps and LED strips and see each room in the evening, not only by day.
Your home in its city
Enter your address and the street and buildings around you appear in 3D, wherever the map has them.
Sun for your address
See where the sun falls on any date and at any hour, before a new piece spends all summer in it.
One piece, in your own room
Through the live camera or in a photo of the room, stand it on your own floor at its true size before you buy.
Detail
Doors, radiators, kitchens, closets and bathrooms built piece by piece, so new furniture sits against what is really there.
Made for a thumb
Tap a piece and its choices appear: move it, turn it, swap it for another.
Swipe for more. Every picture is the app itself.
One home, free
Most people plan one home. For that, Flatwalk costs nothing: no time-limited trial and no card needed. Drawing your home, furniture at its true size, the tape measure, lights, sun and walking are all part of it, and each AI tool comes with one free try. A membership is for people who want more homes or more AI.
Questions people ask
What is the standard interior door width in Canada? Interior doors come in 24, 28, 30, 32 and 36 in (610 to 914 mm), by 80 in (2032 mm) tall. Under BC's building code, most rooms in a new house need at least a 760 mm (30 in) door, and the entrance 810 mm (32 in).
What is the standard exterior door size in Canada? 32 or 36 in (813 or 914 mm) wide by 80 in (2032 mm) tall.
What is the standard door height in Canada? 80 in (2032 mm).
How do I measure a couch for a doorway? Measure the couch's depth, height and diagonal depth, and the door's clear opening with the door fully open. If the smaller of the depth and height, or the diagonal depth, is less than the gap, it can usually get through.
Will a couch fit through a 30 inch door? With the door open the gap is about 27 to 29 in (69 to 73 cm). Most couches are deeper and taller than that, so they go through tilted on the diagonal, with the legs off, or in parts.
Flatwalk lets you measure every doorway in a 3D plan of your own home and place real furniture at its true size, free for one home. It is coming soon to Google Play; join the waiting list at flatwalk.app.
Join the waiting list