How to Measure a Sofa to Fit Through a Door (UK)

Quick answer: Measure the doorway’s clear width at its narrowest point, then compare it with three sofa measurements: depth, height and diagonal depth. If any one of them is smaller than the door width, the sofa can go through, either upright, on its back or tilted at an angle. Allow a few centimetres for hands and packaging.

Most sofas that get stuck on delivery day were never measured against the door, only against the room. The good news is that a sofa can usually pass through a gap narrower than its depth, as long as you know which way to turn it. This guide, one of our home and DIY measuring guides, walks you through every measurement from the front step to the living room.

Table of Contents

What do you need to measure for a sofa delivery?

You need the sofa’s width, depth, height and diagonal depth, and the clear width and height of every doorway on the route. Hallway widths, stair widths and ceiling heights at any turn complete the picture.

A 5 m tape measure (our guide on reading a tape measure covers the markings)
A straight edge such as a spirit level or long ruler, for the diagonal depth
The retailer’s product dimensions, including packaged dimensions if it arrives wrapped or boxed
A rough sketch of the route from the street to the room

How do you measure a doorway for a sofa?

Measure the clear width: the narrowest gap a sofa can actually pass through, not the size of the door itself. With the door open as far as it will go, measure from the face of the door stop on the latch side to the face of the open door or whatever sticks out furthest on the hinge side, such as the handle. This is the same way the Building Regulations guidance in Approved Document M defines a doorway’s effective clear width.

Clear width. Measure at handle height and again near the floor, and use the smaller figure.
Clear height. Measure from the floor (or the top of the threshold) to the underside of the head of the frame.
Space either side. Measure the hallway or room width on both sides of the door, because the sofa has to line up before it can go through.
Repeat for every doorway. The narrowest door on the route sets the limit, and it is often an internal door rather than the front door.

An open door eats into the opening by its own thickness plus the hinge knuckle, so a standard 762 mm (2ft 6in) internal door leaf gives noticeably less than 762 mm of clear width. Lifting the door off its hinges is often the quickest way to gain a few extra centimetres.

How do you measure the diagonal depth of a sofa?

Lay a straight edge from the top of the back to the front of the arm, then measure at right angles from that straight edge to the bottom rear corner of the sofa. That distance is the diagonal depth, the thinnest the sofa becomes when you tilt it back.

Tilted back, this sofa is 77.5 cm thick, so it can pass a 79 cm doorway even though it is 80 cm high and 92 cm deep.

On most sofas the diagonal depth is only a few centimetres less than the height, as in the drawing. Those few centimetres are often exactly what decides a tight doorway, which is why many retailers list a diagonal depth alongside the normal dimensions. If yours does not, measure a sofa you already own or ask the retailer.

Will my sofa fit through the door? The four checks

Work through the checks in order and stop at the first one that passes. Each compares a sofa measurement with the doorway’s clear width.

Stop at the first check that passes. Leave a few centimetres spare for fingers and any wrapping.

Depth less than the door width: the sofa can be carried through upright on its feet, moving sideways, with the length passing through the doorway end first.
Height less than the door width: lay the sofa on its back and carry it through that way. Removing screw-in legs often brings the height under the limit.
Diagonal depth less than the door width: tilt the sofa back and feed one arm through at an angle, then rotate it through the opening.
None of these passes: look at removable legs, arms or back cushions, lifting the door off its hinges, a wider route such as patio or French doors, or a modular or flat-packed sofa instead.

How much clearance should you leave?

Aim for at least a few centimetres between the critical sofa measurement and the clear width. People carrying a sofa need room for their fingers on the frame, and sofas usually arrive wrapped in protective plastic and card that adds to every dimension. Some retailers quote packaged dimensions; use those if the sofa will not be unwrapped outside.

How do you check hallways, corners and stairs?

Measure the narrowest width of every hallway and staircase, and the ceiling height wherever the sofa has to turn. A doorway that leads straight into a room is easy; a doorway off a narrow hall at right angles is where long sofas get stuck.

Hallways: measure wall to wall at the narrowest point, including radiators, coat hooks and light switches that stick out.
Turns: the longer the sofa, the more space it needs to swing round a corner. Standing it on end is the usual trick, which only works if the ceiling is higher than the sofa is long.
Stairs: measure between the handrail and the wall, not wall to wall, and check the headroom at the lowest point above the stairs. Landings and winding stairs that turn are the tightest spots.

Our guide to measuring a staircase shows how to take stair widths and headroom accurately, and measuring a front door covers the frame and opening in more detail.

How wide are UK internal doorways?

The most common internal door in England and Wales is 762 mm (2ft 6in) wide, and the clear opening is always less than the door leaf. Older and smaller rooms may have 686 mm (2ft 3in) or 610 mm (2ft) doors, and newer homes built to accessibility standards often have wider ones.

Door leaf size (mm)	Imperial	Where you find it
1981 × 610	6ft 6in × 2ft	Small rooms, cupboards
1981 × 686	6ft 6in × 2ft 3in	Bathrooms, box rooms
1981 × 762	6ft 6in × 2ft 6in	Most living rooms and bedrooms in England and Wales
1981 × 838	6ft 6in × 2ft 9in	Wider openings and accessible homes
2040 × 726	6ft 8¼in × 2ft 4⅝in	Common metric size, especially in Scotland
2040 × 826	6ft 8¼in × 2ft 8½in	Wider metric size

For reference, Approved Document M (Volume 1) gives minimum clear opening widths for doorways in new homes of 750 mm to 800 mm, depending on the width of the corridor and the direction of approach. Your own doorways may be narrower, especially in older houses, so always measure.

What should you prepare before delivery day?

Write your measurements down and share them with the retailer before the sofa is dispatched. A list of the narrowest door, hall and stair widths lets them check in advance whether it will go.

On the day, clear the route of rugs, pictures and furniture, take off any door that you measured without, and have a screwdriver ready for the sofa’s legs. Pad the door frames with towels or card where the sofa will turn, because architraves are easily scuffed in a tight fit.

Common mistakes to avoid

Measuring the door leaf or the frame instead of the clear opening.
Forgetting the open door, handle and hinges, which all reduce the clear width.
Checking only the front door and not the living room door or the bend in the hall.
Ignoring packaging, which can add several centimetres all round.
Using the height with legs on when the legs unscrew.

Frequently asked questions

What is the diagonal depth of a sofa?

It is the distance from the bottom rear corner of the sofa to a straight edge laid across the top of the back and the front of the arm. It is the thinnest the sofa becomes when tilted back.

Can a sofa deeper than the door width fit through?

Often, yes. If the sofa’s height or diagonal depth is less than the door’s clear width, it can go through on its back or tilted at an angle.

How wide is a standard UK internal door opening?

The most common internal door leaf in England and Wales is 762 mm wide. The clear opening with the door open is narrower than that, so measure your own doorway.

Does taking the door off the hinges help?

Yes. An open door takes up its own thickness plus the hinge knuckle, so removing it adds several centimetres of clear width.

What if my sofa will not fit through any door?

Check whether the legs, arms or back unscrew, try patio or French doors, or choose a modular or flat-packed sofa that is assembled inside the room.