Bathroom Door Sizing Guide (All Options Listed)

New build or renovation, before your dream home comes to life, there are countless details to be considered during the planning process. For example, you will need to know what size bathroom door to get.

This article contains all of the information you need to know before selecting the bathroom door that is most suitable for your home, including codes regulating the size of your bathroom door and many additional facts and suggestions relating to bathroom door sizing that you should consider.

Minimum bathroom door width is 24-32", depending on local codes. 24" usually allowed only in existing bathrooms. New builds must have wider doors. Commonly, bathroom doors have widths up to 36". Minimum bathroom door height is 78-80" depending on local codes. The most common door size is 32" x 80".

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What Codes Govern Bathroom Door Sizes?

Although the International Residential Code (IRC) only provides regulations regarding the size of an egress door, there are some state-specific codes with guidelines to follow as you select the size of an interior door.

For example, according to the Wisconsin Interior Door Size Regulations, all interior doors need to have a height of at least 80″. Additionally, they must be 32″ wide or provide a space that is 30″ wide when they are opened.

To show you just how much the local codes can vary, Michigan Interior Door Size Regulations state that interior doors cannot be less than 24″ wide and need to be at least 78″ tall. The exceptions to this rule are doors that lead to a space that has a floor area of less than 10 sq. ft.

As the codes are known to differ when it comes to interior door sizes, be sure to check out your own state’s building guidelines before you select a bathroom door size for your home.

Smallest Allowed Door for a Bathroom

Minimum Door Width

The smallest allowed width for any interior door, including the bathroom door, is 24-32″, depending on local building codes.

Minimum Door Height

The smallest allowable height for an interior bathroom door is 78-80″, depending on local building codes.

Most Common Bathroom Door Size

Most homes have a bathroom door with a height of 80″ and a width of 32″.

Some states do not put a limit on the size of your bathroom door, and so you can choose to have a door that is taller than 80″. However, these often have to be custom-made and will likely cost significantly more money than a standard door that is 80″ in height.

Most people opt to go with a door that has a width greater than 30″ for accessibility reasons. Many pieces of furniture sold today will not fit through a doorway that is less than 30″ wide, which makes furnishing your bathroom a tedious process.

It is also important to keep in mind that it will be easier for more people to move in and out of your bathroom if the door provides a width greater than 30″.

Why Should the Bathroom Door Be Wider Than 24″?

Although doors with a width of 24″ may be found in some homes, it is important to note that installing a new 24″ door is not permitted. These small-width doors are only allowed when the existing structure in the home cannot support a larger door.

Doors should be wider than 24″ for the purpose of easy accessibility. Those with 24″ doors in their home often find that it can be difficult to move through the doorway due to its small size.

While some say that 24″ doors may be reasonable for a pantry, closet, or guest room, they recommend that spaces with a large volume of people moving through them, such as a bathroom, should have a door with a greater width so that individuals may move through them more efficiently.

It is possible for a person to fit through a door that is 24″ wide. However, if you have to carry an armload of laundry or towels into the bathroom, for example, you may find that it is incredibly difficult to navigate through this tighter space.

It can also make it more difficult if there is an emergency and you are trying to exit the bathroom quickly.

Moreover, it is virtually impossible for anyone using a walker or wheelchair to fit through an opening this small.

To ensure easy access to all individuals who may utilize your bathroom, it is important to consider some of the specific guidelines relating to door size put in place by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Door Size Compliant With Americans With Disabilities Act

When selecting the bathroom door that is right for your home, it is important to consider accessibility for those with disabilities, especially if you live with someone or have any frequent guests who utilize a wheelchair or a walker.

A small or standard size door will not provide a large enough space to accommodate such individuals. Below, I have provided a direct quote from Section 404 Doors, Doorways, and Gates from the Americans with Disabilities Act that outlines door sizing guidelines that accommodate those with disabilities:

404.2.3 Clear Width. Door openings shall provide a clear width of 32 inches (815 mm) minimum. Clear openings of doorways with swinging doors shall be measured between the face of the door and the stop, with the door open 90 degrees. Openings more than 24 inches (610 mm) deep shall provide a clear opening of 36 inches (915 mm) minimum. There shall be no projections into the required clear opening width lower than 34 inches (865 mm) above the finish floor or ground. Projections into the clear opening width between 34 inches (865 mm) and 80 inches (2030 mm) above the finish floor or ground shall not exceed 4 inches (100 mm).

Section 404 also includes two exceptions to this rule. These are as follows:

In alterations, a projection of 5/8 inch (16 mm) maximum into the required clear width shall be permitted for the latch side stop.
Door closers and door stops shall be permitted to be 78 inches (1980 mm) minimum above the finish floor or ground.

If you have any further questions regarding the guidelines provided here, or if you are interested in knowing more about how you can make your home more accessible, you can visit the Americans with Disabilities Act website.

Other factors to consider if you are installing a bathroom door specifically for use by persons in a wheelchair or with a walker include the swing direction of the door and a lock that can be opened from the outside in case there is an emergency.

Guidelines for Bathroom Door Thickness

Most bathroom doors have a thickness of 1 ⅜”. However, you can find bathroom doors available with thicknesses of 1 ½”, 1 ⅝”, and 1 ¾”.

Oversized doors that are more than 90″ tall and 36″ wide are typically thicker than a standard-size door.

If you are installing a glazed door, then the thickness of your bathroom door may vary from these measurements.

Glass with a thickness of ½” is the most common type used, but glass with thicknesses ranging from ¾” and beyond is becoming more common.

As the height of your bathroom door increases, the thickness of the glass used to create your glazed door will also have to increase to ensure that the door is stabilized. The thickness of the door will also have to increase to accommodate the thicker glass.

All Bathroom Door Sizes

Below is a list of common bathroom door sizes that can typically be purchased at your local home improvement store:

24” x 78”
30” x 78”
36” x 78”
24” x 80”
28” x 80”
30” x 80”
32” x 80”
34” x 80”
36” x 80”

Size Requirements for Bathroom Door Leading Outside

In some cases, individuals may have both an internal door and an egress door in their bathroom.

An egress door is a door that allows for an easy escape from a building in the event of an emergency.

However, in a bathroom, it is more often installed to allow easy access from the outside, preventing having to walk through the house if you are dirty from a day of gardening or wet from a pleasant afternoon in the swimming pool.

Others even install outside showers in a courtyard onto which the bathroom opens through an external door.

If you have a bathroom door leading outside, then you will have to abide by the size regulations corresponding to an egress door as laid out in Section R311 of the IRC, i.e., a door with a minimum width of 32″ and height of 78″.