Will My Sofa Fit Through the Door | How to Measure It

The Measurement That Matters Is Diagonal Depth

A sofa goes through a door on its back or on its end, not the way it sits in the room, so its depth is the wrong number. Darlings of Chelsea's fitting guide sets out the method: take the cushions off, lay a straight edge against the most prominent parts of the back and the arm, then measure from that line to the rear corner of the sofa. That is the diagonal depth.

The rule in the same guide is that the diagonal depth must be less than the entry width, and the sofa's width must be less than either the door height or the clear space beyond the door. Loaf's guide adds the other way in: if the sofa will not tip through, a crew can try carrying it upright, which works if the door frame is taller than the sofa is long.

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  Measure the sofa's width, height, depth and diagonal depth.

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  Measure the clear width and height of every door on the route, not just the front door.

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  Measure the hallway beyond each door, because that is where the sofa has to turn.

How Wide UK Doors Actually Are

Building regulations set minimums for new homes, and they are measured as clear opening width, not the size of the door leaf. Approved Document M measures it from the inside face of the door when open to the inside edge of the frame or stop, which is always less than the door itself. Under the basic standard an entrance door must give at least 775mm, and a standard 826mm door leaf is deemed to provide that.

Internal doors and corridors are paired: a 750mm door needs a 900mm corridor when you approach it head-on, or 1,200mm when you approach it from the side, while from the side a 775mm door needs a 1,050mm corridor and an 800mm door a 900mm one. The stricter accessible and adaptable standard, known as M4(2), raises the entrance door to 850mm.

New Greater Manchester Homes Are Built Wider

There is a local twist. Places for Everyone, the joint development plan for nine Greater Manchester districts, requires all new dwellings to meet the nationally described space standards and to be built to the accessible and adaptable M4(2) standard, unless specific site conditions make that impracticable. That means wider entrance doors and wider hallways in homes approved under the plan.

The catch is that it only applies to new homes. An older terrace or semi was built long before either standard, and its front door and the turn at the bottom of the stairs are the usual tight spots. If you are moving from a new build into an older house, measure the old house, not the new one.

When It Does Not Fit

There are usually options before giving up. Loaf says its sofa legs can be removed, with standard legs between 3.5cm and 12cm tall, and some of its models have removable arms. Taking off the legs, the arms or the door itself is often the difference, and it is exactly what our furniture dismantling service does.

Buy before you measure and it can get expensive. SCS's terms say a redelivery charge applies where products have to be redelivered because of access problems, and Sofas & Stuff offers a £59 access check while making clear the customer remains responsible for access. A sofa made to your specification is also outside the usual 14-day right to cancel, because the Consumer Contracts Regulations exclude goods made to the consumer's specifications.

If you are buying second-hand, measure before you agree to collect. Our furniture delivery service collects sofas from shops and private sellers, and we would rather know the door width before the van goes than after.