Standard Door Sizes for Wheelchair Access

If you’re making your home wheelchair accessible, ensuring your doors are wide enough is a key step. Standard residential doors, particularly interior doors, are often not wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair, making many homes impossible for wheelchair users to navigate. We break down what size doors you need for wheelchair access, other factors to consider, and how to determine the right size doors for wheelchair access in your home.

What Is the Standard Door Size for Wheelchair Access?

Doors should be 32 inches wide to accommodate wheelchair access. Standard residential exterior doors often measure 36 inches wide and are appropriately sized for wheelchair access, but standard interior doors are more narrow, measuring between 24 and 30 inches wide. To make your home wheelchair accessible, you’ll likely need to widen interior doors to a minimum of 32 inches. 

Door Sizes for Wheelchair Access by Wheelchair Type

Wheelchairs come in various sizes and styles, and it’s best to use the largest dimensions when determining door size. If you or someone in your household uses a smaller wheelchair model, you may not need a 32-inch-wide door. Erring on the side of caution with a door that’s larger than you currently need can eliminate the need for further remodeling if a larger wheelchair is used in the future or if you welcome guests with larger chairs. 

Manual Wheelchair

Manual wheelchairs tend to be narrower than most power wheelchairs, averaging about 23 to 27 inches wide from wheel to wheel. Manual wheelchairs can often fit through narrower doors than many power wheelchairs, but using the standard accessibility 32-inch measure will ensure wheelchair users can comfortably fit through your home’s doorways.

Transport Wheelchair

Transport wheelchairs are typically lighter and narrower than other kinds of wheelchairs and may have more limited use within the home. While many transport wheelchairs can fit through standard-sized doors, the extra room allowed by a 32-inch doorway allows for more flexibility of movement and an easier transition to other wheelchair types.

Standard Power Wheelchairs

Power wheelchairs are heavier and wider than manual wheelchairs, averaging between 24 and 29 inches wide from wheel to wheel. A 32-inch-wide doorway is the minimum to comfortably accommodate most power wheelchairs and allow access within your home.

Heavy-Duty Power Wheelchairs

Some power wheelchairs are larger than standard, averaging 25 to 30 inches wide. These heavy-duty power chairs require the most space, making a 32-inch or wider door necessary for access. Planning with a heavy-duty power chair in mind will ensure enough space for any size wheelchair and prevent having to resize your doorways to accommodate larger chairs later on.

How to Measure the Right Size Door for Wheelchair Access

To measure a door for wheelchair access, the 32 inches should be clear, unobstructed space within the interior of the door frame. Removing trim, switching to offset hinges, and widening door frames may be necessary steps to ensure doors are wide enough for a wheelchair to easily fit through. Keep in mind that 32 inches is the minimum width needed—a wider door will allow easier access, so if you have the space for a larger door, consider installing as wide a door as possible.

Factors That Influence Door Size for Wheelchair Access

In addition to wheelchair type, other factors affect door size and width for wheelchair access. Consider these factors when making your home accessible.

Hallway Width

Part of the cost of making your home wheelchair accessible may include widening your hallways. It is important to be able to fit a wheelchair through all your home’s doors, but door width goes hand-in-hand with hallway width for comfortable access to all parts of the home. 

Turning Clearance

When you’re looking at wheelchair accessible exterior door installation or interior door installation, how you approach the door before entering it and what kind of space there is once you’ve passed through it are extremely important as well. There should be enough room for a wheelchair to comfortably turn around on either side of the door to make entering and existing the space easier.

Codes and Regulations

While residential homes aren’t subject to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), there may be local codes or regulations relating to door sizes you’ll need to comply with. With universal home design becoming more popular to make homes more accessible, wider doors for wheelchair access often meet code requirements, but check with your local building authority to ensure you cover all your bases. 

Door Hardware

Another thing on your home accessibility checklist should be to ensure that a wheelchair user can easily access door handles, knobs, and locks, and that door hardware doesn’t impede use of the door for wheelchair users. Lowering door handles and locks can make your home’s doors more accessible, so consider this step when installing doors for wheelchair access.

What to Do if You Have the Wrong Size Door for Wheelchair Access

If you’re renovating your home to be wheelchair accessible and your existing doors are too narrow, find a local home remodeling pro specializing in accessible design to help make the switch. Hiring an accessibility contractor can ensure your home meets all the requirements for wheelchair access, and knowing who to hire to install a door for wheelchair accessibility can give you peace of mind that the job is done right and your home meets the needs of everyone living in it or visiting.