Door Swing Checker

Door Swing Clearance Checker

See exactly where your door reaches at every angle. Catch clearance problems before you order.

Door Details

Standard interior doors are 28", 30", 32", or 36" wide.

Wall Clearances

Distance from hinge pin to the wall on the hinge side.

Distance from hinge pin to the wall the door swings toward.

Obstacles (optional)

Actions

Saved Room Layouts

Save multiple door options for the same room to compare them side by side. Layouts are stored in your browser and never sent to a server.

No layouts saved yet. Enter your measurements above and click "Save this layout" to start comparing door options.

Working with Tight Spaces

When the door hits a wall before 90°

This is the most common problem in older homes and small bathrooms. The door swings into a wall, a vanity, or a hallway before it can open fully. You have three main fixes. First, reverse the swing direction if the frame and hardware allow it. Second, install offset hinges that shift the door further from the hinge-side wall as it opens, gaining 1 to 2 inches of clearance. Third, replace the swing door with a pocket door or bifold that slides instead of swinging.

Measuring correctly the first time

Measure from the center of the hinge pin, not the edge of the door or the frame. Include baseboard thickness in your wall distance because the door must clear it. If you are measuring an existing opening without a door, measure the rough opening width and subtract 2 inches for the frame to estimate the door size that will fit. Write down which side the hinges are on and whether the door swings in or out of the room.

Double doors and closets

For double doors, each door panel swings through roughly half the opening. Check each panel separately using half the total width. For closet bifold doors, the swing arc is about half the panel width because the door folds as it opens. For sliding closet doors, there is no swing arc at all, but you need to check that the door overlaps the opening by at least 1 inch on each side when closed.

Common mistakes to avoid

People often forget about the door stop molding, which adds about 3/8 inch to the frame depth. They measure to the drywall instead of the baseboard. They assume a 30-inch door fits a 30-inch opening, but the door is actually 30 inches and the opening needs to be 32 inches to fit the frame. They order a right-swing door when they need a left-swing. Always check the swing direction before you click buy.

Questions People Ask

What is the minimum clearance between a door and a wall?
At least 2 inches is the practical minimum. Less than that and the door handle may hit the wall, or you cannot open the door fully. For hallways and busy areas, aim for 4 inches or more.
Can I check a double door with this?
This version handles single-swing doors. For double doors, check each panel individually using half the total opening width.
My door hits the wall before reaching 90 degrees. What now?
Switch the swing direction if the frame allows it. Install offset hinges that push the door further from the wall. Or switch to a pocket door or bifold that slides instead of swinging.
How do I measure hinge-to-wall distance?
Close the door. Measure from the center of the hinge pin to the nearest wall surface. Include baseboard in the measurement since the door must clear it.
Can I share my layout with a contractor?
Yes. Click Share link to copy a URL with all measurements encoded. You can also print the page or export a text summary.
Does this account for door thickness and trim?
No. The visualization shows the door as a line for simplicity. Standard interior doors are 1 3/8 inches thick. Add that to your real-world clearance check. Trim molding can add another 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch on each side.

Example: Checking a Bathroom Door

Say you are replacing a bathroom door. The rough opening is 32 inches wide. You want a 30-inch door. The hinge-side wall is 5 inches from the hinge pin. The strike-side wall (where the door swings toward) is 42 inches away. There is a vanity 22 inches from the hinge at a 30-degree angle from the wall, and it sticks out 18 inches.

Enter 30 for door width. Set hinge-side wall to 5 and strike-side wall to 42. Add an obstacle at distance 22, angle 30, size 18, named "Vanity". The visualization shows the door clearing the vanity with about 3 inches to spare at full open. The status panel says "Clearance OK". You can confidently order that door.

Now try a 36-inch door in the same opening. The arc immediately shows the door hitting the vanity at about 70 degrees. The status panel turns red and says "Collision at 70 degrees with Vanity". You just avoided a costly mistake.