Couch Fit Calculator

The short answer

A couch gets through a door when the door’s clear opening is wider than one of its depth, its height or its diagonal depth, so it goes through upright, on its back or tilted. Then its length has to fit too: either the space behind the door is longer than the couch, so it comes in flat, or the door is taller than the couch is long, so it comes in on end. Aim for 3 in or more to spare for the wrapping and the movers’ hands.

An 84 in couch with a 30 in diagonal depth gets through a 34 in opening tilted, back first, with 4 in to spare, and 8 ft of hallway behind the door leaves 12 in to carry it in flat.

How to measure

1. The couch: measure its length from arm to arm, its depth from the front to the back and its height from the floor to the top of the back, each at the widest point, cushions included.
2. The diagonal depth: lay a straightedge from the top of the back to the front of the arm, then measure from the bottom back corner up to the straightedge.
3. The legs: if they unscrew, measure how tall they are.
4. The door: open it as far as it goes and measure the clear opening at its narrowest point, from the face of the open door to the door stop on the other side, then the height of the opening.
5. The space behind it: measure from the door to the wall or the turn across from it.

How to use the calculator

1. Enter the couch’s length, depth and height, and its diagonal depth if you measured it. A couch length you entered in another tool carries over.
2. Enter the legs’ height if they come off, or leave it at 0.
3. Enter the door’s clear opening and height, and the space behind the door.
4. Read the result: whether the couch gets through, the best way to carry it and how much room it leaves. Every way is listed as Fits, Tight or Doesn’t fit.
5. Check the next door. Run it again for each door, hallway and stairway on the way in: the tightest one decides. Copy link keeps your numbers in the address.

How we calculate

Make this check before delivery day: across the door first, then along the way in. On the day, the delivery team’s own measurements come first.

• Across the door: the opening has to be wider than at least one of the couch’s depth (carried upright), its height (on its back or side) or its diagonal depth (tilted through, back first), measured inside the door frame. With the legs off, its height on its back is that much lower.
• Along the way in: if the space behind the door is longer than the couch, it can come in flat; if not, it goes in on end, and the door has to be taller than the couch is long.
• The room to spare: allow 3 in or more on top of a couch’s size for its packaging and the delivery team’s hands, so the calculator calls that much to spare a fit. With less, it’s Tight: it may still go through, unwrapped and with care.
• When it’s too wide: taking the door off its hinges gains about 0.5 in or more, and prying off the door stop another 0.75 in. Together that’s about 1.25 in, about as much as an open door can take out of the opening.

Worked examples

Worked example

An 84 in couch through a front door with a hallway behind it

What we know

• Couch: 84 in long, 36 in deep, 32 in high, 30 in diagonal depth
• Door: 34 in wide, 80 in high, 8 ft behind it

How it works out

1. Across the 34 in opening: depth 36 in, height 32 in, diagonal depth 30 in; the best is tilted through back first, 4 in to spare.
2. Along the way in: 84 in against 8 ft behind the door (flat) and the 80 in door (on end); the best is carried in flat, 12 in to spare.

Yes, it fits through the door. Tilted through back first, its diagonal depth (30 in) clears the 34 in opening with 4 in to spare. With 8 ft behind the door, it can go in flat, 12 in to spare. Check every door, hallway and stair on the way in: the tightest one decides.

Worked example

A 90 in couch through a 30 in door into a bedroom, legs off

What we know

• Couch: 90 in long, 38 in deep, 34 in high, 6 in legs that come off
• Door: 30 in wide, 80 in high, 10 ft behind it

How it works out

1. Across the 30 in opening: depth 38 in, height 34 in, height without the legs 28 in; the best is on its back with the legs off, 2 in to spare.
2. Along the way in: 90 in against 10 ft behind the door (flat) and the 80 in door (on end); the best is carried in flat, 30 in to spare.

It's a tight fit. On its back with the legs off, its height without the legs (28 in) clears the 30 in opening with 2 in to spare. That's less than the 3 in to allow for packaging and the delivery team's hands, so it's close. With 10 ft behind the door, it can go in flat, 30 in to spare. Check every door, hallway and stair on the way in: the tightest one decides.

Worked example

A deep 96 in couch and a 32 in door

What we know

• Couch: 96 in long, 40 in deep, 36 in high, 33 in diagonal depth
• Door: 32 in wide, 80 in high, 12 ft behind it

How it works out

1. Across the 32 in opening: depth 40 in, height 36 in, diagonal depth 33 in; the best is tilted through back first, 1 in too wide.
2. Along the way in: 96 in against 12 ft behind the door (flat) and the 80 in door (on end); the best is carried in flat, 48 in to spare.

It won't fit through this door. It's too wide for the 32 in opening every way it turns: the narrowest, tilted through back first, is 1 in too wide. With 12 ft behind the door, it can go in flat, 48 in to spare. Taking the door off its hinges (about 0.5 in) and prying off the door stop (another 0.75 in) could make it wide enough. If its legs unscrew, enter their height: without them, it's that much lower on its back. Otherwise look for a wider door into the house, or a couch that comes in pieces or in boxes. Check every door, hallway and stair on the way in: the tightest one decides.

What each door opening takes

The biggest depth, height or diagonal depth that gets through each clear opening with 3 in to spare, and the most it can be at all.

Typical couch sizes

What most couches measure, to compare with your door before you shop. Sizes vary by maker, so check the listing’s own numbers for the one you like.

Still choosing a size? The sofa size calculator finds the longest sofa or sectional your living room wall takes, with room to walk around it.

Door sizes

• Interior doors usually come 24, 28, 30, 32 and 36 in wide and 80 in high, and the standard entry door is 36 in wide.
• The opening is narrower than the door. A 34 in door hung the standard way leaves at least 31.6 in clear, so measure the opening itself.
• The exit door: the International Residential Code asks for one door out of the house with a clear opening at least 32 in wide and 78 in high. Other doors in the house, like bedroom and bathroom doors, don’t have to meet it, so check them too.

When it doesn’t fit

• Take it apart: legs, cushions and arms that come off make it smaller.
• Try another door: a wider back or patio door may be the way in.
• Turn it on end in a hallway and hook it around the door, or rotate, twist and tilt it around corners.
• Choose a couch that comes in pieces: some modular couches ship in boxes that fit through just about any door, and some sofas come in a breakdown version.

Once it’s in, size the table in front of it with the coffee table size calculator.