Most standard closet doors are 80 inches tall, with common hinged widths of 24, 28, 30, 32, and 36 inches. Two-panel sliding closets often fit openings like 48 inches (2×24), 60 inches (2×30), or 72 inches (2×36). But “standard” varies by home age and trim, so measure width and height in three spots and size to the smallest measurement.

Standard Closet Door Sizes

If you searched standard closet door sizes, you’re probably doing one of two things: replacing a door that’s driving you crazy, or planning a closet upgrade and trying to avoid the “buy it twice” mistake.

We get it. Closet doors feel like they should be easy. Then you measure your opening, and it’s not a neat number, or you discover the old doors were cut down, or the track system is eating clearance you didn’t expect. Suddenly, you’re deep in the rabbit hole of “Is this 48 inches? Or 47 3/8? And why does it matter?”

Here’s the honest truth from the field: there are standard closet door sizes, but houses don’t always cooperate. Builders frame openings differently. Older homes settle. Trim changes usable width. Flooring and baseboards steal clearance. And the second you switch door styles (hinged to sliding bypass, or bifold to bypass), those “standard” charts become a starting point, not an answer.

We design and install custom closet doors across California and Nevada, and the most common misconception we see is homeowners ordering based on a chart without confirming what their opening and layout actually need. This guide will give you the real-world standards, explain how to measure like a pro, and help you choose the right door type so your closet doors look intentional and work smoothly for years.

What does standard closet door size mean

“Standard” usually refers to the most commonly manufactured door slab sizes used in residential construction. Manufacturers produce these sizes at scale because builders repeat similar framing patterns.

Closet doors typically fall into three main categories:

• Hinged doors (single or double swing)
• Sliding bypass doors (panels that slide past each other on tracks)
• Bifold doors (two panels that fold outward)

Each type has common widths and heights, but once your opening is wider than a typical two-panel setup, or your home is older, or your trim is thick, standard sizing starts to blur.

Standard closet door size chart

Below is a simple cheat sheet with the sizes we see most often in California and Nevada homes. Consider this a practical reference, not a substitute for measuring.

A note that saves people headaches: door size and opening size are not the same thing. You need clearance for hardware and smooth operation, and that clearance depends on the system.

What is the standard closet door height

In many homes, the most common interior door height is 80 inches (6’8”), and that includes many closet doors. But in California, we regularly measure:

• 78 inches in older construction (especially in parts of Los Angeles and older Bay Area neighborhoods)
• 84 inches (7’0”) in newer builds and many remodels
• 96 inches (8’0”) in higher-end homes or renovations that intentionally go taller for a more architectural look

If you assume 80 inches and your opening is actually 78 or 84, you can end up with a door that doesn’t fit, or one that looks awkward once trim is installed. Height is one of the easiest places to get burned because it’s the dimension people least expect to vary.

Standard hinged closet door widths

For a single hinged closet door, common standard widths include 18, 20, 24, 28, 30, 32, and 36 inches. In real-world homes, we most often see 24, 28, 30, and 32 inches. For a double-door closet (two hinged doors meeting in the center), common pairings are:

• 2×24 inches for a 48-inch opening
• 2×30 inches for a 60-inch opening
• 2×32 inches for a 64-inch opening
• 2×36 inches for a 72-inch opening

Hinged doors are great when you want full access to the closet, and you have enough floor space for the swing. Where they fail is in tighter bedrooms where the bed, dresser, or nightstands block the swing path. In those rooms, a hinged door isn’t “wrong,” but it’s often inconvenient.

Standard sliding closet door sizes

Sliding closet doors (bypass doors) typically come as two panels that overlap on tracks. Common panel widths include 24, 30, and 36 inches, and some manufacturers offer wider panels like 48 inches for certain systems, though that’s less common and not always ideal for smooth daily use. Common two-panel opening widths include:

• 48 inches (2×24)
• 60 inches (2×30)
• 72 inches (2×36)

Once you go wider than that, you often move into three-panel or four-panel systems. That’s also where “standard” breaks down fast. A wide closet opening might be common in your neighborhood, but the doors still need to be sized correctly for overlap, handle placement, and smooth glide.

We see this all the time in California bedrooms with long, wall-to-wall closets: the opening is generous, but the old doors were a compromise. Done right, a multi-panel sliding system makes the entire wall feel designed, not like a utility zone.

Standard bifold closet door sizes

Bifold doors are extremely common in builder-grade homes because they’re inexpensive and widely available. They fold outward when opened, which can offer more access than sliding doors in some situations.

Common bifold sizes include 18, 24, 30, and 36 inches wide per unit, typically at 80 inches tall. A “36-inch bifold” is usually two 18-inch panels hinged together.

Bifolds work, but they’re also one of the first things homeowners replace when they want a bedroom to feel more elevated. The common complaints are predictable: they drift out of alignment, the hardware feels light, and they tend to look dated quickly, especially next to upgraded floors and fresh paint.

Why standard closet doors often do not fit perfectly

Here’s what trips people up, and it’s not theoretical. It’s what we see after someone has already ordered doors that don’t work.

First, openings are rarely perfectly square. Even in newer homes, drywall and framing can introduce small variances. In older homes, settling makes it more pronounced. That’s why we always measure width and height in multiple spots and use the smallest measurement.

Second, trim steals space. A closet that measures 60 inches drywall-to-drywall may not behave like a 60-inch “door opening” once casing, drywall returns, or baseboards are involved.

Third, floors are not always level. If your floor slopes slightly, a hinged door can rub or swing oddly, and a sliding system can reveal gaps you didn’t plan for.

Fourth, sliding doors require overlap and track clearance. Bypass systems do not close edge-to-edge like hinged doors. They overlap, and the track and header require headroom. This is where homeowners get surprised. A door slab that “fits” on paper can still be wrong for the track system you have or want.

Fifth, your closet interior can block the door. We’ve walked into plenty of closets where a rod, shelf, or organizer protrudes just enough to interfere with sliding doors. It’s always the last thing someone notices, and it’s always annoying.

How to measure closet doors correctly

If you want measurements that actually help you choose the right doors, measure the way we do it.

Start with the width. Measure the opening at the top, middle, and bottom. If you get three different numbers, that’s normal. Use the smallest number as your baseline because the door system has to clear the tightest point.

Then measure the height on the left, center, and right. Again, use the smallest number.

After you have those, check the surroundings. Look at your trim. Look at your baseboards. Look at how much depth you have for tracks and whether anything protrudes into the opening. If you’re switching door types, this step matters as much as the measurements themselves.

One more practical tip: if you’re changing flooring soon, or adding thicker baseboards, measure after those changes if possible. We’ve seen “perfectly sized” doors become imperfect once new flooring raised the finished floor height.

Which closet door type should you choose

The right closet door is not just about standard closet door sizes. It’s about how the bedroom works.

Hinged doors feel classic and give the best access to the closet, but they require swing space. In a tight bedroom, they can become a daily annoyance, even if the doors are beautiful.

Sliding bypass doors are often the cleanest solution when space is tight. They don’t swing into the room, and they can create a sleek wall surface when closed. The tradeoff is access. With a typical two-panel bypass, you access one side of the closet at a time. In wider openings, multi-panel systems can improve access while keeping the same clean look.

Bifold doors are a practical option when budget is the primary driver, or when a closet is narrow and you want more access than a bypass setup. But if you’re remodeling for a higher-end finish, bifolds tend to be the first thing that makes the room feel like it belongs to a previous era.

When standard sizes are fine and when custom is smarter

If your opening is truly standard, the room layout supports the door type you want, and you’re okay with off-the-shelf styling, standard sizes can be perfectly fine.

Custom becomes the smarter move when your opening is slightly off, when you want taller doors, when your closet is wide enough to benefit from a multi-panel system, or when you want the doors to match the rest of your home’s finish level.

In California and Nevada, we see a lot of homeowners replacing mirrored sliders and builder-grade bifolds specifically because the rest of the bedroom has been upgraded. New floors, new paint, new lighting, and then the closet doors look like the last holdout from a previous decade. Closet doors take up more visual space than most people realize until they change them.

One of the most common “we wish you’d called us first” moments is this: homeowners measure casing-to-casing instead of measuring the actual functional opening, then discover the doors don’t clear the trim or the track eats their headroom. It’s a small mistake that creates a big headache.

Closet door sizing in Southern and Northern California

This is where local context matters.

In Southern California, we frequently walk into bedrooms where space is at a premium and furniture is tight. Sliding systems tend to be popular because they keep the room feeling open. We also see a lot of large closet openings in primary suites, which is where custom multi-panel bypass systems can turn a plain wall into a designed feature.

In Northern California, especially in older Bay Area homes, we often see greater variation in height and opening sizes. A closet that looks normal can measure in a way that doesn’t match today’s “standard” assumptions. That’s why measurement is so critical. Even a half inch off can create rubs, gaps, or awkward trim solutions.

Across both regions, the most common design goal is the same: homeowners want closet doors that feel intentional. Not loud, not trendy, just clean and correct.

How Elizabeth Shutters approaches closet doors

We keep this simple: we design closet doors the way we design shutters. They should look architectural, fit properly, and operate smoothly.

That starts with accurate measuring, but it doesn’t stop there. It’s also about choosing the right door type for the room, selecting proportions and finishes that match the home, and ensuring the final installation looks clean against the trim and baseboards. Closet doors are not a place where “close enough” feels close enough, especially once you upgrade the rest of the space.