Standard French Door Dimensions (with Pictures)

French doors give a classic look to a backyard patio or sunroom or a charming access point to a veranda. They have an instantly recognizable appearance, with their glass doors divided into several panels, called lites. These panels are created with a grid-like framing that goes over the glass, making them look like large windows.

French doors don’t have one standard size but instead, come in widths typically ranging from 30 inches to 72 inches. The most common overall width of a pair of French doors is 72 inches, consisting of two 36-inch doors. The standard height of a French door is 80 inches (79.5 rounded up to 80).

French doors also come in a variety of other widths and heights. Additionally, if you have a larger opening, you can make up the difference with options like sidelights. Proper French doors usually feature two working doors, but sets featuring one fixed door are also common.

The most common set of French doors is 80 inches tall with an overall width of 6 feet. However, individual doors can vary in width, with the most common sizes between 30 and 72 inches wide.

Typically, you will find French doors that go up in size in two or four-inch increments. For example, a manufacturer might have doors available in 20, 24, 28, 30, 32, 36, 42, 44, and 48-inch widths. Most companies only sell new French doors in pairs, but you can often find singles at restores and similar locations.

The basic parts of a French door are the stiles, rails, muntins, glass panels, or lites. A French door can either be one large piece of glass or separate glass panels.

When using individual glass panels, or lites, vertical and horizontal wood strips separate the panels. These strips are called muntins.

The stiles are the sides of the door on either side of the glass, and the rails are the top and bottom. The top and bottom rails and the stiles form the basic frame for the muntins.

For more efficient doors and easier installation, many people use fake muntins. This is a one-piece grid that goes on top of one panel of glass. Going this route also enables you to remove the grid if you decide you want a more modern look.

Whether using individual glass panels or one large piece, people still refer to a French door by the number of lites. So, if fake muntins separate one large glass panel into 15 rectangles, people still call it a 15-lite door.

French doors are a good option if you want to create a wide opening onto a patio or balcony. Both doors open fully with no center post, giving you a clear entry and exit point and an unobstructed view.

French doors are also a good option for separating spaces inside but still maintaining a sense of light and openness. They’re also a great option if you prefer a timeless, classic style or have a more traditional space.

Plus, French doors are an equally good match for farmhouse, cottage, shabby chic, French country, Victorian, and rustic designs. (Just to name a few.)

You can purchase sidelights in many different sizes. The design typically matches the design of the doors available from the manufacturer. However, you can also request custom designs and sizes as well.

The most common widths of sidelights are 6 inches, 12 inches, and 18 inches. However, some sidelights can be wider, matching the width of a door.

For example, a set of 30-inch double French doors with matching 30-inch sidelights would measure 10 feet overall. If using a more common sidelight size, like 18 inches, with the doors, the overall width would be 8 feet.

Sidelights are a great way to fit French doors into a larger opening and still allow lots of light. For example, say you have a set of three-panel glass sliding doors leading onto your patio. The doors have an overall width of 8-feet, which is larger than a typical set of French doors.

You replace the sliding doors with a standard set of 36-inch French doors, equalling 6-feet. To make up the difference, you install a 12-inch sidelight on each side of the French doors.

Similar to filling extra space on the sides, what if you have a taller opening than standard 80-inch doors? In this case, you can use transoms, which are windows that go above a doorway. Transom windows don’t have standard sizes.

You can get them in pretty much any size as you can have them custom-made. However, the most common sizes are 20 to 72 inches wide and 6 to 15 inches tall.

Of course, for both transoms and sidelights, you can use them for fit or simply for looks.

Related Questions

Can you create the illusion of a French door?

If you want the look of a French door but the privacy of a solid door, you can fake it. Take a regular, solid door and adhere a mirrored panel to the front. Then, use trim pieces to frame out the mirror and create the grid pattern on the front.

How much do French doors cost?

A set of French doors can cost anywhere from $350 to over $4,500. The final price relies on many factors, including size, style, amount of lites, real or fake muntins, and more. Installation needs are also a significant consideration.If you’re replacing an existing set of doors with the same size doors, then installation won’t cost very much. Conversely, if you’re installing a new set of French doors into a blank wall, you’re looking at a higher price. Other things that influence the price are adding sidelights, transoms, and any other special features.