Brett Field
The most common door in an Australian home is 2040 mm high and 820 mm wide, says Architecture & Design. Door maker Corinthian sells its internal doors 2040 mm or 2340 mm high, in widths from 520 mm to 920 mm, and 35 mm thick.
Below are the standard sizes for internal, front, sliding and French doors, the 820 mm rule for new homes, and what to do when your opening is not a standard size. Every size was checked on a maker's page or an official page on 18 October 2026. There are no prices here. For those, see our guide to door installation cost.
What is the standard internal door size in Australia?
2040 mm high and 820 mm wide. Architecture & Design says bedroom doors very rarely differ from this size. It gives a wider range for internal doors of about 530 mm to 920 mm wide and 2040 mm to 2340 mm high.
A maker's size list shows the same thing. Corinthian stocks its internal doors in these sizes:
| Height | Widths | Thickness |
|---|---|---|
| 2040 mm | 520, 620, 720, 770, 820, 870 or 920 mm | 35 mm |
| 2340 mm | 520, 620, 720, 770, 820, 870 or 920 mm | 35 mm |
Source: Corinthian, size list for its Deco internal door, checked 18 October 2026. Other makers may stock other sizes, and Corinthian also makes custom sizes.
The widths go up in steps of 100 mm at the small end and 50 mm at the big end. So a door that is "about 800" could be a 770 or an 820. Measure before you buy.
What is the standard front door size in Australia?
Most front doors are also 2040 mm high and 820 mm wide, says Architecture & Design. It gives the same range as internal doors, 530 mm to 920 mm wide and 2040 mm to 2340 mm high, and says much larger front doors are possible but less common.
The main difference is thickness. Corinthian makes its flush entrance door 40 mm thick (some sizes also come in 35 mm), while its internal doors are 35 mm. These are its 40 mm sizes:
| Height | Widths at 40 mm thick |
|---|---|
| 2040 mm | 720, 820, 870 or 920 mm |
| 2100 mm | 920 or 1200 mm |
| 2340 mm | 820 mm |
| 2400 mm | 920 or 1200 mm |
Source: Corinthian, size list for its EXP flush entrance door, checked 18 October 2026.
Corinthian also says its entrance doors must go in an opening that is protected from the weather, and that doors in direct sun should be painted a light colour. If your front door faces full sun, plan for that before you pick a dark paint.
Should I choose a 2040 mm or a 2340 mm door?
Match the doors you already have. 2040 mm is the standard height and 2340 mm is the main taller stock size. Corinthian makes both heights in the same widths.
The height is set by the frame, not the door. A 2340 mm door needs a 2340 mm opening, so going taller means a new frame and changes to the wall above it. If you are replacing one door in a hallway of 2040 mm doors, a 2040 mm door is the simple choice.
Taller doors also need more hinges. Corinthian says 3 hinges are the minimum for its 2340 mm doors and for doors with a medium to high density core.
How wide should a door be for a wheelchair or walker?
At least 820 mm of clear opening. That is the minimum in the ABCB Livable Housing Design Standard, part of the National Construction Code 2022, for the main doors of a new home.
Clear opening is the gap you can walk or roll through with the door open. It is not the size of the door. The standard says an 870 mm door leaf can generally give you 820 mm clear on a single swinging door. So an 820 mm door does not give you an 820 mm gap.
In a new home, the 820 mm rule covers:
- at least one entrance door
- internal doors on the ground or entry level that lead to a habitable room (such as a bedroom or living room) or the laundry
- the door to the accessible toilet and the room with the step-free shower
- a door from an attached garage that is part of the step-free path in
The hallway leading to those doors needs 1000 mm clear between the walls. The threshold of those internal doors must be level, or have a rounded or bevelled lip of no more than 5 mm, or a small ramp no steeper than 1 in 8 that stays within the door jamb. Double, bifold and sliding doors can use narrower panels, as long as the full opening is at least 820 mm when they are fully open.
Planning a bathroom around one person's needs? Our guide to an accessible bathroom renovation covers the rest of the standard.
Do Queensland renovations have to meet the 820 mm door rule?
Usually not. The Queensland Government says the Livable Housing Design Standard has applied to new homes since 1 October 2023. Renovations of less than half a house are exempt where it is not practical or reasonable to comply.
The Queensland Government's page on the Modern Homes standards adds that repairs and maintenance generally do not trigger the standard. It says the standards for that work are generally the same ones that applied to the house before (like for like). If your job needs building approval, your certifier decides what applies.
Not required does not mean not useful. If a doorway is being reframed anyway, that is a good time to think about making it wider.
What size are sliding, double and French doors?
They vary more than hinged doors. Architecture & Design gives these usual sizes:
| Door type | Usual width | Usual height |
|---|---|---|
| Sliding door | 2220 to 3570 mm | 2100 to 2400 mm |
| French doors, two panels | 1200 to 1800 mm | 2100 mm |
| French doors, more than two panels | 2100 to 3000 mm | 2100 mm |
| Double door | About twice a single door | Usually the same as a single door |
Source: Architecture & Design, standard door sizes (undated), checked 18 October 2026. It names 1800 mm wide by 2100 mm high as the standard French door.
A cavity sliding door slides into the wall, so the wall frame has to suit the door. Corinthian's Platinum 4000 and 6000 steel cavity units take doors up to 2340 mm high and 1200 mm wide. Our sliding door installation cost guide covers barn doors, cavity sliders and the rest.
What if my door opening is not a standard size?
You have three choices: trim a stock door, order a custom door, or change the frame.
- Trim a stock door. Only a little. Corinthian allows 5 mm off the top, the bottom and each side of its honeycomb and solid MDF core doors. Its Blokdoor, with a laminated timber core, has no trimming limit.
- Order a custom size. Corinthian lists custom sizes for its Deco door. Ask your supplier how long one takes.
- Change the frame. A carpenter packs out or reframes the opening to take a standard door. This makes sense when the old frame is damaged anyway.
To measure, measure the old door itself as well as the opening. Check the width at the top and bottom and the height on both sides. If the numbers differ, use the smallest one and tell your supplier.
Want less fitting work? Corinthian's pre-hung door and jamb sets come with the jambs, hinges, latch and striker plate already machined. Our door cost guide explains the difference between a pre-hung and a slab door.
Who can install or move a door in Queensland?
A licensed carpenter. The QBCC carpentry licence covers "Install windows and doors including framing", plus door locks and hardware, and restoring doors and frames. Building work over $3,300 needs a QBCC licence of the right class.
Making an opening wider is a bigger job than hanging a door. If the wall holds up the roof or a floor above, a wider opening changes the structure. A certifier or engineer has the final word on what that wall needs.
We hang internal, front and sliding doors across the Gold Coast, and frame new or wider openings when a standard door will not fit. See our carpentry work for the doors and other jobs we do.
Where do these sizes come from?
Checked on 18 October 2026: Architecture & Design, standard door sizes by type (undated); Corinthian's size lists for its Deco internal door and EXP flush entrance door, its NCC solutions page and its pre-hung doors page (undated); the ABCB Livable Housing Design Standard 2022, version 1.3 (November 2023); the Queensland Government's pages on building accessible housing and the Modern Homes standards (undated); and the QBCC carpentry licence page (August 2021) and when you need a licence page (August 2021). We will check these sizes again every three months.
See our carpentry work, or check what your job will cost.
