French Door Sizes: A Complete Guide For Average Dimensions & More

Do French doors come in different sizes?

You bet! There are many options for rooms of various sizes in a variety of attractive styles.

Read on to learn about average French door sizes and dimensions and see a few important things to consider.

French Doors: An Appealing Choice

If you love the look and functionality of French doors, you’re in luck. French doors come in many different sizes to accommodate almost any replacement project.

They are also a great option if you want to bring more natural light into your home.

By definition, French doors are doors that have a lot of windows. They usually come in pairs, but they’re available as single doors, too. The benefits of French doors include:

• They make the space look bigger
• Brightens up the space with more natural light
• It helps bring in more air, reducing heating and cooling bills
• Smoother transitions from room to room
• Durability
• Blends the interior to the outdoors
• Installation options – French doors can swing outward, swing inward, or slide
• When used in home renovations, they can increase the property value of the home
• Provides an opening large enough to move furniture through a space

French doors are a good investment. You can find affordable options, and they increase the resale value of your home thanks to their appealing aesthetic qualities and the fact that they make any interior space feel much larger and more open.

Best Places to Install French Doors

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French doors are typically used in parts of your home to separate somewhat connected spaces.

For example, to separate your dining room from your family room, French doors are also used to create a “wall of windows” illusion on the back of your house.

This works especially well if you have a scenic backyard. French doors also make attractive patio doors. Outward installations are popular, but beware that they may be difficult to open in the winter if you live in a snowy climate.

Inward installations, too, may bring in snow and water, so an installed overhang is important.

Or, sliding French doors present a good alternative. French “double doors” can even be used as the front entrance doors to your home.

Using French doors for this type of exterior option requires working with a professional company to help you select the right door materials, as well as a professional installer.

Average French Door Sizes

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Standard French Door Sizes

Standard-height French doors come in 80 inches, 84 inches, and 96 inches. Widths most typically range from 30 to 72 inches as a pair, although the pair can be as wide as 96 inches (eight feet).

French doors are available in two-inch increments (for example, 36 x 80 or 48 x 96). French doors are most often sold in pairs. However, you can find them as single doors or sliding doors (for example, patio doors and barn doors).

Custom French Door Sizes

If you have narrow or extra-wide spaces, you can work with a design professional on custom French doors. For wide spaces, you can add fixed panels of glass down the sides next to the doors.

These are called sidelights. Transoms, the fixed windows above doors, are another option if you’re working with tall heights.

French Door Styles

French doors are installed to swing out or swing in. With pairs, you can choose to have one door be stationary while the other swings in or out. Most often, however, people choose to have both doors open at once.

When you think of French doors, your first thought might be of the traditional window-pane style. But French doors come in many other styles as well.

Take, for instance, arched French doors, etched glass doors, flat glass panels, rustic farmhouse styles, and more. No matter what your interior taste, there are French door styles for you.

Measuring for French Doors

The rough opening for your pair of French doors should be 2.5 inches higher than the doors’ height and 2 inches wider than both doors combined.

For example, if your pair of French doors measures 40 x 80, the rough opening should measure 82 wide by 82.5 tall.

If you’re installing a single door, follow the same guidelines as above: add 2.5 inches to the height and 2 inches to the width. For example, if your French door measures 30 x 80, the rough opening must be 32 wide by 82.5 tall.

Sliding doors do not require adding width or height to the measurement of the rough opening. Simply measure the door from the opening.

Keep in mind that if you’ve chosen sidelights or transoms to accompany your French doors, the rough opening will need enough space to accommodate these plus the doors.

If you’ve chosen to have sidelights or transoms installed, it’s best to have a professional installer take the measurements.

Things to Consider

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Take the following into consideration when thinking about French doors:

• Available Space: Consider the size of the rough space you already have available and work with what you have. It’s a complicated procedure to make a rough space bigger or smaller, and it’s best left to a professional.
• The surrounding area Do you want your French doors to improve and beautify the flow within your home as you go from room to room? Or do you want it to give you a better view of the outdoors?
• Functionality: Will interior French doors take away from any desired privacy you may want, for example, in a bedroom? If you choose inward-facing doors, will they give you enough clearance around furniture?
• Privacy: If you care whether people will be able to see into your home, you may want to install shades or drapes on your French doors. Options include louvered shades, remote control shades, and curtains, just to name a few.
• Material choices: French doors come in wood, vinyl, fiberglass, aluminum, and steel. Vinyl is the most affordable option, but fiberglass materials are more robust and more expensive. 
• Safety: All-glass French doors can present a security issue, so be sure the glass is double-pane or higher. In addition, consider a multi-point lock system to deter fast break-ins. These are available in three- or five-point configurations with deadbolt locks requiring keys for entry.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Final Thoughts

With the many sizes and options available, French doors provide a terrific option for today’s homeowners.

With the many benefits they offer while beautifying your home, French doors are a smart investment that improves resale value.