Note: Ramsey Legacy Moving is not responsible for any product purchased that won’t fit in your home. This guide is used as a reference to assist you but you should make the purchase on your own instinct and decision.
Thinking about purchasing a piece of furniture for your home? Don’t make the hasty decision and purchase the item without measuring if it will fit first. Typical retail stores are aware that the standard door in American’s homes are 32″ and they design furniture around this but luxury/high-end/custom furniture builders don’t always follow those guidelines as their clients are wanting bigger/larger items to cover their large rooms.
As a rule you need two measurements (of three) length, width (or depth) or height of a piece to make it through a doorway.
Measuring a doorway:
Step 1) Measure width of each doorway the item will need to go through. You will measure with the door open all the way. Measure from where the door closes (door frame) to the edge of the door. Typical homes have either 32″ (newer homes) or 28″ (older homes).
Step 2) Measure the height of each door way the item will need to go through. You will measure with the door open all the way. Measure from the floor to where the door will close (top of the door frame).
Tip: It’s a good idea if furniture shopping to save your measurements in a note on your phone so you always have them when you are about to purchase an item. Label them which doorway for what room.
Step 3) Measure the piece you are interested in purchasing. You will need the length, width (or depth) and height of the piece. If you need help obtaining these measurements the sales staff should be able to help you gather this information.
Step 4) Determine if the piece will make it inside your home through your doorframes. With the measurements from the piece you are interested in buying see if the piece will make it through your doorframe.
Example: The couch you are interested in purchasing has measurements of 72″ Length x 36″ Depth x 28″ Height. You compare the dimensions to your home’s. The couch will need to pass through one doorway (entrance to your home) the doorway has a 32″ width and 78″ height. The couch will make it through the door way because it has two measurements of three (height of the couch and length).
Example: The dresser you are interested in purchasing has measurement of 72″ Length x 36″ Depth x 36″ Depth. You compare the dimensions to your home’s. The dresser will need to pass through two doorways (entrance and master bedroom). The entrance doorway has a 32″ width and 78″ height. The dresser will not make it through the doorway because it only has one measurement of the needed two to make it through the doorway.
Measuring a staircase:
Step 1) Measure width from wall to wall or inside bannister to wall.
Step 2) If applicable measure from handrail to wall or to other handrail.
Step 3) Measure height from step to ceiling.
Step 4) If staircase wraps around a wall or bannister measure the landing. You can measure the landing by first measuring the width and length of the landing. Typically a square.
Step 5) If the staircase has a door at either end you will need to measure the width and height of each door (with the door open).
Step 6) Measure the piece you are interested in purchasing. You will need the length, width (or depth) and height of the piece. If you need help obtaining these measurements the sales staff should be able to help you gather this information.
Step 7) Determine if the piece will make it up or down your staircase. First determine if it will make it through doorways (using guide above for measuring doorways). Second determine if you have two of the three measurements required to make it up or down the stairway. Third determine if you have enough clearance to turn the piece on the landing (if your staircase has a landing).
Example: The couch you are interested in purchasing has measurements of 72″ length x 36″ depth x 28″ height. Your staircase has measurement of 86″ height x 38″ width of steps and no handrails. The landing of your staircase has measurements of 38″ width x 38″ length. The couch will make it up the stairs to the landing and turn on the landing and make it the rest of the steps.
Example: The dresser you are interested in purchasing has measurements of 72″ length x 36″ depth and 50″ height. Your staircase has measurement of 86″ height x 32″ width of steps and no handrails. The landing of your staircase has measurements of 32″ width x 32″ length. The dresser will not make it up the staircase as you need two of the three measurements to make it work. The dressers smallest measurement the depth is 36″ when you need at least 32″.
Please be in mind that on top of being physical able to be move in a space, a piece of furniture requires at least 2″ of clearance as not to damage your home while being carried. If the piece of furniture is wrapped in a blanket or any padding materials this will require additional clearance.
Frequently asked questions:
Can I wrap an items around a wall to make it work such as a desk or couch? Sometimes you can “cheat” an item around a wall or banister to make it fit but its very lucky if it will make it and I would ask a professional before doing such.
Can I remove the doors to make the required clearance for the piece of furniture? Yes but removing your doors often can weaken the screw holding it to the door frame causing damage to the home. You can remove pins in the door but risk causing damage to the paint of wood around the pins.
Can I use a pully or some sort of hoist system to skip doorframes to get the item to another floor? Yes but this is very dangerous to the item, property or movers involved. Ramsey Legacy Moving does not use hoist systems or pully systems as it is extremely risky.
What happens if my item doesn’t fit? You get to decide on another location that will accommodate it.
The item got in there it can come out. Not necessarily sometimes the items are built inside the room or the home is built around the item and it is impossible to remove the item without disassembly.
Guide by RH:
Click to access Measuring_Bedroom_and_Casework_Furniture_for_Delivery.pdf