How wide does an ADA doorway need to be?
An accessible doorway must provide at least 32 inches of clear width, measured between the face of the door and the stop with the door open 90 degrees (2010 ADA §404.2.3). Because hardware and the open leaf eat into the opening, that usually means a 36-inch door. Openings deeper than 24 inches need 36 inches of clear width.
Source: 2010 ADA Standards §404.2.3 · Verify against your AHJ and the adopted code edition.
The number is 32 inches of clear width — but clear is the catch. It’s measured between the face of the door and the stop, with the door open 90 degrees (2010 ADA §404.2.3), not the size of the door leaf.
Because the hinge stile, the stop, and the swung-open leaf all eat into the opening, a 32-inch clear opening usually needs a 36-inch door. Where the door opening is deeper than 24 inches (a thick wall), the clear width jumps to 36 inches.
Width is only half the job. A door also needs maneuvering clearance — the level floor space beside it so a wheelchair user can reach the handle and pull it open — and the amount changes with the approach direction (§404.2.4). Hardware must be operable without tight grasping, mounted 34–48 inches high (§404.2.7).
These are federal new-construction values; verify against your AHJ and the adopted code (state codes and ICC A117.1 can differ).
Look it up: the ADA clearances reference has door clear width, the maneuvering-clearance cases, and more — each with its citation and a diagram.
Sources
- U.S. Access Board — 2010 ADA Standards — 2010 ADA Standards §404.2