A standard French door size is a nominal width-and-height combination that manufacturers tool for and stock without custom fabrication — most commonly 30, 32 or 36 inches wide for a single leaf, and 60, 64 or 72 inches wide for a pair, at 80 inches high, with 96-inch heights on most lines. Double french doors at 72 × 80 inches are the widest pair that still ships as a stock item. Four factors decide what you actually order: the clear opening the swing must leave, the leaf width the hinges and lock can carry, the difference between nominal, actual and rough-opening dimensions, and the test standard of the destination market. This guide covers double and single size charts, sidelight combinations, aluminum against wood frames, French doors against sliding patio doors, metric conversion for export orders, and what a factory needs before it can quote.
Written from the factory floor for contractors, developers and distributors specifying openings. Size is the first specification we lock, because leaf weight, hinge duty, glass build and packing all follow from it.
What Is a Standard French Door Size?
A French door is a glazed hinged leaf; a French door set is two leaves hung in one frame, both operable, meeting in the middle. The "standard" part is not a legal dimension — no code mandates 72 inches — it is the nominal grid the supply chain has tooled around: 2-inch leaf increments and an 80-inch height, which is why 30, 32 and 36 inch singles and 60, 64 and 72 inch pairs cover most residential work.
Three numbers sit behind every catalog size, and confusing them is the most common specification error we see on returned drawings: the nominal size on the quote, the actual size of the unit that arrives (deliberately smaller), and the rough opening your crew frames (deliberately larger). The grid also sets what is not standard: above 72 inches a pair stops being a stock item in most lines, because the leaves get heavy and the unit is quoted from drawings.
Double French Doors: Standard Pair Sizes
The pair is what most buyers mean by double french doors: two equal leaves, both hinged, meeting at the centre. Five nominal combinations cover almost every residential order, and leaf width is the number that matters operationally — it decides hinge load, lock position and usable width when one leaf is open.
| Nominal pair (W × H) | Leaf width | Typical use | What to check before ordering |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60″ × 80″ | 2 × 30″ | Bedroom-to-balcony, study, secondary exterior door | Narrowest common pair; confirm furniture clearance on the swing side |
| 64″ × 80″ | 2 × 32″ | Main-floor patio access, kitchen-to-garden | Most forgiving pair for a retrofit opening |
| 72″ × 80″ | 2 × 36″ | Living room to terrace; the default pair size | Widest stock pair, and the heaviest standard leaf |
| 60″ × 96″ | 2 × 30″ | Tall elevations, modern builds with 8 ft openings | Header height and glass thickness both change |
| 72″ × 96″ | 2 × 36″ | Feature openings, double-height living spaces | Leaf weight crosses into heavy-duty hinge territory |
Two rules follow. A 72-inch pair is not twice as useful as a 36-inch single: with one leaf closed the clear passage is one leaf minus its stiles. And past 72 inches the answer is usually a pair plus fixed sidelights, not a wider pair.
Meeting Stile, Astragal and Mullion: Three Parts People Confuse
The vertical member where the leaves meet is the meeting stile; the overlapping seal on it is the astragal. The inactive leaf carries flush bolts into the frame; the active leaf carries the handle and multi-point lock. A mullion is a different part: the fixed post between a door and a sidelight, or between two door sets. It is structural, it carries header load, and its width is set by that calculation. On export drawings the two words get used interchangeably, which is how a 60 mm meeting stile is specified where a 100 mm structural mullion was needed.
Single French Door Sizes
A single exterior french door is the same leaf construction without the pair. Three widths cover the market, and the choice is driven by clear passage rather than wall length.
| Nominal size (W × H) | Clear passage | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 30″ × 80″ | ≈ 26″ | Utility, secondary garden access, tight walls |
| 32″ × 80″ | ≈ 28″ | Side entry, kitchen courtyard door |
| 36″ × 80″ | ≈ 32″ | Main exterior french door, accessible routes |
| 30″–36″ × 96″ | Same deductions, taller frame | Tall elevations; heavier leaf, uprated hinges |
Clear passage is not the nominal width. Once leaf thickness, hinge offset and frame stop are deducted, a 36-inch leaf leaves about 32 inches and a 30-inch leaf about 26; the exact figure is on the section drawing. Where a code-minimum clear width applies, specify from the clear figure and let the factory size the leaf up. The threshold detail is what usually decides whether that clear width survives at the sill.
Nominal vs Actual vs Rough Opening
Nothing causes more rework than framing to the nominal size. The unit is built slightly under nominal so it can be squared and shimmed into an opening built slightly over it. The allowance belongs to the installation sheet, and differs between a nail-fin unit for new construction, a block-frame unit for masonry, and a retrofit unit inside an existing rebate.
| Nominal pair | Typical actual unit | Typical rough opening | Actual, approx. (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60″ × 80″ | ≈ 59½ × 79½″ | ≈ 60½–61 × 80½–81½″ | ≈ 1,511 × 2,019 |
| 64″ × 80″ | ≈ 63½ × 79½″ | ≈ 64½–65 × 80½–81½″ | ≈ 1,613 × 2,019 |
| 72″ × 80″ | ≈ 71½ × 79½″ | ≈ 72½–73 × 80½–81½″ | ≈ 1,816 × 2,019 |
| 72″ × 96″ | ≈ 71½ × 95½″ | ≈ 72½–73 × 96½–97½″ | ≈ 1,816 × 2,426 |
These are planning ranges, not a substitute for the supplier's sheet. A hinged unit needs more allowance than a slider because the frame is set plumb and packed on four sides, and because an exterior threshold adds height. Outswing needs the allowance on the outside face where the leaf travels; inswing needs it inside, and the drawing must show the swing before the wall is closed. If the glass package changes after framing, frame depth and sometimes width change with it.
French Doors With Sidelights
Large french doors with side windows are the standard way to widen an opening without making the leaves heavier. The pair stays inside the stock grid and the extra width goes into fixed glazed panels separated by structural mullions — which is why a 108-inch assembly can still use two standard 36-inch leaves.
| Sidelight width | Metric | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 12″ | ≈ 305 mm | Narrow slot; keeps the assembly close to the pair |
| 14″ | ≈ 356 mm | Most common residential sidelight |
| 16″ | ≈ 406 mm | Wider light for entry elevations |
| 18″–24″ | ≈ 457–610 mm | Commercial entries; usually a separate frame |
Worked example: a 72-inch pair with two 14-inch sidelights and two 4-inch mullions gives a 108-inch unit — 72 + 28 + 8. Confirm the mullion width, because that part carries header load and is routinely under-specified. A sidelight also changes the rough opening, the crate count and the glass schedule.
One related request we separate out early: a dog door or pet flap is not a sidelight or a hardware option. Cutting a flap into a glazed leaf means a new stile layout and a different glass build; where the pet door is really a secondary outer leaf, the aluminum framed storm doors route is usually cheaper.
Aluminum vs Wood French Doors
Buyers searching for wood french doors usually want wood, and that is legitimate: the material is warm, it can be repaired and re-finished in place, and it suits heritage elevations where aluminum reads as wrong.
| Factor | Timber frame | Thermally broken aluminum |
|---|---|---|
| Frame face width | Commonly 90–120 mm on traditional sections | Commonly 45–70 mm, series-dependent |
| Effect on clear opening | Wider stiles reduce glass and passage at the same nominal size | Narrower stiles give more glass and more clear width |
| Weather movement | Swelling and shrinkage; joints open over time | Dimensionally stable; no moisture movement |
| Maintenance | Repaint or re-stain on a cycle; check joints and seals | Wash down; powder coat or anodized finish |
| Repair | Local repair and refinish possible | Dents and scratches harder to blend; refinish or replace |
| Coastal, high-humidity sites | Needs careful species choice and a finish regime | Natural fit; hardware corrosion class still specified |
| Relative cost | Wide spread by species; premium hardwood at the top | Usually between softwood and premium hardwood — confirm per project |
Two honest conclusions. For a protected inland elevation where the client wants timber and will maintain it, wood is the right answer. For a coastal, high-rainfall or low-maintenance project — or one where the same opening must yield more clear width — thermally broken aluminum is the stronger specification. The frame face difference is rarely quantified: on a 1,800 mm pair with a 90 mm meeting stile, 70 mm jambs leave about 785 mm of leaf width each, while 50 mm jambs leave about 805 mm.
French Doors vs Sliding Patio Doors
The choice between french and patio doors is decided by the wall, the climate and the traffic pattern, not by style. The opening dimensions differ because one swings and the other stacks.
| Criterion | Hinged French doors | Sliding patio door |
|---|---|---|
| Swing clearance | Needs clear floor for the full leaf arc | None; the panel travels in its own plane |
| Clear opening | Full pair when both open; one leaf daily | Half the width on a two-panel unit |
| Seal and air performance | Compression seal on four sides of each leaf | Interlock and brush seal; track condition matters |
| Operation | Light manual force; no track to clean | Roller-dependent; heavy panels need lift-and-slide |
| Widest practical opening | Pair plus sidelights; beyond that, custom | Three, four and multi-panel systems |
For french doors for patio use, the deciding question is usually the swing: an outward-opening pair does not consume interior floor space, but it must not foul a deck rail, a step or a planting bed. For very wide walls neither product answers on its own — that is stacking or multi-slide territory, covered in our guide to stacking patio door systems and the comparison of the most popular types of sliding doors. Still sizing the sliding option? The sliding patio door standard sizes guide uses the same three-layer logic.
Metric Conversion for Export Orders
Export projects are drawn in millimetres, and the conversion must start from the actual unit size. Converting the catalog number and rounding is how a 72-inch pair becomes 1,829 mm on the drawing and 1,816 mm on the crate.
| Imperial nominal | Nominal (mm) | Actual, approx. (mm) | Note for drawings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30″ × 80″ | 762 × 2,032 | ≈ 749 × 2,019 | Single leaf; check clear passage |
| 32″ × 80″ | 813 × 2,032 | ≈ 800 × 2,019 | Single leaf; common minimum for daily use |
| 36″ × 80″ | 914 × 2,032 | ≈ 902 × 2,019 | Single leaf; widest stock width |
| 60″ × 80″ | 1,524 × 2,032 | ≈ 1,511 × 2,019 | Pair; 13 mm under the round metric figure |
| 72″ × 80″ | 1,829 × 2,032 | ≈ 1,816 × 2,019 | Pair; widest stock pair |
| 72″ × 96″ | 1,829 × 2,438 | ≈ 1,816 × 2,426 | Pair; confirm header and hinge duty |
Three export-specific points. Packing: leaves are usually crated separately from the frame, because an assembled pair is an awkward, damage-prone shape in a container; a 40 ft container has roughly 12 m of internal length, so leaf length and crate count drive the loading plan as much as unit count. Tolerance: state the acceptable dimensional tolerance on the purchase order, because ±2 mm and ±5 mm are different products at the frame interface. Compliance: AS 2047 in Australia, AAMA/NFRC in North America and the AAMA/WDMA/CSA 101/I.S.2/A440 (NAFS) standard used in Canada each set performance classes together with the specimen rules that go with them. In the UK, BS 6375 classifies weathertightness for selection and specification rather than defining the test itself — the test methods sit in EN 1026, EN 1027 and EN 12211. Whichever scheme applies, a report covers a specimen size that represents a range, so a report on a small specimen may not cover your largest unit.
What Your Factory Quote Needs
Outside the stock grid, a French door is made to measure and the quote is only as good as the information supplied. To price a pair, a factory needs seven things:
- Opening dimensions — width, height and wall depth measured at several points, with the out-of-square condition stated rather than averaged away.
- Configuration — single or pair, equal or unequal leaves, inswing or outswing, and which leaf is active.
- Sidelights and mullions — sidelight width, mullion width if set, and whether the assembly is one frame or separate frames coupled on site.
- Glass package — double or triple glazing, Low-E, laminated or tempered, and the U-value or SHGC the project must meet.
- Frame material and finish — aluminum or timber, thermal break, powder coat or anodized, RAL reference if fixed.
- Destination and standard — country, applicable standard, wind or cyclone rating, and whether a report is required for the specific size.
- Quantity and schedule — unit count, required-on-site date and port; these drive tooling amortisation, packing and container planning.
With those seven items a factory can return a dimensional drawing in days and a firm quote shortly after, and the drawing — not the catalog page — is what the framing crew builds to. Our aluminum French door range is quoted from drawings and rough openings rather than fixed catalog sizes.