Open the door to the position it will have during delivery and measure the narrowest usable horizontal span between the projecting door face or hardware and the opposite stop. Measure clear height at the lowest rigid obstruction and inspect the threshold and approach space. Do not substitute a nominal door size. Clear width is only one input in a preliminary fit check, not proof that furniture can be maneuvered through the path.
Measure width where the passage is actually narrowest
Start with the door fully open to the practical delivery position. Place one end of the tape at the most projecting part of the open door or its hardware and measure squarely to the opposite stop or other limiting surface. Repeat at several heights because a lever, closer arm, guard, trim profile, or damaged frame may project into only part of the opening. Record the smallest usable result.
The 2010 ADA Standards define clear width measurement geometry for swinging doors within the Standards' scope. We cite that official source to distinguish clear width from a nominal leaf label. It is not a claim that a private residence must meet a particular ADA dimension, nor is this guide legal or accessibility-compliance advice.
The Crate & Barrel delivery guide also directs shoppers to measure the height and width of every doorway and hallway from entry to destination. That full-path emphasis matters: a good doorway number cannot cancel a tight landing or turn.
Calculate a measured clear-width example
Imagine the frame-to-frame opening is 36 inches at the point you first check, but the open door and handle project 1 inch into the usable path. The working measurement is 36 − 1 = 35 inches. One inch is not a standard deduction; it is the observed projection in this example. Measure yours directly rather than copying it.
Enter 35 inches as clear opening width in the Sofa Through Door Checker. Measure height independently. If the lowest rigid obstruction is 80 inches above the threshold, enter 80, but also describe the threshold, top closer, and floor transition to the delivery team. The calculator compares sofa profiles against a rectangle and cannot represent an obstacle located halfway through the depth of the opening.
Avoid rounding up. Record 34.75 inches if that is the smallest repeatable measurement. Display rounding should never turn a negative physical clearance into a pass. When a profile exactly equals an opening dimension, the tool reports zero measured clearance and asks for physical verification.
Check height, depth, threshold, and approach
Measure from the highest point the carried object must cross at the threshold to the lowest overhead obstruction. A saddle, raised sill, mat, or ramp can change both available height and how handlers tilt the item. Measure the wall depth through the opening, especially when a vestibule or deep jamb limits where an object can rotate.
On both sides, record the clear floor or landing space. Note the direction of door swing and whether the leaf can legally and safely remain open. A door that opens only 90 degrees may project more than one that can open farther. Never remove a closer, hinge pin, door, or fire-rated assembly as an improvised solution; obtain property and qualified-person approval.
Compare with measured sofa profiles
Follow How to Measure a Sofa for a Doorway for the largest rigid width, depth, height, and verified removable parts. Compare those values only after the opening measurement sheet is complete. The checker's six straight orientations show which dimension would be across the opening, which would be vertical, and which would travel through it.
Even a positive width and height margin does not guarantee passage. Packaging may add thickness. A long travel dimension may strike the opposite wall. Tilting can require more overhead space. A curved arm or fixed protrusion may not behave like the rectangular envelope. Treat each passing profile as a question to validate in the physical path.
Verify the full route and delivery rules
Continue measuring hallways, turns, stairs, elevators, fixtures, and the destination using the Sofa Hallway and Turn Clearance Checklist. Confirm loading access, building hours, elevator booking, floor protection, and delivery-team requirements. Remove loose obstacles and create a safe set-down area before the appointment.
This guide does not determine code compliance, safe lifting, structural capacity, diagonal-turn feasibility, or whether a door may be altered. Its limitation is deliberate: it produces a repeatable clear rectangle for a screening calculation. The final decision belongs to physical measurement, product instructions, property rules, and the people responsible for delivery.