Closet rod and shelf height chart
The heights a closet gets built to, floor to rod. These are convention rather than code — they come from what hangs without dragging.
| Layout | Rod height | Shelf above it | What it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single hang | 68" | 80" | Long coats, dresses, anything full length. |
| Double hang, upper rod | 82" | 94" | Shirts and jackets, over a second rod. |
| Double hang, lower rod | 40" | The upper rod is over it | Folded trousers and shirts. Doubles the hanging in the same wall. |
| Shelf only | No rod | 80" | Linen and storage, no hanging. |
Reading it
- A rod wants about 1" clear at each end so a hanger does not jam against the wall.
- A shelf sits roughly 12" above the rod, which is enough to get a hanger on and off without fighting it.
- A loaded rod of clothes runs about 12 lb per running foot, and the shelf over it is carrying that plus whatever is on top — which is the same beam problem the shelf calculator solves.
- Double hanging needs real height to work. Below about 8 feet of usable wall, the lower rod ends up too low to be worth having.
For the case this table does not cover
- Closet shelving
Shelf and rod heights for a single-hang, double-hang or shelf-only closet, with the shelf's sag checked.
- Shelf sag and span
How far a shelf bends under books, how far it can span, and what a strip on the front edge buys you.