Door hinge placement chart
Where the hinges go down a passage door, by height and door type — hinge count, the size of butt hinge it takes, and the mark for the top of every leaf. Look up the door and read the marks.
| Door height | Door | Hinges | Size | Mortise | Marks to the top of each leaf |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60" | 1 3/8" × 32" interior | 2 | 3 1/2" | 0.085" | 5", 46 1/2" |
| 60" | 1 3/4" × 36" solid core | 2 | 4" | 0.134" | 5", 46" |
| 72" | 1 3/8" × 32" interior | 3 | 3 1/2" | 0.085" | 5", 31 3/4", 58 1/2" |
| 72" | 1 3/4" × 36" solid core | 3 | 4" | 0.134" | 5", 31 1/2", 58" |
| 78" | 1 3/8" × 32" interior | 3 | 3 1/2" | 0.085" | 5", 34 3/4", 64 1/2" |
| 78" | 1 3/4" × 36" solid core | 3 | 4" | 0.134" | 5", 34 1/2", 64" |
| 80" | 1 3/8" × 32" interior | 3 | 3 1/2" | 0.085" | 5", 35 3/4", 66 1/2" |
| 80" | 1 3/4" × 36" solid core | 3 | 4" | 0.134" | 5", 35 1/2", 66" |
| 84" | 1 3/8" × 32" interior | 3 | 3 1/2" | 0.085" | 5", 37 3/4", 70 1/2" |
| 84" | 1 3/4" × 36" solid core | 3 | 4" | 0.134" | 5", 37 1/2", 70" |
| 90" | 1 3/8" × 32" interior | 3 | 3 1/2" | 0.085" | 5", 40 3/4", 76 1/2" |
| 90" | 1 3/4" × 36" solid core | 3 | 4" | 0.134" | 5", 40 1/2", 76" |
| 96" | 1 3/8" × 32" interior | 4 | 3 1/2" | 0.085" | 5", 30 13/16", 56 11/16", 82 1/2" |
| 96" | 1 3/4" × 36" solid core | 4 | 4" | 0.134" | 5", 30 11/16", 56 5/16", 82" |
Reading it
- Top hinge 5" down from the top of the door to the top of the leaf, bottom hinge 10" up from the bottom to the bottom of the leaf, and any others centred between them. The asymmetry is deliberate: the bottom rail of a panelled door is wider than the top rail, and five and ten put both leaves in solid stile rather than across a rail joint, which is end grain.
- That also means the middle hinge is not halfway down the door. On an 80" door it belongs at 35 3/4", and somebody splitting the height in half would put it at 40".
- Size comes off thickness and width, because the leverage pulling the screws out of the jamb grows with how far the door's weight sits from the hinge. Count comes off height instead — one hinge per 30" of door, two at a minimum.
- The mortise is exactly as deep as the leaf is thick. Cut it shy rather than deep: a hinge can be shimmed out and a mortise cannot be un-cut.
- Convention and manufacturer practice, not code. A fire door, a commercial opening or anything on a closer is governed by its own listing and hardware schedule. Cabinet doors on concealed European hinges are a different problem and need no mortise at all.
For the case this table does not cover
- Door hinge mortise and placement
Butt hinge size, count and the five-and-ten layout for a passage door, with the mortise depth.
- Cabinet hinge count and placement
Hinge count from door height, and where each one sits down the door.