What's the Right Height for a Handle on a Door? What to Know

The height of a handle on a door is typically 36 inches but can range from 34 to 48 inches high. Door handle height is measured from the bottom edge of the door to the center of the handle. This height places the door handle just below the vertical center of the door. 

Standard Height of a Handle on a Door

Door handles are usually 36 inches high. Standard interior and exterior doors are 80 inches tall. A 36-inch-high door handle is just below the vertical center (40 inches) of the door.

The 36-inch height recommendation for door handles is by established custom, not by code.

Pre-bored holes on door slabs and on pre-hung doors are usually 36 inches high. Door slabs and pre-hung units are typically pre-drilled with one hole for a handle and sometimes two holes for a handle and a deadbolt.

Height of a Deadbolt on a Door

A separate security lock such as a deadbolt is typically 40 to 42 inches high or 4 to 6 inches above the door handle. By code, a deadbolt can be placed at any height.

Install the deadbolt so that it remains clear of the door handle. Most keyless entry systems have large escutcheons. So, keep this in mind if installing both a deadbolt and a keyless entry system.

Door Handle Height Exceptions

Door handle height can range as low as 34 inches and as high as 48 inches, as needed. In special cases, a door handle can be as high as 54 inches.

Door Handleset Height

A door handleset is typically 36 inches high or higher.

Door handlesets are long vertical handles rather than door knobs or door levers. Handles can range from several inches to several feet long. Due to this design, the hand may reach lower than 36 inches. Raising the handleset above 36 inches means that the hand will touch the handle at 36 inches.

Door Handle Height for 8-Foot Doors

Door handles on eight-foot doors are usually 36 inches high but may be placed higher for visual effect.

Eight-foot-high doors are not common; most doors are 6 feet, 8 inches high. Higher doors do not need higher door handles to function. However, the door handle may be placed higher for better visual proportions.

Pool and Spa Handle Height

Door handles are permitted to be up to 54 inches high for access doors to pools, spas, and hot tubs.

The operable part of the door handle may be up to 54 inches above the floor or ground. If this handle has a self-latching device, it cannot also be a self-locking device.

ADA Door Handle Height

ADA door handle height ranges from 34 to 48 inches.

The height of a handle on a door that complies with Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) Accessibility Standards ranges from 34 to 48 inches high—as measured from the floor, not from the bottom edge of the door.

A strictly private home does not need to comply with ADA standards. These standards are for places of public accommodation.

How to Measure Door Handle Height

Measure the height of a handle on a door with a tape measure, a square, and a pencil.

1. Hook the end of the tape measure on the bottom edge of the door.
2. Pull the tape measure upward.
3. Mark the door at the 36-inch-high point for the door handle.
4. If adding an optional deadbolt, add another mark at the 40 or 42-inch-high point.
5. Remove the tape measure.
6. Place the square on the door, with one side flush with the edge of the door.
7. Extend each mark about 4 inches along the other side of the square.