Will the Sofa Fit? Measuring Doors, Lifts and Staircases Before You Order

DecoraHub sofas are delivered pre-assembled. The sofa arrives in one piece and has to pass through your building entrance, lift or staircase, main door and any passage on the way to the living room. Ten minutes with a measuring tape before ordering prevents a return. This guide gives the method and the real dimensions of the best-selling sofas.

The one rule

A sofa goes through a doorway on its narrowest side. That is either its depth or its height, whichever is smaller. The clear opening of the door must be at least 2 inches more than that number. Length matters in lifts and on staircase landings, where the sofa is stood on end.

Narrowest side of each sofa

The Royal Teak Lounger and Heritage Elegance Lounger share the 84 x 32 inch footprint. Ask the team whether the legs unscrew. Removing legs often saves 4 to 6 inches.

Doors

1. Open the door fully and measure the clear gap between the door stopper on the frame and the face of the open shutter. This is usually 1.5 to 2 inches less than the frame size.
2. Main doors in Indian flats are commonly 36 to 42 inches wide and 84 inches high. Bedroom doors are often 30 to 36 inches.
3. A safety grille door in front of the main door narrows the opening. Measure with both open.
4. Check what faces the door inside. A wall 3 ft in front of the main door stops a 7 ft sofa from swinging in. The sofa then has to enter standing on end.

Lifts

Measure three things: the lift door width, the inside depth of the car and the inside height. The longest object that fits is the diagonal from the floor at the back to the ceiling at the front.

• A car 55 inches deep and 86 inches high has a diagonal of 102 inches. A 90 inch sofa fits standing at an angle.
• A car 43 inches deep and 84 inches high has a diagonal of 94 inches. An 84 inch lounger fits. A 90.5 inch curved sofa is doubtful.

The lift door still has to be wider than the narrowest side of the sofa. Many passenger lifts have a 31.5 inch door. That passes the Imperial Heritage set and stops most deep loungers. Ask the society office about the service lift. It is usually deeper.

Staircases

1. Measure the width between the wall and the handrail. This must exceed the narrowest side of the sofa by 2 inches.
2. At each landing, measure the ceiling height. A sofa turns a landing by being stood on end. If the ceiling is lower than the sofa length, it will not turn.
3. Older buildings in Kolkata and South Mumbai often have narrow stairs with low landings. In these homes a 3 + 1 + 1 set with a 75 inch three seater is safer than an 84 or 90 inch single piece.

If the numbers are tight

• Choose a 3 + 1 + 1 set over one long sofa. The Imperial Heritage 5 Seater has a narrowest side of 24 inches on every piece.
• Choose the 2 seater version. The Premium Curve comes in 2 and 3 seater sizes.
• Add accent chairs or an ottoman for the extra seats.
• Send your measurements through the contact page before paying and ask the team to confirm the fit.

Once it is inside

Leave 18 inches between the sofa and the centre table, and 30 inches for any walkway behind or beside it. Size the carpet with the living room carpet size guide. Set the TV distance with the TV unit size guide. Sofa types and upholstery are covered in the sofa buying guide.

Common questions

Will a 7 ft sofa fit in a standard lift?
Usually yes on the diagonal, if the lift door is wider than the sofa's narrowest side.

What is the minimum door width for a sofa?
The sofa's depth or height, whichever is smaller, plus 2 inches.

What if it does not fit on delivery day?
Read the refund and cancellation policy and the shipping policy before ordering, and share your measurements with the team in advance.

Browse all sofas, or compare teak loungers and 3 + 1 + 1 sets and curved sofas.