Hallway Dimensions (Standard & Minimum Sizes)

Here’s our hallway dimensions guide including public spaces & residential home hallway sizes, ambient lighting needed and runner rug sizes for hallways.
Hallways are also known as corridors and are spatial organizers found in most buildings but also in many homes. Hallways are where we access rooms and other spaces. Some of them can be narrow, especially for homes, but most buildings need to follow the Americans with Disabilities Act requirements so that everyone can have access to the hallways. 

Knowing the hallway dimensions required will ensure seamless and quick passage for anyone going in and out of rooms. This is specifically important for people living in apartment buildings which will require multiple people to go in and out of their rooms at the same time, especially for emergencies.

Standard Hallway Width

There are many elements to weigh when determining the hallway’s width. These factors will include standards and building codes or clearances. It can also be affected by accessibility, the building type, and many others. 

If you are constructing a home or even a building, it is better to choose a wider hallway or corridor than opt for a narrower one. 

The foolproof width you can follow is set at 36 inches or roughly 91 centimeters. This is for a one-lane hallway and would only enable a person to move in one single direction and would make your hallway look narrow, so it is better to avoid the minimum allowable to ensure that it is accessible by everyone.

If you are thinking about providing a wide hallway for your home or a building, do so. A hallway or corridor of at least 42 inches or 107 centimeters will be spacious enough, and the space will appear more open and not so cramped.

Average Hallway Size

The set standard width for hallways or corridors will give you the minimum width you can adapt to in your construction. In contrast, the average width for hallways and corridors will consider what is adequate for accessibility, space, and accommodation. If you are considering a wider hallway for your space, then following the average width is advised. 

For the average width of a hallway or a corridor, it will usually range from 42 to 48 inches or roughly 107 centimeters to 122 centimeters. Still, you can go as high as 60 to 68 inches or 152 to 173 centimeters. 

The 60 to 68 inches size for the width will provide ample space for two people to move in either direction when using the hallway. This width for hallways and corridors is typically the standard for buildings, government offices, and public spaces and is less common for residential homes and older converted residential buildings. 

How Wide Should A Hallway Be? 

How broad a hallway should be will vary, but ultimately it will be up to you and your contractor or architect making the blueprint for your home. Just make sure that you are meeting the standard requirement of 36 inches or 91 centimeters so anyone can access it in most circumstances.

3 feet or 36 inches is the set standard in Section R311.6 of the 2018 International Residential Code. 

For sizable residential homes with more generous hallways and corridors to accommodate decorations and furniture, 48 inches or 122 centimeters of hallway space can hold narrow furniture with adequate space for foot traffic.

However, you can go for something grander and more expansive at 54 to 72 inches or 137 to  183 centimeters for bigger homes. This size will be enough for pieces of furniture like a console table or even a chaise lounge.

You can also opt for larger hallways or corridors for L-shaped hallways for comfort and added light since these hallways are closed off and dark most of the time. 

Minimum Hallway Width 

The minimum standard for hallway or corridor width is 3 feet or 36 inches. This size is mandated by the 2018 International Residential Code at Section R311.6. The explanation for this is that this width is the minimum space for rescue personnel or first responders to administer aid to any resident of the house in case of emergencies. 

This minimum width will be enough to allow for a gurney to pass through, with rescue personnel able to stand next to the gurney. This wideness will also be able to let firefighters with their equipment walk through the halls.

If a home or building goes more diminutive than the minimum width, not only will it violate the codes and mandated rules, but emergency personnel will also have a hard time accessing a person when it needs them. Taking twice the time to get there will mean less time to do the lifesaving job they are able to do. 

ADA Hallway Width

All spaces, especially public facilities, are built in a way that everywhere will be accessible for persons with disabilities. Many hallways are built as narrow as possible, and as a result, a person with disabilities and people who are using a wheelchair cannot comfortably access them. 

This is why the Americans with Disabilities Act standards are there to implement these requirements to make everything accessible for everyone. 

The Americans with Disabilities Act requirement is the minimum hallways or corridors allowable at 36 inches or 91 centimeters. This is also the minimum allowable commercial hallway standard width with ADA standards. 

If a hallway has objects, especially in turning areas, the width should expand so that there is space for people using wheelchairs to safely, efficiently, and successfully make a turn to where they are going. This is also the rule for buildings and other spaces with U-shaped hallways. 

Ensure that you have the space of 36 inches or 91 centimeters of unobstructed passage and that your building meets the ADA standard. 

What Size Recessed Lights For Hallways?

Hallways are spaces for a transition from public to your private abode. No matter how wide or narrow or short, or long it is, adequate types of light fixtures are essential for safety in and out and maneuvering in the hallway, especially for residential buildings.

There is a process that most interior decorators follow to determine the ambient lighting needed for hallways, and homeowners can use this process too.

Step. 1 Determining Watts Required

First, you need to measure the hallway’s width and length, and then round the numbers you get to the nearest even number foot. After that, multiply the width with the equivalent size and multiply the product by 1.5. The result is the wattage required for the hallway lighting. 

To illustrate: if you have a hallway dimensions of 5.5 by 30 feet, the minimum wattage for lights you would need is 5.5 x 30 equals 165. Multiply 165 by 1.5, and you get the product of 247. This means that 250 watts for the entire hallway are what you will need to create ambient and efficient lighting. 

Step. 2 Number of Lights

To the number of lights you will need, divide the entire length of the hallway by 8 and subtract the value of 1. Since our length is 30 feet: 30 feet divided by 8, you get 4 minus 1 equals 3. So you need 3 lighting with a space of 8 feet per light for a 30 feet hallway. Read more about types of recessed lights here.

What Size Runner For The Hallway? 

A standard hallway rug runner size will be 2 to 3 feet or 24 to 36 inches wide and will range in length from 6 to 14 feet or 72 to 168 inches.

Measure the entire length of your hallways and then choose the runner you will need. You can include one in the middle of the hallway or pick two of the same runners to run your hallway floors total length. 

See more related content in our article about hallway paint ideas on this page.