How to measure a room for furniture

Two common reasons furniture goes back: it does not fit the room, or it does not fit through the door. Both are avoidable with a tape measure and about twenty minutes. Measure three things in this order: the room, the route in, and the piece you want to buy.

You will need a 25 foot tape measure, paper and a pencil, and a roll of painter's tape.

Step 1: Sketch the room

Draw the room from above. It does not need to be to scale. Mark every door, window and opening, and which way each door swings.

Step 2: Measure the room

Write each measurement on the sketch as you take it.

• Each wall, corner to corner, along the floor.
• Ceiling height. Tall bookcases and wardrobes need room to be stood upright.
• Windows. Width, height, and the distance from the floor to the sill. Furniture taller than the sill will block the glass.
• Doors and openings. Width, and the arc each door needs to swing open.
• Things on the wall or floor. Outlets, light switches, vents, radiators, baseboard heaters and thermostats. Furniture should not cover a vent or sit against a heater.

Step 3: Measure the route in

A sofa that fits the living room still has to reach it. Walk the path from the delivery truck to the room and measure every tight spot.

• Exterior and interior doorways: width and height of the opening itself, with the door open.
• Hallways: width, and the space available at any turn.
• Stairs: width between the walls or railings, the ceiling height above the steps, and the size of any landing where the piece must turn.
• Elevators: door width and height, and the depth inside.

Compare these with the piece. Large items are usually carried on end or at an angle, so for a sofa the number to check is the diagonal depth. Many product pages list it. To measure it yourself, lay a straight edge from the highest point of the sofa's back to the front of the arm. Then measure from the bottom back corner of the sofa up to the middle of that straight edge. If that distance is less than the width of the doorway, the sofa can usually be stood on end and angled through. For that to work, the sofa's longest side also has to be shorter than the doorway is tall.

Many pieces come apart. Legs unscrew, and some sofas ship with removable backs or arms. Check the product details before ruling something out.

Step 4: Measure the piece

Use the dimensions from the product page: width, depth and height. Then check the details that are easy to miss.

• Depth with the piece in use. A recliner, a sleeper sofa and a dresser with open drawers all need more room than their listed depth.
• Height of arms and backs against window sills.
• Packaged dimensions, if the piece arrives boxed.

Step 5: Tape it out

Mark the footprint of the piece on the floor with painter's tape. Leave it for a day and walk around it. This shows you more than any drawing. You will learn quickly whether a walkway feels tight or a door clips the corner.

Clearances that keep a room comfortable

These are common rules of thumb. Treat them as starting points.

Sizing a rug

A rug that is too small makes a room look smaller. In a living room, choose one large enough that at least the front legs of every seat sit on it. Under a dining table, allow about 24 inches beyond the table on each side so chairs stay on the rug when pulled out.

Before you order

• I have a sketch with every wall, window and door measured.
• I know the ceiling height and the height of each window sill.
• I have marked outlets, vents and heaters.
• I have measured every doorway, hallway and stair on the route in.
• I have compared the piece's width, depth, height and diagonal depth with the tightest spot.
• I have checked whether legs, arms or backs come off.
• I have taped the footprint on the floor and walked around it.
• I have read the return policy and know who pays for return delivery.

Just moved in? The new home move-in checklist covers the rest of the first week.