How to Measure Your Patio Doors

If you are considering replacing your patio doors, you will want a cost estimate before deciding on the new set of patio doors you wish to purchase. To ensure you receive a cost estimate that is as accurate as possible, you will need to take basic measurements of your existing patio doors.

Taking measurements can sound like a more complicated task than it really is. It is as simple as measuring the width and height of your patio doors with a tape measure. Here are a few simple steps on how to take accurate measurements of your patio doors, specifically if you are replacing a sliding patio door or a hinged French patio door.

Download our measurement guide and get started by reading the following instructions.

To get started, you will need a tape measure, a pen and your measurement guide.

To measure for your sliding patio doors, you will want to first step outside. Once you are looking at the exterior of your sliding patio doors, measure the width, starting from the center. Depending on your style of home, extend your tape measure horizontally from brick to brick, siding to siding or one edge of stucco to the other edge of stucco.

Next, measure the height. To do this, you’ll need to extend your tape measure vertically. Again, depending on the style of your home, measure from the header to the bottom of the door sill, siding to the bottom of the door sill or edge of the stucco to the bottom of the door sill.

If you would like to cover all of your bases, feel free to measure both the exterior and interior. Be sure to record both width and height dimensions in the guide we’ve provided you.

If you are measuring for hinged French patio doors, you will start from inside your home. Looking at the interior of your French patio doors, measure the width. Start at the center, just as we would do for sliding patio doors, and measure horizontally from one end of the panel to the other.

To measure for the height of the hinged French patio doors, extend your tape measure vertically from one end of the door panel to the other.

Again, feel free to measure both the interior and exterior of your patio doors, if you so choose. Remember to record the width and height dimensions in your measurement guide.

Regardless of whether you are measuring for a sliding patio door or a hinged French patio door, it never hurts to double check your work. A certified Pella professional will confirm the measurements and conduct an installation inspection of your home before we even start building your products, but accurate measurements from the start can make for a smoother process.

If you follow these simple steps, you’ll be well on your way to a new patio door.