Do They Make 29-Inch Doors? The Surprising Truth You Need

You measured the doorway once, twice, and a third time, but the tape measure doesn’t lie. The opening is 29 inches. Now you’re standing in the aisle of a home improvement store, surrounded by doors that are 28 inches, 30 inches, and 32 inches, but a 29-inch door is nowhere to be found.

This frustrating scenario is all too common for owners of older homes or properties with unique, custom-framed interiors. You begin to question if a 29-inch door even exists. The short answer is yes, but the path to getting one isn’t as simple as picking it off a shelf.

The Problem: Navigating Non-Standard Door Sizes

The core of the issue lies in modern construction standards. Today, interior doors are mass-produced in a few common widths to streamline the building process. These standard sizes, typically 24, 28, 30, 32, and 36 inches, are designed to fit perfectly into conventional rough openings.

If your home was built before these standards were widely adopted, or if a previous renovation involved custom framing, you likely have what’s called a “non-standard” opening. A 29-inch doorway falls squarely into this category, making a straightforward replacement a significant challenge.

Why Your Doorway is 29 Inches Wide

Understanding why you have an odd-sized opening can help you approach the solution. Older homes often feature unique dimensions that reflect the building practices of their time. Additionally, past renovations, framing adjustments to accommodate plumbing or electrical work, or even simple measurement errors can result in these unconventional sizes.

This leaves you with a gap that’s too big for a 28-inch door and too small for a 30-inch one. But don’t worry, a perfect fit is achievable. Your problem has three primary solutions: ordering a custom door, trimming a larger door down to size, or, in some cases, modifying the door frame itself.

The Solution: Your Path to a Perfectly Fitted 29-Inch Door

While you won’t find a 29-inch door in the standard stock of most big-box retailers, they are certainly available. Specialty door suppliers and online retailers often carry less common sizes or can create a custom door to your exact specifications. This is the most direct, albeit often most expensive, solution.

The most popular and cost-effective method, however, is to purchase a larger door and trim it to fit. This is a common practice for carpenters and skilled DIYers when dealing with non-standard openings. A 30-inch door, for instance, can be carefully cut down to 29 inches to solve your problem beautifully.

Step 1: Get a Precise Measurement

Before you proceed, accurate measurements are non-negotiable. An opening that seems to be 29 inches might actually be 29.25 inches at the top and 28.75 inches at the bottom. Measure the width of the door opening at three points—top, middle, and bottom—and use the narrowest measurement as your guide.

This step is crucial because it confirms the exact size of the door you need. It also helps you understand the nuances of your frame, which is important for a professional-looking installation. Remember that the actual measurement of a door can be slightly different from its nominal size; you can learn more about this in our guide on whether a 30-inch door is truly 30 inches.

Step 2: Compare Your Main Options

You have two primary paths to a 29-inch door: ordering a custom one or modifying a standard one. Each has its own set of considerations regarding cost, effort, and time. Understanding these differences will help you make the best choice for your project and budget.

The following table breaks down the key factors for each approach, giving you a clear comparison to guide your decision.

Factor	Ordering a Custom 29-Inch Door	Trimming a 30-Inch Door
Cost	Higher initial price due to custom manufacturing. Can be 20-50% more expensive than a stock door.	More budget-friendly; you only pay the price of a standard 30-inch door and for any tools you might need.
Time & Availability	Longer lead times are common, often taking several weeks for production and delivery.	Immediately available. A standard 30-inch door can be purchased from any home improvement store.
Skill Level Required	Low. The primary skill is taking accurate measurements for the order. Installation is standard.	Moderate to High. Requires confidence with a circular saw, precise measurements, and a steady hand.
Best For	Homeowners who want a perfect, factory-finished product without the hassle of cutting and sanding. Ideal for high-end renovations.	DIY enthusiasts or those working with a contractor. Excellent for saving money while still achieving a perfect fit.

Step 3: The Ultimate Guide to Trimming a Door

If you’ve opted for the DIY-friendly and economical route of trimming a 30-inch door, success lies in the details. It is absolutely critical that you choose a solid-core door for this task. Hollow-core doors have a thin wood frame around a cardboard honeycomb interior; cutting more than a half-inch from the sides will destroy the door’s structural integrity.

A solid-core door, made of composite materials or solid wood, can be trimmed more substantially without compromising its structure. These doors also offer better sound insulation and have a more premium feel. Once you have your solid-core door slab, follow these steps for a clean, professional cut.

Tools You’ll Need:

• Tape Measure
• Pencil
• Straight Edge or Clamping Guide
• Circular Saw with a Fine-Tooth Blade (60-80 teeth)
• Painter’s Tape
• Sandpaper or a Sanding Block

The Trimming Process:

1. Measure and Mark: Lay the door on a stable, flat surface. Based on your precise measurements, determine how much to remove. For a 29-inch fit, you’ll likely remove one inch from a 30-inch door. It’s best to take 1/2 inch from each side to keep the door symmetrical and the lockset centered. Mark your cut lines clearly.
2. Apply Painter’s Tape: Place painter’s tape along both sides of your cut line. The tape serves a crucial purpose: it dramatically reduces splintering and chipping of the door’s veneer, ensuring a clean edge.
3. Set Up Your Guide: Clamp a straight edge or a cutting guide firmly along your cut line. This is the secret to a perfectly straight cut. Do not attempt to freehand the cut, as even a small wobble will be noticeable.
4. Make the Cut: Set your circular saw’s blade depth to be just slightly deeper than the door’s thickness. Make a smooth, steady pass along your guide. Let the saw do the work; don’t force it. Repeat for the other side if you are trimming both.
5. Finish the Edge: After cutting, carefully remove the painter’s tape. The edge will be sharp, so use medium-grit sandpaper to lightly sand it smooth, slightly beveling the corners to prevent future chipping.

Once trimmed, your door is ready for mortising hinges and drilling for a doorknob. The number of hinges you need can also be a factor; some lighter doors perform perfectly well, but you might want to understand more about setups like those seen on 2-hinge interior doors.

Dealing with Fractional Sizes Like 29 3/4 Inches

Perhaps your opening is even more specific, like 29 3/4 inches. The good news is that the process is exactly the same. The principles of measuring carefully and trimming a larger solid-core door still apply perfectly. For those facing this exact measurement, our dedicated 29 3/4 interior door replacement guide offers more tailored advice.

The Pro-Level Secret: Modifying the Frame Itself

While most advice centers on altering the door, sometimes the most elegant solution is to alter the door opening. This technique is often overlooked but can be a powerful tool, particularly if you want to use a standard-sized pre-hung door and avoid the work of mortising hinges and drilling latch holes on a slab.

A pre-hung door comes with the frame already attached, simplifying installation. To use one in a non-standard opening, you need to make the opening fit the door, not the other way around. This involves adjusting the rough opening—the hidden framework of 2x4s behind your drywall and trim.

How to Adjust a Rough Opening

Let’s say your opening is 29 inches wide, but you want to install a standard 28-inch pre-hung door. A rough opening for a 28-inch door is typically 30 inches (door width + 2 inches). Your current rough opening is likely around 31 inches. You need to shrink it.

After carefully removing the door casing (trim), you can add a 1/2-inch plywood strip to the jack stud on one side of the frame. This effectively makes the rough opening narrower, allowing the 28-inch pre-hung unit to fit snugly with room for shims. Conversely, if your opening is slightly too small, you may be able to plane down a stud to gain the necessary space.

This is an advanced technique that requires more deconstruction, but it provides a path to using affordable, readily available pre-hung doors. It also ensures a perfectly plumb and square installation, which is the hallmark of professional-quality work. This approach moves beyond simply solving the door size problem and instead refines the structure for a superior result.

Your 29-Inch Door Problem is Solved

Finding that you have a 29-inch door opening doesn’t have to be a source of frustration. While you can’t just grab one off the shelf, you have several clear and effective options. You can order a custom-made door for a perfect, hassle-free fit, or you can apply some DIY skill to trim a standard 30-inch solid-core door for a professional result on a budget.

For those willing to take on a more involved project, modifying the frame itself opens the door to using standard pre-hung units. Whichever path you choose, a well-fitting, beautifully functioning door is entirely within your reach. That odd-sized opening is no longer a problem, but an opportunity to get the perfect solution for your home.