Widening Doorways for Wheelchairs: Costs, Codes, and What to Watch For

A standard interior door in a home built before 1990 is 28–30 inches wide. That gives roughly 26–28 inches of clear opening once you subtract the door itself. Most manual wheelchairs need at least 32 inches; powered wheelchairs and rollators with handles need 34–36.

What's behind the wall

Widening a doorway means removing 4–6 inches of wall on one side of the existing opening. The complications come from what runs through that section of wall: electrical wiring, plumbing supply lines, HVAC ducts, or a load-bearing header.

• Electrical: rerouting an outlet or switch — easy, $200–$500 extra.
• Plumbing: rerouting a vent or drain — moderate, $400–$1,500 extra.
• Load-bearing wall: requires a longer engineered header and possible temporary support — significant, $1,500–$4,000 extra.
• HVAC duct: re-routing — moderate, $500–$1,500 extra.

Cost ranges

A non-load-bearing interior doorway widening with no utilities to reroute typically runs $1,500–$3,500, including new framing, drywall, casing, paint, and a new door. Add the items above as needed.

Permits and inspections

Most jurisdictions require a permit for any structural work and for electrical rerouting. The contractor handles the permit, but it adds 1–3 weeks to the schedule. Skipping the permit can affect your homeowner's insurance and complicate a future sale.

An easier alternative: offset hinges

Before committing to widening a doorway, check whether swing-clear (offset) hinges solve the problem. They allow the door to swing fully out of the opening, gaining 1.5–2 inches of clearance. At about $40 a pair installed, they sometimes turn a borderline doorway into a usable one without any framing work.