Sources and guideline policy

Three labels

• Common design guideline — widely used closet-industry practice. Not a law. Adjust to the user and the room.
• Code requirement — a dimension required by an adopted building code. We are not aware of residential building codes that dictate closet rod height, shelf depth or walkway width, so no entry currently carries this label; we will not invent one.
• Accessibility standard (reference) — a dimension from a published standard such as the ADA Standards, cited as a reference even where the standard does not legally apply to private homes.

What counts as a source

A published document with a URL: a standard, a manufacturer's installation guide, a design handbook. Editorial consensus is not a source; entries without a citation show 'citation pending' and appear in our admin queue until one is attached.

Calculator coefficients

The hanging-space and shoe-storage calculators use editorial planning coefficients (inches per garment, width per pair, shelf spacing). They are versioned, shown on each tool page and configurable. They are not standards.

Entries awaiting a citation

• Closet shelf depth — 12–14 in (folded clothes); 16 in (hanging-section shelves)
• Hanging rod height — Single hang 66–72 in; long hang 66–72 in with clear floor
• Double-hang spacing — Upper rod ~80–84 in; lower rod ~40–42 in
• Closet drawer depth and height — Drawer box depth 14–20 in; front heights 5–12 in
• Walk-in closet walkway clearance — 36 in minimum walkway (24 in storage depth each side)
• Closet island dimensions — Island ~24–36 in deep; 36 in clear on working sides
• Shoe shelf spacing and depth — Shelf depth 12–14 in; spacing 6–8 in flats, 14–18 in boots
• Upper shelf height — Top shelf ~84 in in 8-ft rooms; keep 10–12 in clear to ceiling

Have a citation? Send it via the contact page with the URL.