Do I Need to Measure My Door Before Ordering a Storm Door?

It is one of the most common questions we hear: Do I need to measure my door before I order? It is a fair concern — getting the wrong size means the door won't fit, and a poor fit means poor performance.

The short answer, if you are ordering from Mr. Storm Door: you don't have to figure that out yourself. Here is how it actually works, along with a plain-language explanation of storm door sizing for anyone who wants to understand the basics.

How the Mr. Storm Door Process Works

When you order from Mr. Storm Door, you do not need to take precise measurements before placing your order. The process is designed so that professional measurement happens after your order — before installation begins.

Here is the sequence:

1. Choose your door and order online at mrstormdoor.ca. Browse our LARSON storm door models and select the one that suits your home.
2. We schedule a professional measurement appointment. After your order is placed, we set up a time to professionally confirm your opening is suitable before installation proceeds. If your exterior entrance is accessible from outside, you generally do not need to be home for this appointment.
3. We confirm suitability and schedule installation. If the measurement confirms your opening is within our supported scope, we move forward with installation. If something unexpected comes up, we will let you know before proceeding.
4. Professional installation. We arrive, remove your old door, dispose of it, and install your new LARSON storm door with hardware included. You do need to be home for installation.

That is the complete process. You do not need to source a tape measure, figure out frame depth, or second-guess whether your opening is standard.

How Storm Door Sizing Works: The Educational Version

For anyone curious about how storm doors are sized — or who wants to understand the basics before choosing a door style — here is a plain-language overview.

Width

Storm door width is measured across the door opening, not the door itself. Critically, the measurement is taken at the narrowest point — typically measured in two or three places, since door frames are not always perfectly square. Even a small variance between the top and bottom of a frame can affect how a door fits and seals. Using the narrowest measurement prevents ordering a door that is too wide to install correctly.

Height

Height is measured from the floor (or threshold) to the top of the door frame opening. This is usually more consistent than width, but it is still checked carefully to ensure the door will fit the full vertical opening properly.

Frame Depth

Frame depth refers to the depth of the surface where the storm door mounts — the exterior face of the door frame or brick mould. Storm doors require a minimum depth to mount correctly. If the frame depth is too shallow, the mounting hardware cannot seat properly. This measurement is easy to overlook when homeowners measure on their own and is one of the more common sources of fit issues in DIY installations.

Why DIY Measurement Can Be Harder Than It Looks

On the surface, measuring a door opening sounds straightforward. In practice, there are a few things that trip homeowners up:

• Frames that are not square. A frame that looks perfectly rectangular often has small but meaningful variances between top, middle, and bottom measurements. Using the wrong measurement — or only measuring once — can lead to a door that binds, gaps, or doesn't seat correctly.
• Frame depth variations. Older homes especially can have non-standard frame depths due to renovations, added cladding, or original construction that did not anticipate a storm door installation. This is difficult to assess without knowing what to look for.
• Threshold and sweep clearance. The gap between the bottom of the door and the threshold affects how the door sweeps and seals. Getting this right requires accurate measurement and the right hardware setup.

None of this is unsolvable — but it is why professional measurement before installation produces a more reliable result than DIY measurement before ordering.

What If My Opening Turns Out to Be Non-Standard?

Our professional measurement appointment is specifically designed to catch this before installation begins. If your opening is outside our supported scope, we will let you know at that stage — not after the door is already being installed. This is one of the reasons the process is structured the way it is: to confirm suitability before proceeding, not after.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I want to know whether a door will roughly fit before I order?

A rough estimate of your opening's width and height is enough to help you understand whether your door is in a standard range. Most standard home entries fall within the common storm door size ranges. If you have a rough sense of your opening — width and height — and it seems to be in the normal residential range, you are likely in good shape. Our professional measurement after ordering will confirm the specifics before installation.

Do I need to be home for the measurement appointment?

If your exterior entrance is accessible from outside, you generally do not need to be home for the measurement appointment. You do need to be available for the installation appointment.

What storm doors does Mr. Storm Door carry?

We carry LARSON storm doors in mid-view and full-view styles, available in white and black, starting at $899.99 CAD plus applicable taxes. Visit mrstormdoor.ca for current product details.

Does Mr. Storm Door remove my old storm door?

Yes. Removal and disposal of your existing storm door is included with every order.

Ready to Choose Your Door?

You don't need to have your measurements sorted before you start. Choose the LARSON storm door that works for your home, place your order, and we handle the measurement and installation from there.

Visit mrstormdoor.ca to get started.

See available storm doors at mrstormdoor.ca