How Many Hinges Does a Door Need? Australian Spacing Guide
Most Australian interior doors need three hinges, not two, and getting the count and spacing wrong is one of the most common reasons a hung door sags, binds, or fails a building inspection. If you're standard-fixing 5+ doors a day, guessing at hinge count and eyeballing spacing costs you callbacks. This guide gives you the exact numbers.
Why Hinge Count and Spacing Matter
Hinge count and spacing aren't cosmetic; they're a structural decision. Every hinge shares the door's weight and the stress of daily opening and closing. Undersizing hinge count on a heavy solid-core or exterior door concentrates that load on too few points, and the result is predictable: the door drops on its latch side within months, the top hinge screws pull out of the jamb, or the door starts binding on the frame.
Australia doesn't have a single mandatory hinge-count law for standard residential doors, but AS 1288 and manufacturer specifications (which most building certifiers reference) set the practical benchmark builders work to. The two standard Australian hinge sizes are 85mm (lighter/internal doors) and 100mm (heavier/external doors), using the wrong size for the door's weight class is the second most common hinge-related callback after wrong count.
Getting this right matters more on volume jobs. One door with a hinge miscount is a five-minute fix. Twelve doors on a job with the same mistake is a full day of rework, plus a client who's now questioning everything else you did.
How Many Hinges Does a Door Need?
For a standard Australian interior door, up to 2040 mm tall, 820 mm wide, hollow or lightweight solid core, 2 hinges are sufficient, positioned 200 mm from the top and 200 mm from the bottom of the door.
For most doors you'll actually hang on a professional job, solid-core internal doors, all external doors, and anything with a self-closer or door closer fitted, use 3 hinges. The top and bottom hinges sit 200 mm from their respective ends, and the third hinge is centered between them (roughly the door's midpoint).
Step up to 4 hinges when the door is oversized (over 2200 mm tall or 1000 mm wide), fire-rated, acoustic-rated, or a heavy solid timber slab. Fire doors in particular often specify 4 hinges regardless of size, check the door schedule or manufacturer spec before you fix, since getting this wrong can fail a certifier's inspection outright.
The rule of thumb that holds up across almost every job: if you're not sure whether a door needs 2 or 3, use 3. The extra hinge costs a few dollars and ten minutes; a sagging door costs a return visit.
Getting the Spacing Exact Every Time
Knowing the numbers is one thing, hitting them consistently across a stack of doors on a job site is another. There are three ways carpenters typically mark hinge positions, and they don't perform the same.
| Method | Time per door | Consistency across multiple doors | Error risk | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tape measure + pencil mark | 8–12 min | Low-drifts door to door | High—measuring and squaring errors compound | One-off repairs |
| Story pole / self-made jig | 4–6 min | Medium — depends on how carefully it's built | Medium | Small runs (2–4 doors) |
| Hinge template kit | Under 2 min | High — identical every time | Low—template locks position and depth | Volume installs, 5+ doors/day |
The gap between manual measuring and a template kit widens the more doors you're doing. On a single door, the time difference barely matters. On a 10-door job, that's the difference between a 90-minute setup and finishing before lunch — and every door coming out identical, which matters when the client walks the job and checks alignment door to door.
A template kit also removes the most common source of error: forgetting to re-measure after marking the first hinge, which throws off the spacing on the second and third. The template locks all three (or four) positions relative to each other, so once it's set against the door edge, the spacing is correct by default.
Get Every Hinge Position Right, First Time
The Prehung Template Kit marks and routes 85mm and 100mm hinge positions in one pass — no tape measure, no re-checking spacing between doors. It's built for tradies doing prehung and standard door installs at volume, where identical hinge placement across every door on the job isn't optional.
Fast Hinge tools are rated 4.9/5 by 13,000+ carpenters across Australia and New Zealand, and orders over $300 AUD ship free. If you're fixing hinges on more than a couple of doors a week, the time saved on marking alone pays for the kit within the first job.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many hinges does a standard interior door need in Australia?
Two hinges for lightweight interior doors up to 2040mm × 820mm. Most solid-core interior doors use three hinges for added support and longevity.
What is the correct spacing for door hinges in Australia?
The top hinge sits 200mm from the top of the door, the bottom hinge 200mm from the bottom, and any middle hinge is centred between them. This applies whether you're fitting 2, 3, or 4 hinges.
Do exterior doors need 3 or 4 hinges?
Exterior doors should use at least 3 hinges due to their weight and exposure to daily use. Oversized, fire-rated, or heavy solid timber exterior doors need 4.
What size hinges are standard in Australia — 85mm or 100mm?
Both are standard: 85mm hinges suit lighter internal doors, while 100mm hinges are used on heavier internal doors and most external doors. Check the door manufacturer's spec if unsure.
Ready to Speed Up Your Installs?
Stop re-measuring hinge spacing on every door. The Prehung Template Kit marks and routes every hinge position in under 2 minutes, identical every time.
Prehung Template Kit — $250 AUD
Free shipping on orders over $300 AUD | 4.9/5 from 13,000+ carpenters