Guides / Refrigerators
Will a fridge fit through a 30 inch door?
From the makers' spec sheets for the 40 fridges we check, with 1 in to spare for hands and the dolly.
Short answer
Often not with the door still hung. That leaves about 28½ in, and only 17 of the 40 fridges we check get through,16 of them with the fridge doors off. Take the house door off its hinges and you have the full 30 in. Then 30 get through, 24 of them with the fridge doors off.
How many get through
| Clear opening | As is | Doors off | Won't go |
|---|---|---|---|
| 36 in | 28 | 12 | 0 |
| 32 in | 14 | 26 | 0 |
| 30 in | 6 | 24 | 10 |
| 28½ in 30 in door, still hung | 1 | 16 | 23 |
Clear opening is jamb to jamb at the tightest spot. Out of 40 models.
A 30 in door isn't 30 in
A door sold as 30 in is the slab. Once it's hung, the door itself and the stop molding take some of that back. Open all the way, you often have about 28½ in. That's the last row in the table, and it's why so many more fridges fail there.
Measure your own. Open the door all the way and go from the face of the open door to the stop on the other side.
How we check it
A fridge goes through upright, on its narrow side. That's whichever is smaller, the width or the depth with the doors on. We take that side, add 1 in for your hands and the dolly, and compare it to the doorway.
narrow side + 1 in ≤ doorway
If it only clears with the doors and handles off, we use the depth of the bare case. That's the smallest the fridge gets.
The ones that won't go through 30 in
- Samsung RF29BB8200QLNeeds 30⅜ in29 cu ft Bespoke 4-door French door
- Samsung RF30BB6200QLNeeds 30⅜ in30 cu ft Bespoke 3-door French door
- LG LRMVS3006SNeeds 32 in30 cu ft 4-door French door
- LG LMXS28626SNeeds 30⅞ in28 cu ft 4-door French door
- Whirlpool WRF757SDHZNeeds 30⅝ in27 cu ft 4-door French door
- KitchenAid KRFF507HPSNeeds 30⅝ in27 cu ft 4-door French door
- GE Profile PFE28KYNFSNeeds 30⅜ in27.7 cu ft French door
- GE Profile PVD28BYNFSNeeds 30½ in27.9 cu ft 4-door French door
- Café CVE28DP2NS1Needs 30⅜ in27.8 cu ft 4-door French door
- GE GBE21DYKFSNeeds 30¾ in21 cu ft bottom freezer (30 in)
Ways to get more room
Take the house door off. Pull the hinge pins and lift it out. On a hung 30 in door that gets you back to about the full 30 in, and in the table that's 13 more fridges that get through.
Pop the door stop. The thin strip of trim the door closes against usually pries off with a putty knife. That's about ½ to ¾ in more. Tack it back on after.
Take the fridge doors and handles off. Most delivery crews will do it. Ask when you book, since some charge for it.
Keep it upright. Laying a fridge down lets compressor oil run into the lines. If it has to go on its side, stand it up and wait a few hours before you plug it in. Check the manual for how long.