Handles and pulls: sizes, projection, specification

At a glance

Sizes in the 32 mm series (multiples are our arithmetic). Size bands are retailers' rules of thumb, read 7 November 2026, not standards. Fire and accessible doors: see the sections below.

Three numbers describe a handle

Handles are ordered by three numbers, and the one people reach for first is the wrong one. Centre to centre (c/c) is the distance between the centres of the fixing holes; it decides whether a handle fits existing holes or where new ones are drilled. Overall length is longer, because a bar or T-bar overhangs its fixings. Projection is how far the handle stands out from the face of the door or drawer, and the finger gap is the clear space between the bar and the face. Retail guides say the same thing: measure from the middle of one screw hole to the middle of the other, not the length of the handle, because styles such as T-bars overhang their fixings by different amounts.

Fixings. One retailer guide gives the usual domestic kitchen handle as drilled with a 5 mm hole and fixed with an M4 screw, about 25 mm long for an 18 mm door, with a drilling tolerance of plus or minus 0.5 mm; it also says a measurement of 127 or 129 mm is almost certainly a 128 mm handle. These are retail conventions, not standards, so write the fixing on the order instead of assuming it. For pulls that will be pulled hard (a wardrobe door, a heavy drawer), fix from behind with a bolt through the panel, as the DHF and GAI Code recommends for pull handles on fire doors, and make sure the screw or bolt is long enough for the panel and short enough not to show on the face.

Where the numbers come from. The 32 mm series is the trade convention: 96, 128, 160, 192, 224, 256 and 320 mm are 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10 times 32 mm, the spacing of the 32 mm system used in cabinet making. The multiples are our arithmetic; the size bands in the table are retailers’ rules of thumb, not standards, and there is no standard for how far a domestic cabinet handle may project. Ask the partner workshop which sizes and finishes they can fix, and confirm the handle against the drawing at full size.

Common sizes and choosing one

Matching size to the door or drawer. The only guidance we found is from retailers. One says drawers under about 300 mm wide suit 96 or 128 mm handles, standard cabinets of 300 to 600 mm suit 128 or 160 mm, and large drawers and pantries of 600 mm and over suit 192, 224 mm or longer; it adds that integrated appliances should have 160 mm or longer for leverage, and that a large kitchen can use 128 mm on wall units and 160 or 192 mm on base drawers. Another describes 96 mm as for compact furniture, 128 mm as versatile, 160 mm as medium-sized furniture, 192 mm as larger drawers and cabinets, 224 mm as large drawers in kitchens and bathrooms, and 256 mm and above as the largest pieces and built-in storage. They agree broadly. Treat them as a starting point to test full size on a mock-up, not a rule.

Position. A common convention is a handle fixed vertically near the opening edge of a door and horizontally on a drawer, but the drawing should say where, dimensioned from a named edge, for every type of door and drawer. Retail guides warn that a handle’s projection must not foul an adjacent corner door; add the swing of any neighbouring door, the thickness of any scribe, and the gap between doors (see shadow gaps and flush trim) to the check.

Imported handles: inches. US hardware is sold in inch sizes and in a metric series that is not the same as the UK’s. One US retailer lists pull sizes by drill centre of 64, 96, 128, 160, 192 and 288 mm, and in inches from 3 to 24, including 3-3/4, 5, 6-5/16, 8 and 10 inch. Converted, 3-3/4 inch is 95.3 mm and 5 inch is 127 mm, close enough to 96 and 128 mm to fit; but 8 inch is 203 mm against 192 mm and 10 inch is 254 mm against 256 mm, so an inch handle will not fit holes drilled for the 32 mm series. State the c/c in millimetres on the order and on the drawing.

Where a handle is regulated, and where it is not

Handle choice is unregulated on most cabinets and wardrobes, and regulated in a few places. The table gives each, with where the rule comes from.

Reach heights. Approved Document M volume 2 gives heights for controls, not handles: window controls 800 to 1,000 mm above the floor (4.24(d)), controls needing precise hand movement 750 to 1,200 mm (4.30(c)), and light switches aligned horizontally with door handles within 900 to 1,100 mm (4.30(h)). None is a handle height. For a door handle on an accessible route, BS 8300-2 and the access consultant decide; see accessible doors and ironmongery. A knob that must be gripped and turned is unlikely to meet the closed-fist test where it applies.

Durability and category of use. BSI Knowledge describes BS EN 1906 as covering lever handles and knobs, with requirements and tests for operating torque, free play, durability, static strength and corrosion resistance, and four categories of use according to frequency and other conditions of use; BS 8424 is its counterpart for pull handles. The Code recommends a category of use grade of 3 or more for levers on self-closing fire doors. Neither standard was read, so ask the handle maker for the category, durability and corrosion grades for the pattern, and see fire door ironmongery and seals before specifying anything for a fire door.

Finish, wear and hospitality use

Handles are the most touched metal in a hospitality interior, so the finish wears first there. The finish codes on a schedule are a maker’s shorthand, not a standard; write the finish in words with the code and key as well (ironmongery finish codes). Decide the base metal and the finish separately, because a plated zinc handle and a solid brass or stainless one can look the same on day one and differ in wear (hinges and hardware metals). For wet, coastal or heavily cleaned spaces, the corrosion grade of the hardware (BS EN 1670 grades, which the Code uses for hinges on escape doors) is the number to ask for, and the environment guidance is in metal by environment and high-touch hospitality metal finishes.

Two cautions. First, a finish that is bright and cold on a handle can fail the Approved Document M wording that entrance door furniture should not be cold to the touch (2.17(d)); ask the maker which finishes are warmer. Second, the finish of a replacement handle will not match one that has aged; order spare handles with the run and keep a record of the batch (spares, attic stock and replacement cycles), and agree a cleaning routine with the operator (cleaning and maintaining metal finishes).

Ordering wording and common mistakes

A handle is correctly ordered when the order and the drawing both carry the same nine items. Missing any one of them is how the wrong handle arrives.

Handles: [maker, ref], [160] mm centre to centre, [190] mm overall, [32] mm projection, finger gap [ ] mm, finish [name, code and key], base metal [ ], M4 fixings through-bolted from the back in [18] mm panels, [2] per [door], quantity [ ].

Handle positions to be dimensioned on the shop drawings from [door edge / top edge]; vertical on [doors], horizontal on [drawers] unless drawn. Projection and swing of adjacent doors to be checked on the drawings.

Handles on fire-rated doors to be those listed in the doorset's certificate. Latch furniture on accessible routes to be operable with a closed fist and contrasting with the door; height [ ] mm to be confirmed by [access consultant].

A handle in the specified finish to be approved before the full order. Finish batch to be recorded; [ ] spare handles with fixings to be supplied from the same batch.

Standards and sources

• gov.uk: Approved Document M volume 2 (2015 edition incorporating 2020 and 2024 amendments): 2.17, 3.10, 4.24, 4.30, 5.4. Read 7 Nov 2026.
• DHF and GAI: Code of Practice, Hardware for fire and escape doors (Issue 5, Nov 2024): section 8. Advisory. Read.
• BS EN 1906:2012; BS 8424:2004; BS EN 1670:2007; BS 8300-2:2018: BSI Knowledge, 7 Nov 2026: EN 1906 under review; 8424, 1670 and 8300-2 current. Standards not read.

Questions we are asked

What does centre-to-centre mean, and how do I measure it?

It is the distance between the centres of the two fixing holes. Measure from the middle of one hole to the middle of the other, not the length of the handle: bar and T-bar handles overhang their fixings, so overall length is greater.

What is the most common handle size?

Retail guides name 96, 128, 160 and 192 mm as the common sizes in the UK, and one calls 128 mm the universal size. This is a retail convention, not a standard; check the size against the drawer or door width and the drawing.

Why do some US handles not fit UK holes?

US hardware is sold in inch sizes. 3-3/4 inch (95.3 mm) and 5 inch (127 mm) come close to 96 and 128 mm, but 8 inch (203 mm) is 11 mm longer than 192 mm and 10 inch (254 mm) is 2 mm shorter than 256 mm. State the centre-to-centre in millimetres on the order.

How far should a handle project?

No standard gives a figure for domestic cabinet handles. Ask the maker for the projection and finger gap, check it against adjacent doors and corners on the drawing, and test a sample full size.

Can I use any handle on a fire door?

No. Levers, knobs and pulls on a fire door should be those listed in the doorset's evidence: the DHF and GAI Code recommends BS EN 1906 levers and BS 8424 pulls with fire test evidence on that door type, steel cores in plastic levers, and bolt-through pulls. See the fire door ironmongery sheet.

Does Part M say how high a handle should be?

Approved Document M volume 2 prints no door-handle height. It asks for latch furniture operable with a closed fist and contrasting with the door. For a height on an accessible route, the access consultant and BS 8300-2 decide.