The standard length of a sofa is 76 inches with a depth of 30 inches and height of 31 inches measured from the floor to the top of the back cushion. We will discuss measurements for moving a sofa but the same principles apply to any large piece of furniture that involves access with tight doorways, narrow halls and low ceilings.

Frequently, the assumption is made that a sofa will fit, when it will not. Realize that it’s possible to buy a large sofa that is impossible to move because it’s too big! Obvious? Yes, and it’s an expensive lesson to learn the hard way, so let’s review the basics of moving a sofa and measuring beforehand.

You need to know the length, depth and diagonal height of the sofa. Connect a straight edge from the top back corner down to the bottom front corner with the feet removed to determine diagonal depth. If the diagonal depth exceeds any of the doorways the sofa is unlikely to fit.

Talented movers use a variety of moves like the hook to get a sofa through a doorway, but it doesn’t matter how much magic a mover has in his bag of tricks, the laws of physics always prevail.

You need to know the 1.) height and 2.) width of doorways, the 3.) width of stairways and halls, the 4.) width of landings and turns, and 5.) the height of ceilings in landings and pivot areas.

The length and depth of the sofa are also critical dimensions. In order to move a sofa into a doorway connected to a hall, the sofa will need to be stood on end vertically, turned ninety degrees and pulled through the door by the bottom end if the width of the hallway is less than the length of the sofa. In the event that the width of the hallway is less than the depth of the sofa, or the ceiling is less than the tilt height of the sofa, it will be impossible to move the sofa successfully.

The tilt height of the sofa can determined by Pythagoras Theorem, A squared plus B squared equals C squared. Square the length, square the the width and add them together. Calculate the square root of the result, that’s the tilt height. Using a length of 84 inches and a depth of 36 inches, I enter 84 into my calculater and hit the x2 button which gives me 7056. Now I tap the plus button, enter 36 followed by the x2 button and then tap the equals button for a total of 8352. Tap the button that looks like a v with an upper right wing for the square root which is 91.38, which I’ll round up to 92. If the vertical height of the ceiling is less than 92, the sofa will not fit. You can also measure from the the lower right corner to the top right corner with the piece on end.

Look at the deep extra large sofa with high back. Right beside it is a contemporary design with standard measurements. If you live in a place with tight access, guess which style you should consider?

The art of moving a sofa entails hooking and tilting (not exactly technical terms). Two strong guys (or chicks with muscles) face each other from opposite ends of a sofa. Pick the sofa up and turn it a quarter turn so the front face points down. The top edge now points to one side. That side should be the side that points to the inside corner of turns in halls and stairways. If the top edge is not pointing to the inside corner, flip the sofa over so it is. With the carrying position  as described, the sofa can be raised on one end horizontally, and lowered on the other to negotiate turns.

As mentioned earlier, the vertical tilt maneuver is used to navigate through side doorways. Stand the sofa on end, pull the bottom through, lower the top to a horizontal position, raise the bottom up and pull the top through. Voila, the art of moving a sofa.

Stairwell number one has good vertical height. Number two has good vertical height and open space over the railing. Carrying the sofa with the hook, the top of the sofa points toward the railing. Stairwll three has a solid inside wall. If your stairwell looks like three or four the sofa needs enough room to stand on end and turn ninety degrees or it won’t fit.

In stairwell four you’ll be lucky to get a disassembled futon up those stairs. This stairwell also illustrates a side door like you may encounter off a hallway. In a hallway with a side door the sofa is stood on end, turned ninety degrees and pulled through from the bottom. If you can’t stand the sofa in the hall because of vertical height restriction or turn it ninety degrees because the depth of the sofa exceeds the width of the hallway you’re out of luck.

The good news is that if you live in a building with modern construction and you’re buying a contemporary sofa with standard dimensions, it will probably fit. Taking the time to measure and plan the move will ensure that all goes well.