Doors & windows height + coordinate guide
ELS proposed planning defaults - all dimensions in mm above the room's finished floor level (FFL). These are design starting points, not universal statutory minima. Existing approved openings, site conditions, accessibility, fall/fire protection and the selected product can change them.
The dimensions below are proposed ELS planning defaults, not statutory standard heights.
Use one datum
FFL = 0. Window Z = bottom of the outer window frame; Head = Z + overall frame height. This is not necessarily the top of the stone/tiled sill. Door figures below mean clear passage head height. Structural openings, frame tops and leaf sizes are recorded separately.
Window bottom heights - proposed ELS defaults
| Location | Starting range | Start at | Must coordinate |
|---|---|---|---|
| W1 Bathroom / shower | 1,600-1,800 | 1,700 | Privacy from inside/outside; reachable operation; wet exposure and safety glazing. |
| W2 Separate WC / dry bathroom | 1,500-1,800 | 1,600 | Privacy, usable ventilation and handle reach. |
| W3 Kitchen over sink / worktop | 1,050-1,200 | 1,100 | Start from actual worktop. Check tap, handle, sash and backsplash together. |
| W4 Wet kitchen / utility wall | 1,200-1,500 | 1,200 | Coordinate equipment, cleaning, extraction and exterior access. |
| W5 Living / dining | 900-1,100 | 1,000 | Furniture/view/privacy. Upper floors and low glazing need separate safety checks. |
| W6 Bedroom | 900-1,200 | 1,100 | Bed/headboard, curtains, privacy, escape and fall-protection checks. |
| W7 Study / window above desk | 1,000-1,200 | 1,100 | Actual desk, screen, glare and operating reach. |
| W8 Laundry | 1,200-1,500 | 1,300 | Stacked appliances can invalidate this starting height; draw their full envelope. |
| W9 Stair / landing / high-rise replacement | Project-specific | No preset | Measure from local landing FFL; verify guards, cleaning and approved facade. |
Head-height target: 2,100-2,400 where the building allows; 2,200 is a useful initial coordination line. Choose a compatible frame height: e.g. bathroom 1,700 + 500 = 2,200. This does not approve opening area, support or ventilation.
Door clear head heights - proposed ELS defaults
| Location | Starting range | Start at | Must coordinate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main entrance | 2,100-2,400 | 2,200 | Check access, frame/transom, beam and exposure. |
| Bedroom / internal room | 2,100-2,200 | 2,100 | Check actual clear passage and supplier assembly. |
| Bathroom / WC | 2,100-2,200 | 2,100 | Check local floor, threshold, ventilation and rescue/access needs. |
| Kitchen / rear service | 2,100-2,200 | 2,100 | Coordinate weather threshold, equipment and drainage. |
| Sliding / folding glazed door | 2,100-2,400 | 2,200 | Verify panel weight, track, head support, glass and system limits. |
Door-handle centre: 1,000 is an ergonomic starting point (adjust for the user and actual lock/fire-door specification). Never infer frame height or leaf height from the clear-head figure.
ELS | Consultation reference | 2 November 2026 | Not a fabrication release
Set out the opening, then verify the interfaces
1. Record the coordinates
X = opening centreline from a named fixed wall datum. Z = frame-bottom elevation above local FFL. W x H = overall frame width x height. Add operation/handing and the exterior/interior viewing direction. Record rough-opening dimensions and installation allowances separately, as confirmed by the supplier.
- X = 900 from left finished wall datum
- Z = 1,700 above bathroom FFL
- W x H = 900 x 500 overall frame
- Head = 2,200; top-hung, outward opening
2. Resolve the kitchen window with the actual tap
Example: worktop 900; proposed frame bottom 1,100; 200 vertical separation. If the selected tap rises 350 above the worktop, its top is at 1,250. The tap therefore projects into the window zone. That can work only when the sash, handle, screen and cleaning/removal paths clear it. Draw a section and operation envelope; do not approve from the front view alone.
An outward-opening awning or suitable slider may avoid some inward-sash conflicts, but has its own reach, exterior-clearance and weather checks. A window beside/over a hob needs appliance, heat, airflow and material review; it has no automatic preset. Manufacturer guidance highlights operation/reach over sinks, but the actual faucet specification controls its dimensions. [1,2]
3. Resolve privacy and reach in the bathroom
Start discussion at a 1,700 frame bottom and 500 overall frame height. Check privacy at seated/standing positions and from outside; privacy glass still needs a sightline check. Test the selected lock/handle with the actual user. If it is too high, change the operation/control or design: do not plan for the user to climb on a WC or stool.
A top-hung window height is its overall frame height, not its usable open ventilation area. Verify ventilation independently. Coordinate tile joints, sill drainage, frame weeps and shower/glass interfaces. A bottom height below the guide does not automatically mean an existing bathroom is defective.
4. Hold points before manufacture
Confirm: local FFL and any floor drop; measured opening and structure; required permissions; daylight/ventilation; impact/fall/escape protection; frame/glass/hardware system; swing/slide and user reach; head/jamb/sill/threshold details; quotation revision; supplier-verified manufacturing dimensions.
Upper-floor/low windows, stairs, balconies and high-rise apartments need specific safety checks. A sill-height choice is not proof of fall protection, and an insect screen is not a guard. Client sign-off records choices; technical and statutory checks remain with their responsible parties.
5. Site shorthand and datum conversion
W01 | Bath | CL X=900 from datum A | frame bottom +1700 | frame 900W x 500H | frame head +2200 | top-hung outward | survey/technical release pending.
If bathroom FFL is 50 below corridor FFL, +1700 above bathroom FFL is +1650 relative to corridor FFL. Confirm both references on the drawing.
Sources and status
[1] Andersen: kitchen window operation and reach. [2] Kohler: faucet dimensions from the actual specification. [3] Sarawak Building Bylaws reference: check applicable light/ventilation, structure, guarding and approval provisions with the responsible professional. The numerical planning ranges on page 1 are proposed ELS defaults, not dimensions quoted from these sources.
ELS | Consultation reference | 2 November 2026 | Not a fabrication release