What Is a Door Schedule?
A door schedule is a table found in the architectural drawing set — typically on the door/hardware drawings or on a dedicated schedule sheet. It is the primary communication document between the architect and the door and frame manufacturer. Each row in the schedule represents one opening, and the columns define every specification that applies to that opening: door size, material, gauge, frame type, hardware, fire rating, and any special notes.
When you order hollow metal doors and frames from HMF Express, the door schedule is your roadmap. Reading it correctly — and catching inconsistencies before the order is placed — is one of the highest-value skills a contractor or distributor can develop. Errors caught at this stage cost nothing to fix. Errors caught after manufacturing cost significantly more.
Door Fields: What Each Column Tells You
The door portion of the schedule typically contains these fields:
| Field | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Door Mark / Number | The unique identifier for this opening (e.g., 101, A-01). Used to cross-reference the schedule to the floor plan and hardware sets. |
| Width × Height | Door leaf dimensions. Standard commercial: 3'0" x 7'0". Custom sizes must be explicitly stated. Note whether it is a single or pair. |
| Thickness | Standard commercial hollow metal door thickness is 1-3/4". Non-standard thicknesses (1-3/8" for light-duty, 2" for high-security) will be called out explicitly. |
| Material | "HM" = hollow metal. Other codes may indicate wood, aluminum, or glass. Ensure HM is specified where you are supplying hollow metal product. |
| Gauge | 16 GA or 14 GA. If blank, 16 GA is typically implied for standard commercial applications — but confirm with the spec before assuming. |
| Finish | Standard HM doors ship factory-primed for field paint. A "P" or "prime" notation is standard. Special finishes (factory paint, galvanized, stainless) will be explicitly noted. |
Frame Fields: Reading the Frame Columns
Frame information is typically in adjacent columns to the door information. Key fields include:
| Field | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Frame Type | Welded, KD (knock-down), or masonry. Determines how the frame is manufactured and installed. Drives anchor type selection. |
| Profile / Face | The visible face width of the frame. Standard commercial is 2" face. Wider profiles (3", 4") are used in special applications. |
| Depth / Throat | The wall thickness dimension the frame wraps. Must match actual wall thickness at each opening. Confirm this against structural or architectural wall sections. |
| Gauge | Frame gauge, specified independently from door gauge. 16 GA is standard for most commercial framing; 14 GA for heavy-duty or masonry applications. |
| Rabbet | Single rabbet (SR) for single doors; double rabbet (DR) for pairs. Specifies which side or sides of the frame stop receive a door leaf. |
Hardware Group Column
Most door schedules include a hardware group or hardware set column. This does not list individual hardware items — instead, it references a numbered or lettered hardware set defined elsewhere in the specification (Division 08 Hardware Schedules). For example, "HW Set 3" tells you to look up Set 3 in the hardware schedule to find the complete list of hardware items and their preps.
For hollow metal ordering purposes, the hardware group column tells the manufacturer which factory preps to cut into the door and frame. When ordering, you should either provide the hardware schedule to your rep or list the specific preps required per opening. If the hardware set is not yet finalized at time of order, flag this with your rep — ordering without complete hardware information risks missing preps that are expensive to add after manufacturing.
Fire Rating Column
The fire rating column specifies the required fire endurance period for the opening. Common ratings for hollow metal doors:
- 20 minutes — Light corridor and partition openings; smoke and draft control assemblies.
- 45 minutes — Corridor openings in 1-hour rated corridor assemblies.
- 60 minutes — Openings in 1-hour-rated fire barriers.
- 90 minutes — Openings in 2-hour fire barriers (most common for stairwells and exit enclosures).
- 180 minutes (3-hour) — Openings in fire walls; typically requires heavy-duty construction.
- Blank — No fire rating required for this opening.
The fire rating column drives door construction method, materials, and the required label. It also affects hardware selection: fire doors require fire-rated hardware. Confirm that the hardware set referenced for a fire-rated opening contains appropriate rated hardware — and that the door and frame you are ordering carry the correct label for the specified rating.
Notes Column and Special Conditions
The notes column catches everything that doesn't fit neatly into a standard field. Common notes include:
- Non-standard door thickness or construction
- Special hardware preps not covered by the hardware set
- Vision lites or louver cutouts
- Special finishes or galvanizing requirements
- Lead-lined or sound-rated construction
- Coordinate with other trades (e.g., "verify wall thickness before ordering")
Always read the notes column for every opening before placing an order. Notes override or supplement standard column information, and missing a note is a common source of incorrect orders.
Watch for schedule conflicts: If the schedule shows conflicting information — for example, a 45-minute fire door label required in a 60-minute-rated wall assembly — flag it with your rep or the architect of record before ordering. The door label must meet or exceed the wall rating at the opening location. Ordering based on conflicting schedule information, then discovering the conflict after manufacturing, is an expensive problem to fix.
Using the Door Schedule When Ordering from HMF Express
The most efficient way to order hollow metal from HMF Express is to provide your rep with a copy of the door schedule directly. Our team can read the schedule and build a complete quote from it, opening by opening. If a field is ambiguous or a spec appears inconsistent, we will flag it before quoting so you can resolve it before the order goes to production.
If you are filling out an order form rather than submitting a schedule, work through the form field by field, pulling each value from the corresponding schedule column. Treat the schedule as the authoritative source and the order form as the transcription. When they disagree, the schedule wins — unless the schedule itself has an error, in which case get written clarification from the architect before you proceed.