Commercial doors that serve as exits must open out, in the direction of exit travel, unless they serve a room, suite or floor area with an occupant load of 60 people or fewer. That is the Ontario Building Code rule, so busy storefronts and larger tenant spaces swing out while small suites can swing in. Confirm your own doors with your building official or designer.
Do commercial doors open in or out? The Ontario rule
Article 3.4.6.12 of the Ontario Building Code sets the rule for exit doors. An exit door has to open in the direction of exit travel and swing on a vertical axis, which is how a normal hinged door works. "Direction of exit travel" means away from the space people are leaving, toward the exit. For a front door, that is outward onto the sidewalk or lot. For a door from a room into a corridor, it is into the corridor.
There is an exception. An exit door does not have to swing in the direction of exit travel when it serves a room, suite or floor area with an occupant load of not more than 60 people. Two or more floor areas that share a means of egress qualify if their combined load is not more than 60. The exception does not apply in a high-hazard industrial occupancy. The Code also carves out a few small cases, such as certain small first-storey warehouse storage suites that open directly outdoors at ground level.
Which Code edition applies depends on when the building was permitted and what has been renovated since. The current edition is the 2024 Building Code, enforced by municipal building officials. Ask yours before you change a door or sign a tenant fit-out.
Occupant load decides the swing direction
Occupant load is not a head count on a busy Saturday. It is a number worked out under the Code from the use of the space and the floor area. It usually appears on the permit drawings. If you cannot find it, ask the building department or the designer who prepared the drawings.
Occupant load is where managers get caught. A tenant change can raise the load without a single wall moving. An office suite that becomes a restaurant, fitness studio or event space can have a much higher load, and the exit doors may need to swing out when they did not before. Check the occupant load before you approve a change of use.
Which commercial doors usually swing in, and which swing out
| Door | Typical swing | What decides it |
|---|---|---|
| Front door of a busy store, restaurant or studio | Out | An exit door serving an occupant load over 60 |
| Door of a small tenant suite with 60 or fewer people | In or out | The exception applies, so the designer may choose |
| Rear service or back-of-house exit | Usually out | If it serves an exit and a larger load, it follows the main rule |
| Vestibule doors | Judged door by door | Each door in the exit path is checked, so confirm with the designer |
| Storage room, washroom or office door that is not an exit | In or out | The exit swing rule does not apply, though accessibility clearances still do |
| Fire-rated door | As designed | Swing is part of the rated assembly |
That a door is allowed to swing in does not make it the right choice. A small suite that may grow, or may change tenants, can be better served by a door that swings out from day one.
Why exit doors open out
The reason is crowd pressure. If people rush toward an exit, they push on the door. An outward-opening door opens under that push. An inward-opening door can jam shut against the people leaning on it, and nobody at the front can step back to pull it open.
Exit hardware follows the same logic. Where an exit device (a panic bar) is used, it is mounted so a push in the direction of travel releases the latch. Doors with this hardware are for people leaving, not entering, so they usually swing out.
Small rooms can swing in because fewer people are involved and the risk of a crush is lower. That is why the 60-person line exists.
Winter, wind and sidewalks: practical problems with outswing doors
Outswing doors suit exits, but they bring local problems that Ontario owners should plan for.
- Snow and ice. Drifts and ice build-up in front of an outswing door can stop it opening at all. Add the entrance to the snow clearing scope and have staff check before opening.
- Wind. A gust can pull an outswing door open fast. Set the closer's backcheck and fit a stop so the door does not slam into the wall, a rail or a vehicle lane.
- Sidewalks and lanes. A door that opens over a public sidewalk, a drive lane or a neighbour's land raises questions. Check with your municipality before changing swing at the property line.
- Hinges. Hinges on the outside of an outswing door are exposed. Use hinges with non-removable pins or security studs so the door cannot be lifted off.
- Protection. Where the swing meets traffic, bollards can protect the door and the people using it.
For more on seasonal wear, see how Ontario winters affect commercial doors.
Fire ratings, accessibility and changing a door's swing
Fire-rated door assemblies keep their rating only with compatible frames, hardware and intact labels. If a rated door swings the wrong way for your use, do not just flip it. Reversing swing changes hinge, closer, strike and exit-device locations, and the frame may need replacing.
Accessibility adds its own rules. For doors on a barrier-free path of travel, the Building Code's barrier-free provisions address clearances beside the latch edge, which differ with the swing direction, along with opening force and power door operators at barrier-free entrances. Your designer or building official should confirm the numbers for your building. See commercial property accessibility and Ontario Building Code requirements for commercial doors.
A swing change on an exit door can need a permit, so call the building department first. D&D Commercial Services installs aluminum storefront doors, hollow metal doors and frames, closers and exit devices, and starts every job with a free written estimate. Code decisions and sign-off come from your authority and a qualified professional, not from the door contractor. See our commercial door repair and installation page.
Door swing questions property managers ask
Should commercial doors swing in or out?
Exit doors in Ontario must swing out, in the direction of exit travel, unless they serve a room, suite or floor area with an occupant load of 60 people or fewer. Larger spaces such as busy stores and restaurants swing out. Doors that are not exits are not covered by this rule.
Do commercial doors have to open out?
Not every one. Exit doors serving more than 60 people must open in the direction of exit travel, which means out. Small suites with 60 or fewer people may swing in, and doors that are not exits follow other rules. Confirm the load with the permit drawings or the building department.
Why do commercial doors open out?
Crowds push forward when they leave in a hurry, and that push can jam an inward-opening door shut. An outward-opening door opens under the push instead. Panic hardware works the same way, releasing the latch when someone pushes in the direction of travel.
Can I change which way a commercial door swings?
Often, but it is rarely a simple flip. Hinges, closer, strike and exit hardware move, and a fire-rated frame may need replacing. A swing change on an exit door can need a permit, so check with the building department and a qualified professional before work starts.
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Get a Free Commercial QuoteKey Takeaways
- Ontario exit doors must open in the direction of exit travel, which means out.
- The exception is a room, suite or floor area with an occupant load of 60 people or fewer.
- Occupant load comes from use and floor area, and a change of tenant can raise it.
- Outswing doors need winter snow clearing, a stop, a set backcheck and security hinges.
- Fire-rated and accessible doors need professional and building-official input before any swing change.
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