6-minute read · Commercial hardware buying guide
A door hardware schedule is a shopping list organized by door. It records the parts, quantities, options, and responsibilities needed to complete each opening.
You do not need every model selected to begin. Start with what you know, mark the missing details, and use the schedule to make a clearer quote request. This guide shows how to avoid overlooked cylinders, trim, mounting pieces, and quantity errors.
Give each opening a clear number.
Include related parts and explicit units.
State what is included and who provides it.
In this guide
Shop this guide: Door Closers and Operators · Hinges and Pivots · Exit Devices and Accessories · Access Control
1. Separate doors, leaves, openings, and hardware sets
- Opening: the door/frame location in the building.
- Leaf: one moving door panel. A pair has two leaves.
- Hardware set: the specified collection of hardware for that door arrangement.
- Schedule: the list connecting each opening to its required hardware and quantities.
Assign a door number such as D-101. Record its location, material, dimensions, thickness, swing, and single/pair layout. Add fire-label and other known project requirements.
Next describe how people enter, leave, and secure the door. That operation guides the hardware choices.
2. Work through the parts in a practical order
| Job | Parts to consider when required | Easy-to-miss detail |
|---|---|---|
| Support the door | Hinges, continuous hinge, or pivots | Correct size, duty, count, and fasteners |
| Control movement | Closer/operator, arm, mounting pieces, stop | Plate, bracket, or stopping arrangement |
| Latch and secure | Lock or exit device, strike, outside trim, cylinder/core | Function, handing, and supplied keying |
| Seal and protect | Gasketing, sweep/bottom, threshold, protection hardware | Profile, supplied lengths, and mounting |
| Add electrical operation | Power, transfer, reader/controller interfaces, contacts, releases | Who supplies, wires, programs, and tests each part |
| Coordinate a pair | Application-specific rods, mullion, coordinator, or other pieces | How the two leaves close and latch together |
Use these as questions to work through. A simple interior office door and an access-controlled pair will have different lists.
3. Write a line for each component
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Door number | D-101, with its location and single/pair layout |
| Component and model | Exact manufacturer/model, or “selection needed” |
| Quantity and unit | Individual pieces, complete assemblies, lengths, or sets |
| Options | Function, handing, finish, keying, electrical details |
| Included accessories | Arm, plate, strike, trim, cylinder, fasteners, or other specified parts |
| Responsibility / date | Supplier, installer, and required delivery |
For an unresolved field, write what needs to be decided. A visible “confirm cylinder format” is more useful than a blank cell that looks complete.
Shop products for this guide
These categories illustrate separate lines on a hardware schedule: closer, hinge, exit device, and cylinder. Build your actual set from the door requirements and verified compatible components.
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4. Check quantities with a worked example
Suppose a project has four single doors and two pairs. That is six openings and eight leaves. Count hardware from the specified arrangement for each leaf and pair, rather than multiplying every item by six.
For a simpler counting example, if an approved set for one single door calls for three individual hinges, one lockset, and one closer package, three identical doors would need nine hinges, three locksets, and three closer packages. The example explains units; the approved door/hardware requirements establish the actual set and quantities.
5. Check what each line includes
Read phrases such as less cylinder, less core, less trim, and body only as items to resolve. List the required separate component beside the main product. For closers, check the arm and plates; for exit devices, check outside trim, cylinder, and strike.
Have compatible product families, door/frame preparation, and required listings confirmed together. For electrical hardware, include the agreed entry/exit and fault operation, power requirements, wiring, controller connections, and final setup/testing.
6. Compare quotes against the same list
- Same model, configuration, finish, and function, or clearly identified alternatives.
- Same individual quantities and units.
- Same trim, cylinders, keying, plates, brackets, and fasteners.
- Clear exclusions and responsibility for electrical work.
- Availability, lead time, freight, delivery stages, and required dates.
For rated or accessible openings, include the required design review and final verification in the project scope. The schedule records the agreed hardware; it supports that coordination rather than establishing approval on its own.
7. Use the schedule after delivery
Check received items against the approved list before distributing them to installers. Stage by door number where practical, record approved substitutions, and retain final instructions and service details. The completed schedule then becomes a useful reference for future replacements.
Add the often-missed components to your schedule
Review the additional lock, trim, keying, seal, threshold, stop, and mounting categories that may belong on your schedule. Confirm the scope for each opening before ordering.
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Frequently asked questions
Can I request a quote before I know every model?
Yes. Send the opening list, dimensions, photos, required operation, and quantities. Mark the decisions you want help resolving.
Can several doors share one hardware set?
Where their conditions and requirements match, they may. Keep each door number and quantity visible, and flag any differences in swing, size, rating, or operation.
What makes a schedule useful to a supplier?
Clear door numbers, explicit quantities, known models/options, related components, and a list of unresolved questions.
Resources for planning and verification
- OpenAxis project quote request — Submit your opening schedule, quantities, and project requirements.
- Steel Door Institute assembly inspection guidance — Plan the verification of rated openings within the project scope.
- U.S. Access Board door guidance — Include accessible opening requirements in the coordination process.
- LCN 4000 Series selection catalog — See how one manufacturer organizes closer mounting choices and related components.
Turn your door list into a complete quote request
For a confirmed individual part, shop the product or catalog links above. For a project, send your opening list, quantities, known specifications, photos, and unresolved decisions so the quote can address the complete scope.
