Door hardware sets: what they are and how to assign them

What a hardware set is

On a commercial project, a building might have 200 doors but only 15 or 20 distinct combinations of hardware. Instead of listing hardware door by door, the specifier groups openings that need the same hardware into sets (also called groups or headings). Set 1 might be every single office door, Set 2 every storage room, Set 3 every pair of stair doors.

The sets live in the hardware schedule at the end of spec section 08 71 00 (Door Hardware). The door schedule on the drawings then lists each door number with its set number. Together they tell the supplier exactly what goes on every opening.

A complete set usually covers:

• Hanging: butt hinges, continuous hinges or pivots, with quantity, size and type
• Securing: the lockset or latchset and its function, or an exit device, plus cylinders and keying notes
• Controlling: closers, stops and holders, coordinators and flush bolts on pairs
• Protecting and sealing: kick plates, silencers, gasketing, door bottoms, thresholds and astragals
• Electrified items: power transfers, electric strikes or electrified locks, door position switches and power supplies, when access control is involved

Example hardware set

For three complete sets with the code reasoning behind each item, see our sample hardware sets.

Here is what a simple set for a single office door in a non-rated wall might look like. Real sets name the product, the manufacturer and the BHMA finish code; this one stays generic.

Three hinges is the norm for a 7 ft door: the common rule is one hinge per 30 in. of door height or fraction of it. Doors that are taller, wider or heavy traffic get a fourth hinge, heavier hinges or a continuous hinge.

How sets are numbered and assigned

There is no single required numbering system, but most specs follow a few habits that keep the job readable:

• Group sets by family: singles first, then pairs, then rated openings, then electrified openings. Some specifiers reserve number ranges, for example 1 to 19 for singles and 20 to 39 for pairs.
• Write one set per real combination. If a rated and a non-rated office door differ only by a closer, that is two sets, not one set with a note.
• List the door numbers that use each set under the set heading, so the supplier can check the count against the door schedule.
• Keep set numbers stable once the bid set is out. Renumbering in an addendum breaks every cross-reference in the door schedule and the submittal.

Common hardware set mistakes

Most hardware problems in the field trace back to the sets, not the products. These are the ones that cause reorders and delays:

• Fire-rated openings without a closer or positive latching. Every rated opening needs both. See fire-rated doors.
• Lock function that does not match the room. A storage room set with a passage latch, or a toilet room with an office function. Check the lockset functions against the room use.
• Pairs without a coordinator where an overlapping astragal or automatic flush bolts require the inactive leaf to close first.
• Closers that cannot mount. A parallel arm closer on a door with a deep reveal, or a closer and an overhead stop that fight for the same space at the head.
• Electrified hardware with no path for power. An electrified lock with no power transfer hinge or raceway, or no power supply in the set.
• Accessibility misses. Knobs instead of levers, thresholds over 1/2 in., or a closer that cannot be adjusted to the required opening force. See ADA door requirements.

Who writes the sets

On many projects the architect writes 08 71 00 in-house, often by editing a previous job. On others, a hardware consultant or the supplier writes the sets and the architect reviews them. Either way, the sets have to agree with the door schedule, the frame preparations, the keying plan and the access control drawings, which is where most coordination time goes.

If you want a second set of eyes or want the sets written from scratch, see our door hardware specifications service.