How to Measure a Sofa or Sectional
The sofa calculator needs up to three measurements, depending on shape. Here's what each one means and how to find it — whether you're measuring a sofa in a showroom or reading a retailer's spec sheet.
Overall width
The full left-to-right dimension, arm to arm. On a retailer's page this is usually just called "width". For a sectional, this is the width of the whole piece — including the chaise end — not just the straight run.
Body depth
The normal seat/back depth — how far the sofa extends front-to-back where it's not a chaise. On most product pages this is labelled "depth". If a listing gives a range (for example, an adjustable or reversible chaise), use the smaller number as body depth.
Overall chaise depth (sectionals only)
The furthest front-to-back extension — from the wall to the front edge of the chaise cushion. This is usually larger than the body depth, since the chaise sticks out further into the room. Retailers sometimes list this as "max. depth" or "depth with chaise".
Which side is the chaise on?
SpaceCheck uses this convention: stand in front of the sofa, facing it — the way you would to sit down. If the chaise is on your left, choose left; if it's on your right, choose right. Some retailers define "left-facing" and "right-facing" the opposite way (sitting on the sofa, facing out into the room) — if a retailer's page seems to contradict what you see, trust what you see, not the label.
A note on catalogue models
If you pick a sofa from our curated catalogue, these measurements are filled in for you from the retailer's official product page, with a link and a last-verified date. Always confirm current dimensions on the retailer's page before buying — they can change between product revisions.