Commercial Door Hinges

Ball Bearing, Heavy Duty, Spring and Electrified Hinges

Commercial door hinges are heavy-gauge hinges, usually full mortise butt hinges, that carry the weight of a commercial door and keep it swinging and latching under daily traffic. PDQ makes 4 ball bearing heavy weight hinges, 2 ball bearing and plain bearing standard weight hinges, spring hinges and electrified hinges in steel and stainless steel. Every PDQ hinge conforms to NFPA 80 for fire doors and carries a 5-year limited warranty.

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Door Hinges by Bearing Type

Start with the door's weight and traffic. That decides the hinge weight and bearing, then the size and finish follow.

Heavy Weight · Grade 1

HB 4 Ball Bearing Hinge

Our heavy duty door hinge, with four ball bearings and 0.180" leaves for heavy doors and constant traffic.

ANSI/BHMA A156.1 Grade 1 (A8111 steel, A5111 stainless); 5 knuckle, full mortise; 4-1/2" x 4-1/2", 5" x 4-1/2" and 5" x 5"
Steel or stainless steel; non-removable pin standard

Best for: Main entrances, wide or heavy doors, and doors with closers

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PDQ BB 2 ball bearing standard weight hinge

Standard Weight · Grade 2

BB 2 Ball Bearing Hinge

A 2 ball bearing hinge with 0.134" leaves for standard commercial doors that use a closer.

ANSI/BHMA A156.1 Grade 2 (A8112 steel, A5112 stainless); 5 knuckle, full mortise; 4" x 3-1/2" up to 4-1/2" x 4-1/2"
Steel or stainless steel; non-removable pin standard

Best for: Office, classroom and corridor doors with medium traffic

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PDQ PB 5 knuckle plain bearing steel hinge

Standard Weight · Grade 3

PB Plain Bearing Hinge

A 5 knuckle plain bearing hinge with no ball bearings, for low-traffic doors without a closer.

ANSI/BHMA A156.1 Grade 3 (A8133), tested to 350,000 cycles; 0.130" steel leaves
4" x 4" and 4-1/2" x 4-1/2"

Best for: Closets, storage rooms and low-traffic interior doors

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Spring · Self-Closing

SH Spring Hinge

A 3 knuckle spring hinge that pulls the door shut without a separate closer.

UL listed; designed to meet K8107-1F (steel) and K5107-1F (stainless steel)
4-1/2" x 4-1/2" with 0.134" leaves

Best for: Self-closing doors in light commercial and multifamily buildings

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PDQ EL4 4 wire electrified hinge with concealed wiring

Electrified · 4 Wire

EL4 Electrified Hinge

Carries four concealed wires from the frame into the door to power one electrified device.

2 wires at 20 ga and 2 at 26 ga; EL4-ISMC adds a molex connector; built on any 2 or 4 ball bearing hinge with a non-removable pin
UL listed; tested to over 100,000 cycles. See all electrified door hardware.

Best for: An electric strike or electrified lock on a single opening

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Electrified · 8 Wire

EL8 Electrified Hinge

Eight concealed wires to run a lock plus request-to-exit and door position switches through one hinge.

8 wires at 28 ga; EL8-ISMC adds a molex connector; built on any 2 or 4 ball bearing hinge with a non-removable pin
UL listed; tested to over 100,000 cycles

Best for: Access-controlled doors with more than one electrified device

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Compare PDQ Commercial Hinges

Model	Weight (Standard / Heavy)	Bearings	Sizes	Materials / Finishes	Non-Removable Pin	Fire Rated
HB	Heavy, 0.180" · Grade 1	4 ball bearing, 5 knuckle	4-1/2" x 4-1/2", 5" x 4-1/2", 5" x 5" (5" x 5" stainless only)	Steel: 600, 605, 613E, 619, 622, 652 · Stainless: 630	Yes	Conforms to NFPA 80
BB	Standard, 0.134" (0.118" on stainless 4" x 3-1/2" and 4" x 4") · Grade 2	2 ball bearing, 5 knuckle	4" x 3-1/2" and 4" x 4" (stainless only), 4-1/2" x 4", 4-1/2" x 4-1/2"	Steel: 600, 605, 613E, 619, 622, 652 · Stainless: 630, 622	Yes	Conforms to NFPA 80
PB	Standard, 0.130" · Grade 3	Plain bearing, 5 knuckle	4" x 4", 4-1/2" x 4-1/2"	Steel: 600, 613E, 619, 622, 652	No	Conforms to NFPA 80 as part of a listed assembly
SH	Standard, 0.134" · Spring	Spring, 3 knuckle	4-1/2" x 4-1/2"	Steel: 600, 605, 613E, 619, 622, 652 · Stainless: 630	No	UL listed; conforms to NFPA 80
EL4	Standard or heavy	2 or 4 ball bearing	Any BB or HB size	Same as the BB or HB it's built on	Yes	UL listed; conforms to NFPA 80
EL8	Standard or heavy	2 or 4 ball bearing	Any BB or HB size	Same as the BB or HB it's built on	Yes	UL listed; conforms to NFPA 80

Sizes are height x width. All PDQ hinges are full mortise and swaged, with 1/16" clearance between the leaves when the door is closed, and ship with 12-24 machine screws and #12 wood screws. Every model carries a 5-year limited warranty. Not every size comes in every finish; your PDQ rep can confirm.

Key: 600 = prime coated · 605 = bright brass · 613E = dark oxidized satin bronze (equivalent) · 619 = satin nickel · 622 = black · 630 = satin stainless steel · 652 = satin chromium (plated steel)

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Need Certification Details?

See every UL, ANSI/BHMA and NFPA listing for PDQ hinges and the rest of our hardware in one filterable matrix.

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How to Choose a Commercial Door Hinge

PDQ Hinge Types - 2025

Step 1

Match hinge weight and bearing to the door

Heavy weight hinges have thicker leaves for doors that are heavy, wide or busy. Use the 4 ball bearing HB on main entrances, oversized doors and any door that opens all day. A 1-3/4" hollow metal door in 16 gauge weighs about 120 lbs at 3' x 7' before hardware, and lead-lined or oversized doors weigh far more. Standard weight hinges fit most other doors. Ball bearing hinges turn on hardened bearings, so they handle the extra load a door closer puts on the hinge. Plain bearing hinges have no bearings, so save them for low-traffic doors without a closer. A spring hinge closes the door on its own.

PDQ Black Ball Bearing Hinges

Step 2

Pick the size and the number of hinges

Door hinge sizes are listed height by width, so 4-1/2" x 4-1/2" is 4-1/2" tall and 4-1/2" wide when open. Height follows the door: 4-1/2" is the usual size for a 1-3/4" commercial door, and 5" suits heavy doors. Width follows the clearance you need, such as a 4-1/2" wide hinge to clear 1-1/2" of trim on a 1-3/4" door. For the count, use two hinges on doors up to 5' tall and one more for each additional 30" or part of it. A standard 7' door takes three hinges, and an 8' door takes four.

PDQ electrified hinge with concealed through-wire

Step 3

Add security, the right material and power

On an out-swinging door, the hinge pins sit on the outside, so specify a non-removable pin. PDQ includes one on every 2 and 4 ball bearing and electrified hinge, so use one of those on out-swinging doors. Use stainless steel (630) on exterior doors and in wet or coastal areas, and steel for dry interior doors. If the door has an electrified lock, strike or exit device, swap one hinge for an EL4 or EL8 electrified hinge to carry the wires into the door. For more wires than a hinge can carry, use the EPT100 electric power transfer.

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Where PDQ Commercial Hinges Fit

Education

Entrance and corridor doors take heavy traffic at bell times. Use HB heavy duty hinges on main entrances and gym doors, and BB hinges on classroom doors with closers. Add an EL4 or EL8 where an entry is on access control.

Education Solutions

North Georgia Medical Plaza, a two-story medical office building with a covered entrance

Healthcare

Hospital doors are often wide, heavy and fire rated, and they open all day. HB hinges carry that load and meet NFPA 80 for fire doors. Use stainless steel where doors are cleaned often, and an EL8 on pharmacy and staff-only doors that run a lock and monitoring switches.

Healthcare Solutions

Willow apartment building at RiverHeath with staggered balconies and a glass storefront entrance

Multifamily

Apartment entry doors often need to close on their own. SH spring hinges do that without a separate closer. Use BB hinges on amenity and service doors with closers, and PB hinges on closets and storage rooms.

Multifamily Solutions

Commercial Door Hinge FAQs

What size hinge does a commercial door need?

Most 1-3/4" commercial doors use a 4-1/2" x 4-1/2" hinge, where the first number is the height and the second is the open width. Heavy or oversized doors can step up to a 5" tall hinge, and a wider hinge gives extra clearance around deep trim. On fire doors, NFPA 80 sets minimum hinge sizes by door size and rating.

How many hinges does a commercial door need?

A door up to 5' tall needs two hinges, plus one more for each additional 30" of height or part of it. That means three hinges on a standard 7' door and four on an 8' door. Place the top hinge 5" down from the frame rabbet, the bottom hinge 10" up from the floor and the third hinge centered between them.

What is the difference between ball bearing and plain bearing hinges?

Ball bearing hinges have hardened steel ball bearings between the knuckles, so the door turns with less friction and the hinge wears less. Plain bearing hinges pivot metal on metal with no bearings, so they cost less and suit low-traffic doors. Use ball bearing hinges on any door with a closer, and on fire doors, where NFPA 80 calls for ball bearing hinges unless the hinge meets its exceptions.

When do I need a heavy duty hinge?

Use a heavy duty hinge on doors that are heavy, wide or opened all day, such as main entrances, gym doors and hospital corridors. Heavy weight hinges like the PDQ HB have 0.180" leaves and 4 ball bearings, compared with 0.134" leaves and 2 bearings on a standard weight hinge. NFPA 80 permits 4-1/2" tall, 0.180" thick hinges on wide and heavy doors or doors under heavy use.

What is a non-removable pin hinge?

A non-removable pin (NRP) hinge has a pin that can't be tapped out while the door is closed, so no one can pull the hinge pins and lift the door off. Specify one on any out-swinging door, where the pins sit on the outside. PDQ includes a non-removable pin on every 2 and 4 ball bearing and electrified hinge, with a set screw in the center barrel that can only be reached with the door open.

What is an electrified hinge?

An electrified hinge is a door hinge with wires running through it, so power can travel from the frame into an electrified lock, strike or exit device. The wires stay hidden and flex inside the hinge each time the door swings. The PDQ EL4 carries 4 wires for one device, and the EL8 carries 8 wires for a lock plus switches.

Door Hinge Guides

Commercial door with lockset, closer and hinges

Guide

What Are the Different Types of Commercial Door Hardware?

Read the Guide

Commercial building on fire, showing why fire-rated doors and hardware matter

Guide

Are Fire-Rated Doors Required for Every Commercial Space?

Read the Guide

View All Guides

Complete the Opening

Hinges carry the door. Pair them with PDQ closers and electrified hardware for a complete, code-ready opening.

PDQ 7100 Series surface mounted commercial door closer

Door Closers

Grade 1 closers from light to extra heavy duty, UL listed for 3-hour fire doors.

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Electrified Hardware

Power transfers, power supplies and request to exit hardware for access-controlled openings.

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Need Help Choosing Door Hinges?

Tell us about your openings and a PDQ rep will help you match hinge weight, size and finish to your doors, plan electrified hinges, and get submittals and pricing.