French Doors in an Archway: Options and What to Check

Planning guide · 2 min read · Updated October 2026

Yes, but a standard rectangular French door does not fill a curved opening. You either order an arch-top door, or keep a square door and fill the curve above it.

Both routes work. Neither is a quick weekend swap, and the arch itself may be structural.

Door options for an archway: an arch-top door follows the curve but is harder to outfit, a hybrid keeps a square jamb with an arched element above, arch-top installs call for a pro — Two routes into an arched opening. Based on: Luxe Iron Doors and Nick’s Building Supply, both sellers.

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Two ways to fill an arch

An arch-top door follows the curve. Luxe Iron Doors says arched openings are harder to outfit than square ones.

The hybrid keeps a square door jamb and adds an arched element above it. The page’s example is a flat-top transom with an arch inside it.

Both sources sell doors, so treat their advice as a seller’s view. The basic point stands: a curved top needs a specialist part.

Arched doorway opening onto a sunlit courtyard — The curve is the hard part. Photo: Thewonderalice M on Pexels.

Installing one

Nick’s Building Supply says arch-top doors take skill to install and must be leveled with the rough opening, and it recommends professional installation. It sells them as pre-hung units.

That post dates from 2015 and is a retailer’s, so it is a view, not a standard.

Oknoplast sells arched French doors and says they generally cost more than sliding ones.

It gives no prices and does not explain how its doors fit an arched opening. Get a measured quote.

Before you order for an archway: is the arch structural, arch-top door or square door with a transom, measure width at several heights, check the opening is level and plumb — Settle these before you order. Based on: Nick’s Building Supply.

If the arch holds up the wall above, do not cut or widen it without a structural check. A mason or engineer can tell you.

My call · James Davis

If the arch is old and the walls are plaster, I would keep the arch and go for a square door with an arched transom. It costs less to get right than a true arch-top, and a mistake is easier to fix.