Murphy Bed Dimensions: Sizes, Clearances and Built-In Cost

TL;DR

1. Vertical bed projection: In three makers' tables, vertical Murphy beds project 81 7/8–83 inches into the room for twin and full sizes, and 86 7/8–87 inches for queen and king sizes. Measure from the wall, then add the clear route you want past the foot.¹ ² ⁸
2. Horizontal bed projection: The horizontal examples project 44 1/2–46 inches for twin, 59 1/2–61 inches for full and 65 1/2–67 inches for queen. One maker lists 83 inches for a horizontal king.¹ ² ⁸
3. Ceiling height: One maker's vertical wood queen and king need at least 90 1/4 inches from the finished floor to the ceiling.¹
4. Installed cost: An installed prefab Murphy bed costs $1,500–$6,000 and an installed custom system $3,000–$15,000, according to Fixr's January 2025 guide.⁶
5. Before you order: Ask for drawings with the bed closed and open. Put the mechanism, mattress, ceiling, route past the foot and surrounding cabinets on those drawings.

A Murphy bed uses little floor space while it's closed. Once you lower it, the bed can project more than 7 feet from the wall. You still need room to walk past it.

Start with the bed open. Then check the ceiling, nearby furniture, doors, outlets and the cabinets you want beside it. Those checks tell you how much of the wall and room the complete built-in will use.

Murphy bed dimensions by size

In three makers' tables, a vertical queen Murphy bed cabinet is 65 7/8–68 inches wide, 87 1/8–87 3/4 inches high and 15 7/8–18 3/4 inches deep when closed. It projects 86 7/8–87 inches from the wall when open.¹ ² ⁸

The ranges combine three makers' examples. Each endpoint is one maker's figure. Use the selected system's current drawing for your order. Mattress dimensions are nominal United States sizes.⁷

Size and orientation	Mattress, width × length	Cabinet width	Cabinet height	Closed depth	Open projection from wall
Twin, vertical; maker sample range¹ ² ⁸	38 × 75 inches⁷	44 7/8–47 inches	82 1/8–82 3/4 inches	15 7/8–18 3/4 inches	81 7/8–83 inches
Full, vertical; maker sample range¹ ² ⁸	54 × 75 inches⁷	59 7/8–62 inches	82 1/8–82 3/4 inches	15 7/8–18 3/4 inches	81 7/8–83 inches
Queen, vertical; maker sample range¹ ² ⁸	60 × 80 inches⁷	65 7/8–68 inches	87 1/8–87 3/4 inches	15 7/8–18 3/4 inches	86 7/8–87 inches
King, vertical; maker sample range¹ ² ⁸	76 × 80 inches⁷	81 7/8–84 inches	87 1/8–87 3/4 inches	15 7/8–18 3/4 inches	86 7/8–87 inches
Twin, horizontal; maker sample range¹ ² ⁸	38 × 75 inches⁷	80–80 7/8 inches	47 3/8–47 5/8 inches	15 7/8–16 5/8 inches	44 1/2–46 inches
Full, horizontal; maker sample range¹ ² ⁸	54 × 75 inches⁷	80–80 7/8 inches	62 7/16–62 5/8 inches	15 7/8–16 5/8 inches	59 1/2–61 inches
Queen, horizontal; maker sample range¹ ² ⁸	60 × 80 inches⁷	85–85 7/8 inches	68 7/16–68 5/8 inches	15 7/8–16 5/8 inches	65 1/2–67 inches
King, horizontal; Create-A-Bed, one maker⁸	76 × 80 inches⁷	85 7/8 inches	83 1/8 inches	15 7/8 inches	83 inches

The finished-wood examples include crown molding in the listed widths.¹ ² Ask for a full-wall drawing with every side cabinet, filler and finished end.

Vertical queen Murphy bed shown closed and open, with a cabinet height of 87 1/8–87 3/4 inches, a closed depth of 15 7/8–18 3/4 inches, an open projection of 86 7/8–87 inches and one maker's minimum ceiling height of 90 1/4 inches. — The vertical queen maker samples are 87 1/8–87 3/4 inches high, 15 7/8–18 3/4 inches deep when closed and 86 7/8–87 inches from the wall when open. One maker requires at least 90 1/4 inches of ceiling height.

How much room you need

A vertical queen Murphy bed needs 117–123 inches of room depth in this planning example, at least 90 1/4 inches of ceiling height in one maker's line, and a wall that accepts the maker's attachment.¹ ² ¹¹

Open floor space and a walkway

A vertical queen with an 87-inch wall-to-end projection needs 117–123 inches of room depth when you add a 30–36-inch clear route past the foot.² ¹¹ The arithmetic is 87 + 30 = 117 and 87 + 36 = 123.

Lori Beds suggests 24–30 inches beside an open bed for access on both sides and about 30–36 inches at the foot.¹¹ These are maker planning guidelines. A room with accessibility requirements needs its own layout review.

Planning item	Dimension	Limit
Clear space on each accessible side	24–30 inches	Maker planning guidance¹¹
Clear route past the foot	30–36 inches	Maker planning guidance¹¹
Example wall-to-end projection	87 inches	Hide N Go Sleep vertical queen, one maker²
Example room depth with foot route	117–123 inches	87 inches + 30–36 inches² ¹¹

The projection starts at the wall and already includes the closed cabinet depth. Measure the room depth to the nearest furniture edge or other obstruction across from the bed.

Now draw every door and drawer open. Check the exit route, ceiling fan, light, outlet, switch and vent with the bed lowered.³

Ceiling height

One maker's vertical wood queen and king need at least 90 1/4 inches from the finished floor to the ceiling.¹ That figure comes from an 87 3/4-inch cabinet plus 2 1/2 inches of required space above it.

Ceiling check	Dimension	Basis
Vertical wood queen and king cabinet height	87 3/4 inches	Bedder Way, one maker¹
Required space above the cabinet	At least 2 1/2 inches	Same maker¹
Minimum ceiling height	90 1/4 inches	87 3/4 inches + 2 1/2 inches¹

Measure below the lowest obstruction. Ask the installer to confirm assembly space and any crown molding that goes above the cabinet.

Wall attachment and existing trim

The selected mechanism and wall construction determine the attachment. Bedder Way describes attachment to wall studs and says concrete or brick applications are also possible.⁹ Its system uses pistons. Other systems can use springs or different attachment arrangements.

Have the installer inspect the wall and confirm the attachment before you order. Ask for the installed assembly weight and rated load separately from the mattress weight.

Measure the baseboards too. One maker says its main bed can have a baseboard notch, while its side cabinets don't get the same notch.⁹ Put that detail on the full-wall elevation so the bed and side cabinets line up correctly.

Vertical or horizontal

In three makers' tables, a horizontal queen Murphy bed cabinet is 85–85 7/8 inches wide and projects 65 1/2–67 inches when open.¹ ² ⁸ A horizontal cabinet is lower and wider than the vertical queen cabinets in those tables.

A vertical bed stores the mattress on its end. A horizontal bed stores it on its long side.⁸ Check the ceiling, windows, doorways and outlets before you pick the orientation.

One maker's horizontal king is 83 1/8 inches high and projects 83 inches.⁸ Ask for the current drawing for that exact system before pricing.

Horizontal twin Murphy bed shown closed and open, with a cabinet height of 47 3/8–47 5/8 inches, a closed depth of 15 7/8–16 5/8 inches and an open projection of 44 1/2–46 inches. — The horizontal twin maker samples are 47 3/8–47 5/8 inches high and 15 7/8–16 5/8 inches deep when closed. They project 44 1/2–46 inches from the wall when open.

The mattress

One maker accepts mattresses up to 12 inches thick in its standard wall beds.⁵ Its queen mattress range is 55–80 pounds, and its king range is 60–90 pounds.⁵ These are mattress requirements for one maker. They don't state sleeper capacity or installed bed weight.

Mattress check	Published figure	Limit
Mattress thickness	Up to 12 inches	Bedder Way standard wall beds; other lines differ⁵
Queen mattress weight	55–80 pounds	One maker⁵
King mattress weight	60–90 pounds	One maker⁵

Bedder Way lists innerspring and memory-foam mattresses as compatible with its standard systems. It excludes latex, air and adjustable mattresses for those systems.⁵ Ask the maker to approve your exact mattress for thickness, weight and upright storage.

Mattress measurements can vary by maker. Sleep Foundation lists a twin at 38 × 75 inches, while Bedder Way lists 39 × 75 inches.⁵ ⁷ Measure the mattress you plan to use.

Built-in options

Built-in Murphy bed options from one maker include a 64 15/16-inch-wide rolling desk and side cabinets in nominal widths of 18, 24 or 30 inches.¹

Murphy bed with a desk

One maker's queen and king rolling desk is 64 15/16 inches wide and 22 inches deep.¹ Put its floor position and movement on the room plan.

Other systems can use a fold-away desk or a surface that stays level while the bed opens.³ ⁸ Ask what you must remove from the desk and where the chair goes at night. Use the built-in desk planning guide for the person, chair and equipment.

Side cabinets and shelves

One maker lists nominal side-cabinet widths of 18, 24 or 30 inches and a depth of 16 inches for its vertical wood line.¹ Two nominal 18-inch cabinets add 36 inches before fillers, finished ends and final trim: 18 + 18 = 36.

Ask for usable interior depth as well as outside depth. Use the built-in bookshelf dimensions guide for shelf spans and expected loads.

Built-in option	Published width	Published depth	Scope
Rolling desk	64 15/16 inches	22 inches	Bedder Way queen and king accessory, one maker¹
Side cabinet	18, 24 or 30 inches nominal	16 inches	Bedder Way vertical wood line, one maker¹

Built-in queen Murphy bed wall with side cabinets and a desk, showing one maker's 87-inch open projection, a 30–36-inch clear route past the foot, 117–123 inches of room depth and 24–30 inches of side clearance from maker planning guidance. — This built-in queen planning example uses one maker's 87-inch open projection, a 30–36-inch clear route past the foot and 117–123 inches of total room depth. Maker planning guidance gives 24–30 inches of clearance beside the open bed.

What a Murphy bed costs

An installed prefab Murphy bed costs $1,500–$6,000 and an installed custom system $3,000–$15,000, according to Fixr's January 2025 guide.⁶ These are dated national planning ranges. Get a local quote for your room and scope.

Purchase or scope	Published cost	What the figure covers
Hardware allowance	$100–$400	Angi specialty hardware allowance, May 3, 2026; complete kit price unresolved⁴
Materials allowance	$800–$2,500	Angi materials allowance; installation, tools and other expenses remain separate⁴
Prefab bed, installed	$1,500–$6,000	Fixr, January 31, 2025⁶
Custom bed, installed	$3,000–$15,000	Fixr, January 31, 2025⁶

The hardware allowance covers only one part of the job. Ask what the proposed kit contains and who supplies the cabinet, mattress, finish and installation. This guide has no verified complete-kit market range.

Give every shop the same bed, surround and site-work list. Ask each shop to separate delivery, electrical work, mattress and finish. The custom cabinet quote guide explains how to compare scope. Its kitchen linear-foot figures don't calculate a Murphy bed price.

What to ask the cabinetmaker

Ask for the exact mechanism and its current installation drawing. Have the shop identify wall or floor attachment, mattress limits, open projection, overhead space and every nearby cabinet or desk.

The quote should name the materials, finish, access to the mechanism, electrical work, delivery and installation. Our questions for a cabinetmaker cover the hiring conversation.

Questions people actually ask

What is a Murphy bed?

A Murphy bed is a bed that folds up into a wall cabinet or recess when you're not using it.¹¹ A queen mattress is nominally 60 × 80 inches, and the surrounding cabinet is larger.⁷ You need clear floor space to lower the bed.

How big is a queen Murphy bed?

In three makers' tables, a vertical queen Murphy bed cabinet is 65 7/8–68 inches wide, 87 1/8–87 3/4 inches high and 15 7/8–18 3/4 inches deep when closed, with 86 7/8–87 inches of open projection.¹ ² ⁸ These ranges combine maker examples. Use the chosen system's complete current dimensions for ordering.

How much space do you need for a Murphy bed?

An example vertical queen needs 117–123 inches of room depth when its 87-inch open projection has a 30–36-inch clear route at the foot.² ¹¹ The arithmetic is 87 + 30 = 117 and 87 + 36 = 123. Check side access, ceiling height, furniture and door swings too.

How much does a Murphy bed cost?

An installed prefab Murphy bed costs $1,500–$6,000 and an installed custom system $3,000–$15,000, according to Fixr's January 2025 guide.⁶ Hardware and materials allowances cover only part of a kit-based project. Ask for a quote for the complete wall and installation scope.

Do you need a special mattress for a Murphy bed?

No. One maker accepts ordinary innerspring or memory-foam mattresses up to 12 inches thick in its standard wall beds, subject to its size and weight limits.⁵ Other systems differ. Have the maker approve your exact mattress before ordering.

Why is it called a Murphy bed?

The Murphy bed is named for William L. Murphy, whose folding-bed work dates to around 1900.¹⁰ Ontario Murphy Beds also dates the Murphy Wall Bed Company of California to that period.¹⁰ The name doesn't specify a current cabinet size or mechanism.

Where these numbers come from

The cabinet ranges use published tables from three makers. The horizontal king uses one maker's figures. Sleep Foundation supplies the nominal mattress sizes. Bedder Way supplies its mattress requirements. Lori Beds supplies the walking-space guidance. The cost ranges keep their source dates. All sources were accessed October 2, 2026.

This guide gives room-planning information. The selected system's current instructions and a site-specific drawing are required before fabrication or installation.

Last updated: October 2, 2026