Most designers fail narrow lot townhouses because they guess at furniture spacing. Here are the 5 non-negotiable clearance numbers for 16ft-wide floor plans:

1. 36" — Minimum passage width

This is your absolute floor. Any hallway, doorway, or path between furniture must clear 36 inches minimum. In a 16ft-wide unit, every inch of passage width is earned, not given.

2. 42" — Kitchen work triangle clearance

Between counter edges in a galley or L-shaped kitchen, 42 inches keeps two people from colliding. Drop below this and your kitchen fails the livability test.

3. 24" — Chair pullback from dining table

Most designers forget this one. A dining chair needs 24 inches behind it when someone is seated. In narrow lots, this single number determines whether your dining area works or chokes the floor plan.

4. 30" — Bedside circulation

Each side of the bed needs 30 inches minimum for making the bed, accessing nightstands, and emergency egress. In a 16ft-wide master, this often forces the bed orientation decision.

5. 44" — ADA-compliant corridor minimum

If you're designing for accessibility or multi-family code compliance, corridors jump to 44 inches. This one number can reshape your entire stacking strategy across floors.

The bottom line: Narrow lot design isn't about creativity — it's about precision. Know these numbers cold, and your layouts will pass code review and impress clients every time.

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