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How to fit a door peephole

Updated: October 2026

You are standing at a UK front door with a drill, and the risk is a hole you cannot undo. How to fit a door peephole comes down to four checks: you may alter this leaf, the bit matches the barrel, you drill from both sides, and you stop if the door is fire-rated. If the leaf is FD30 or FD60, leave now for [fire door peephole](/hub/door-and-window-security/door-viewer/sub/door-viewer-fire-door) and do not mark the door. The twelve rows are on the [door viewer comparison](/hub/door-and-window-security/door-viewer). Peter F. used UK fitting notes and the amazon.co.uk files saved on 19 October 2026. This is not a watched install. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are standing at a UK front door with a drill, and the risk is a hole you cannot undo.

Our top picks

Amig Amig 10013G door viewer

Best overall

Amig Amig 10013G door viewer
9.2/10about £8.50
View offer
HOJLKLD HOJLKLD door viewer with 16 mm bit

Rank 2

HOJLKLD HOJLKLD door viewer with 16 mm bit
8.8/10about £9.69
View offer
Desenda Desenda door viewer

Best value

Desenda Desenda door viewer
8.6/10about £4.29
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Check the door before you mark it
  2. 2.Height and drill size
  3. 3.Fit the two halves
  4. 4.When you stop and do not drill

Check the door before you mark it

Start with permission, not with the bit. If you are a tenant, ask the landlord in writing before you mark the leaf. If the door has an FD30 or FD60 label, stop. Sealant afterwards is not a repair for a hole the certificate did not name. Measure the leaf and the hole you already have. Which listing matches that hole is on the door peephole buying guide. Reuse an old hole only when the new barrel is the same diameter. A 16 mm Stoppwerk antique viewer will not sit in a 12 mm hole unless you enlarge the door. A thin skin over foam tears if the bit is blunt. Wear eye protection.

Height and drill size

There is no single compulsory height for an ordinary UK house door. BookaBuilderUK treats about 1.45–1.60 m as a practical band for a typical adult. An older flat-entrance note, from the PAS 24:2007 era, uses about 1,200–1,500 mm from the bottom. Stand where you will look, clear of the lock. The bit is the barrel, not the decorative cap. Stated optical holes here are 12 mm, 14 mm, or 16 mm. Desenda and the Amig state 14 mm. HOJLKLD and the Stoppwerk antique state 16 mm. XFORT does not print a barrel, and one UK review drilled 12 mm. A DIYnot thread on a 14 mm spy hole points to a 14 mm Forstner or flat bit. Drill a pilot, then the full size, from both faces. HOJLKLD includes a 16 mm bit and says to drill halfway from each side. A UK review says that bit is for plastic doors, not wood. The DP2C wants 16.5–50 mm, which usually means enlarging a 12–14 mm spy hole.
Amig Amig 10013G door viewer

Testsieger

Amig Amig 10013G door viewer
9.2/10about £8.50
View offer

Fit the two halves

Most of these viewers are two cylinders that meet in the hole. Thread them together by hand until the door is nipped and the view is square. Do not reach for pliers on the first turn. A JFGDVW review records a stripped thread, and a crossed start is how that happens. If the halves never clamp, or the thread bottoms out while the door is still loose, the thickness band was wrong. Return the unit. Do not pack the gap with tape. Check the cover from the landing in daylight. A Desenda review says the room was still visible with the cover in place. You can return a bad sample. You cannot undrill the door.

When you stop and do not drill

Stop if the door is FD30 or FD60, if you are a tenant without written permission, or if you hit metal you did not expect. A joiner or the door manufacturer should take over when the core is unknown. This sequence does not choose the viewer.

Common questions

What size drill bit do I need?
Use the barrel diameter, which in this set is 12 mm, 14 mm, or 16 mm. A 14 mm viewer wants a 14 mm Forstner or flat bit after a pilot, not a bit matched to the outer cap. XFORT does not print a diameter, and one UK review used 12 mm. The EZVIZ DP2C is a different hole, stated at 16.5–50 mm.
How high should the peephole be?
For an ordinary house door there is no single legal height. A practical band is about 1.45–1.60 m for a typical adult. An older flat-entrance note from the PAS 24:2007 era uses about 1,200–1,500 mm from the bottom. Put the hole on the sightline of the person who will use it, clear of the lock.
Should I drill straight through from one side?
No. Start the full-size hole from both faces so the bit does not burst out and chip the skin. HOJLKLD’s listing says to drill halfway from each side, and a pilot helps the two sides meet. A single pass from the room side is how a composite face tears on the street side.
Can I fit this on a composite or uPVC door?
You can when you are allowed to alter that door and the thickness band covers the leaf. A thin skin needs a sharp bit and eye protection, because composite dust and swarf are part of the job. A listing that never answers a uPVC question has not confirmed your door. If the leaf is certificated, do not drill it from this page.
The viewer is too long or the thread strips. What went wrong?
Too long means the door is thicker than the stated band. XFORT and Desenda stop at 50 mm. A stripped thread usually means the halves were forced after a crossed start, which is what a JFGDVW review describes. Return the unit if it will not clamp by hand. Do not pack the gap with tape.
When must I stop and not drill?
Stop if the door is FD30 or FD60, if you are a tenant without written permission, if you are about to enlarge a spy hole for a camera, or if you hit metal you did not expect. A joiner or the door manufacturer should take over when the core is unknown.

Related pages

Best door peephole

Door viewer

Door peephole buying guide: measure thickness first

Fire door peephole: the certificate, not the title

Peephole camera vs door viewer: when you need a screen

Sources

Public UK sources for the rules and the DP2C specification, last checked on 19 October 2026. Shelf prices, stars, and review counts are from the amazon.co.uk listings in this category on that date.

  1. GOV.UK: domestic CCTV (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. ICO: home CCTV systems (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. NBS: DHF TS 002:2009 Door viewers (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. Secured by Design: UAP door viewers (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. Falcon: dual-scope fire door manual (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. GOV.UK: Approved Document B fire safety FAQ (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. Rutland: door viewer (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. EZVIZ UK: DP2C (retrieved 19 October 2026)