Rocky Mountain Hardware Ordering Guide

Everything you need to order with confidence — and a team that verifies every detail before your hardware goes into production.

Rocky Mountain Hardware is handcrafted solid bronze, made to order in Idaho to your exact specifications. Most of our customers don't know their handing, backset, or lock functions when they first call us — and that's completely normal. That's what we're for.

📞 Skip the reading, if you like. Call 1-800-257-9085 or send us your plans or door schedule and a Rocky Mountain Hardware specialist will help spec your project. The review is free, and it's how most of our projects start.

Why homeowners, builders, and designers order through us

✔ Authorized Rocky Mountain Hardware dealer — full catalog, factory warranty, direct line to the foundry
✔ Every order is specification-checked before production — we catch handing, thickness, door-prep, and lock-mechanism mistakes while they're still free to fix
✔ 18 years of RMH projects quoted and shipped nationwide from our Appleton, Wisconsin showroom
✔ Trade pricing for designers, builders, and architects, and whole-house project quotes
✔ One dedicated expert from quote to delivery — a name and a phone number, not a ticket queue

About the prices on this site: Rocky Mountain Hardware requires all dealers to display manufacturer list prices, so every price you see here is RMH's full list price — dealers can't publish their real pricing online. We offer trade discounts and project pricing on every quote.

Two ways to get your project quoted

1 · Browsing our catalog? Use the "Add to Quote" button on any product page, then open the View Quote tab (right edge of your screen) to attach your plans, photos, and door schedule and submit your request — we respond within 24 business hours.

2 · Just have plans or a hardware schedule? Call 1-800-257-9085 or contact us — we'll review everything and build the request list for you.

Request your project quote →

Jump to: How ordering works · Handing · Backset & door thickness · Lock functions & mechanisms · Strikes & door prep · Finishes · Lead times · Warranty · FAQ · Still not sure?

How ordering Rocky Mountain Hardware works

Rocky Mountain Hardware doesn't sell direct — every order goes through an authorized dealer, and the manufacturer's own ordering process has five steps. Here's how they work when you order through us:

Choose your collection. 27 designs — Arched to Edge to Trousdale — from traditional to contemporary. Style is yours (and your designer's) to choose — we'll supply the collection catalogs, photo galleries, and finish resources that make choosing easy.
Choose your handles. Grips, levers, knobs, or rings — mix and match within your collection. We'll flag any pairing that doesn't work mechanically.
Choose your finish. 12 hand-applied patinas on silicon or white bronze. Sample chips can be purchased if you'd like — we pass them through at RMH's cost, no markup.
Confirm your specs. Handing, backset, door thickness, functions, strikes, door prep — this is the step we guide you through, question by question.
We place and manage the order. We submit verified specs to RMH, track production, and coordinate delivery to your site.

🟩 Good to Know — Working from an architect's or designer's hardware schedule? Send it over. We quote it line for line and flag anything that looks off before it's cast in bronze. Tip: as you browse our catalog, the "Add to Quote" button collects pieces into a request list you can submit with your files attached.

Start with a free spec review →

Handing: which way does your door swing?

Don't worry if you don't know your handing — it's the single most common question we get, and the #1 ordering mistake we catch in review.

Handing describes which side the hinges are on and which way the door swings, viewed from the outside (the keyed/secure side):

Standing outside, you see…	Door swings…	Handing
Hinges on the left	Away from you	Left Hand (LH)
Hinges on the right	Away from you	Right Hand (RH)
Hinges on the left	Toward you	Left Hand Reverse (LHR)
Hinges on the right	Toward you	Right Hand Reverse (RHR)

🟨 Common Mistake — Judging handing from inside the house. Handing is always read from the outside/keyed side. When in doubt, don't decide — photograph the door from outside and we'll identify the handing for you.

The easy way: a photo of each door, taken from outside, is enough for us to identify its handing before your order is placed. (Backset and thickness still need a tape measure — see the next section.)

Backset & door thickness

Two measurements determine whether your hardware physically fits. A photo can't capture either one — these need a tape measure, and they take about a minute per door:

Backset — from the door's edge to the center of the bore: commonly 2 3/8" or 2 3/4" for tubular latches; typically 2 1/2" or 2 3/4" for mortise locks.
Door thickness — RMH builds each set for a specified thickness. Standard is 1 3/4"; the thicker doors common in custom homes need extended spindles and through-bolts, specified at order time.

🟥 Verify Before Ordering — Never assume a custom or European door is standard thickness. Unverified door thickness is one of the most common issues we catch in spec review. One tape-measure reading saves a remake.

Measuring an existing door? Call us at 1-800-257-9085 — we'll tell you exactly where to put the tape while you're standing at the door.

Lock functions & locking mechanisms

Function is what the door does:

Function	Used for	Locks?	Typical doors
Entry (keyed)	Exterior doors	Yes — key outside	Front, back, garage entry
Privacy	Interior doors	Yes — inside only, no key	Bedrooms, bathrooms
Passage	Interior doors	No — latches only	Hallways, closets
Dummy	Fixed pulls	No — doesn't turn	Double doors, pantries

Mechanism is what's inside the door — and it's one of the most common things left uncommunicated on hardware orders:

Mechanism	What it is	Typical use
Spring latch (tubular)	Latch in a drilled bore	Standard for most interior doors
Mortise lock	Solid lock body in a pocket cut into the door	Premium interior & exterior doors
Multipoint	Locks into the frame at several points	Tall, heavy, and European-style doors

🟨 Common Mistake — Assuming every interior door takes a standard spring latch. Usually true — but some doors are prepped for mortise locks, and ordering the wrong mechanism means hardware that can't be installed. This is one of the specific things we ask about and verify on every order.

🟩 Good to Know — You don't need to memorize any of this. Send us your door schedule and we'll walk through it with you, door by door, as part of the free spec review.

Get your door schedule reviewed →

Strikes & door prep: the details that bite

Two things almost nobody thinks about until hardware won't install — and both are on our verification checklist for every order:

Door prep must match the door schedule. The way your doors are machined (bores, mortise pockets, backsets) has to agree with the hardware being ordered. Before ordering, this needs to be verified with your door company — we'll tell you exactly what to confirm with them.
The right strike for your jamb. Depending on how the jamb is prepped, a door needs a T-strike, a full-lip strike, or a custom strike plate. Order the wrong one and the door won't latch cleanly. We ask about your jamb prep so the right strikes arrive with your hardware.

🟥 Verify Before Ordering — If your doors are being built or machined by a door company, connect us before the hardware order is placed. A five-minute check between us and your door supplier prevents the most expensive category of mistake we see.

Finishes: 12 living patinas on solid bronze

RMH casts in two alloys, each with hand-applied patina options:

Silicon bronze (warm, coppery-gold)	White bronze (silvery)
Brushed (BBB)	Brushed (WBB)
Light (BL)	Light (WL)
Medium (BM)	Medium (WM)
Dark (BD)	Dark (WD)
Dark Lustre (BDL)	High Polished (WHP)*
Rust (BR)
High Polished (BHP)*

*High Polished finishes carry a manufacturer upcharge. Edge and Designer collections add texture and leather inlay options.

Every patina is a living finish: solid bronze keeps oxidizing, so color, sheen, and texture evolve with time, touch, and climate. No two pieces are ever alike — that's the point, not a defect.

🟨 Common Mistake — Expecting the patina to stay exactly as it looked on day one. Bronze ages like a leather jacket, not like paint. Want to see what that really looks like? Ask us for photos of aged pieces, or visit our Appleton showroom and hold weathered bronze in your hand.

Choosing between finishes? The choice is yours — and we'll make it an informed one. Finish sample chips can be purchased — RMH charges for them, and we pass them through at cost with no markup — and we're glad to share side-by-side photos and RMH's finish resources before you commit.

Lead times: what to expect

Everything is made to order at the foundry — so the golden rule is: finalize hardware when you finalize doors, not after.

Order type	Typical production time
Standard catalog items	8–10 weeks
Custom work	Timeline quoted by RMH's engineering team for your specific design
RMH Express program	10–15 business days — only for the small, specific set of products and finishes RMH includes in the program; most catalog items do not qualify
Rush production	3–5 weeks — available on many items for an upcharge, subject to RMH approval

🟨 Common Mistake — Thinking RMH Express is something you sign up for. It isn't a membership — it's a limited list of specific products and finishes that Rocky Mountain Hardware has chosen to keep on a fast track. If the exact piece you want isn't on RMH's Express list, Express timing doesn't apply, no matter where you order. One phone call to us tells you whether your picks qualify — and if they don't, Rush production (3–5 weeks) is often the realistic fast option.

🟥 Verify Before Ordering — Anyone who tells you Rocky Mountain Hardware is "in stock" isn't describing how RMH actually works. Everything is cast to order; what varies is how fast. We confirm the current lead time on every line of your quote, then track production and coordinate delivery to your site.

The warranty — and who handles it for you

Rocky Mountain Hardware backs its bronze with a lifetime guarantee against defects in material and workmanship, and internal mechanisms — locks and latches — for 50 years from the date of sale to the original residential owner (commercial terms differ). The patina itself is a living finish and is expressly not warranted: wear and color change from use are normal bronze behavior.

If anything ever goes wrong with hardware you bought from us, you call us — not a warranty department. We handle the claim with RMH directly. Keep your invoice; that's all you'll need.

What we verify on every order

Eighteen years of Rocky Mountain Hardware orders have taught us exactly where orders go wrong. Before your order reaches production, we verify:

Handing — the #1 ordering mistake we catch. We confirm every door.
Door thickness — unverified thickness is one of the most common issues in review, especially on custom doors.
Door prep vs. your door schedule — confirmed with your door company before ordering, so machining and hardware agree.
Strike types — T-strike, full-lip, or custom plate, matched to how each jamb is prepped.
Locking mechanism — spring latch, mortise, or multipoint. Often assumed, rarely stated. We ask until it's certain.

Every one of these is invisible on a purchase order and expensive after casting. Catching them is the job — and it's why designers and builders come back to us project after project.

Frequently asked questions

I don't know my handing, backset, or functions. Is that a problem?
Not at all — most customers don't. Photos of your doors (from outside) let us identify handing; add a couple of tape-measure readings for backset and thickness, and we'll spec everything else with you at no charge.

How do I request a quote online?
Two ways: use the "Add to Quote" button on any product page to build a request list, then open the View Quote tab to attach your plans, photos, or door schedule and submit — we respond within 24 business hours. Or skip the list entirely: call 1-800-257-9085 or contact us and we'll build it for you.

Can you work from my architect's or designer's hardware schedule?
Yes — we quote it line for line and flag anything that looks off before production. Designers: ask about our trade program.

Do you offer trade pricing?
Yes — trade pricing for designers, builders, and architects. Per RMH policy, dealers display list prices online, so the numbers on any dealer's website are not the numbers on a quote. Contact us to set up your account.

Is my item eligible for RMH Express (10–15 business days)?
Only if it's on RMH's Express list — a small, specific set of products and finishes chosen by the manufacturer. It's not a program you sign up for, and most catalog items aren't included. Call us with your picks and we'll tell you in one conversation whether Express applies, or whether Rush production (3–5 weeks) is your fastest path.

Can you help me pick a style or collection?
Style is personal — that call belongs to you and your designer. What we provide is everything that makes the choice easy: collection catalogs, photo galleries, purchasable finish sample chips, and straight answers about how each piece functions.

Do you ship nationwide?
Every week, coordinated to your job site or home.

Still not sure what to order?

Most of our customers don't know their handing, backset, or exact lock functions when they first contact us — and that's completely normal. Send us your plans, your hardware schedule, or photos of your doors along with a few quick measurements. We'll review everything, verify the details with you (and your door company where it matters), and help you specify the correct Rocky Mountain Hardware piece by piece — before anything is submitted to the foundry. There's no charge for the review. It's simply how we make sure made-to-order never becomes made-twice.

Two ways to get your project quoted

1 · Know your pieces? Add them to your request list with the "Add to Quote" button as you browse, then open the View Quote tab to attach your files and submit.

2 · Just have plans? Call 1-800-257-9085, use live chat, or send a message — we'll build the request list for you.

📞 1-800-257-9085 · Live chat · Request your free spec review

Discount Rocky Mountain Hardware · Hardware by Design, Inc. · Authorized Rocky Mountain Hardware dealer · 1778 N. Casaloma Drive, Appleton, WI 54913 · Serving designers, builders, and homeowners nationwide for 18 years