US Finish Codes Decoded: US26D, US32D, US10B and the Rest
, by United Doors and Locks, 4 min reading time
US26D, 626, satin chrome: three names for one finish. A translation table for the US and BHMA finish codes you have to pick before you can order.
You cannot order commercial hardware without choosing a finish, and the finish is given as a code that describes neither the colour nor the material in plain words. Worse, there are two competing systems in use simultaneously, and most catalogues print both.
Two systems, one finish
The US codes (US3, US26D, US32D) come from an old US Federal specification. They are obsolete on paper and universal in practice, because that is what the trade says out loud.
The BHMA codes (605, 626, 630) are the current standard, published by the Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association. They are what appears on the spec sheet.
US26D and 626 are the same finish. So are US32D and 630. When a catalogue lists both, it is translating, not offering a choice.
The translation table
| US code | BHMA | Finish | Base material |
|---|---|---|---|
| US3 | 605 | Bright brass, clear coated | Brass |
| US4 | 606 | Satin brass, clear coated | Brass |
| US10 | 612 | Satin bronze, clear coated | Bronze |
| US10B | 613 | Oxidised satin bronze, oil rubbed | Bronze |
| US15 | 619 | Satin nickel | Brass, plated |
| US19 | 622 | Flat black, coated | Steel or brass |
| US26 | 625 | Bright chrome | Brass, plated |
| US26D | 626 | Satin chrome | Brass, plated |
| US32 | 629 | Bright stainless steel | Stainless steel |
| US32D | 630 | Satin stainless steel | Stainless steel |
| USP | 600 | Primed for painting | Steel |
| — | 628 | Satin clear anodised | Aluminium |
| — | 689 | Aluminium painted | Any |
| — | 613E | Dark oxidised satin bronze, equivalent | Any, coated |
The two in bold account for the majority of commercial hardware sold.
US26D or US32D: the decision you will actually make
Both are a soft brushed silver and from ten feet away they are difficult to tell apart. The difference is underneath.
US26D (626) is satin chrome plated over brass. It is the commercial default: less expensive, an enormous range of available products, and perfectly durable indoors. The LC2400 Series and H4545 ball bearing hinge are both stocked in US26D for this reason. Its limitation is the plating — chip it or wear through it in a wet or coastal environment and the brass underneath corrodes.
US32D (630) is satin stainless steel throughout. There is no plating to wear through, so it holds up on exterior doors, in coastal air, and in kitchens, laboratories, and wash-down areas. It costs more. The ML1300 Series mortise lock is supplied in US32D as standard because mortise locks tend to go on the openings that need it.
A simple rule: US26D indoors, US32D outdoors or anywhere wet.
The darker finishes
US10B (613) is oil rubbed bronze, a living finish. It is not sealed, so it darkens and develops highlights where hands touch it. Architects specify it deliberately for that reason; clients who expected it to stay uniform are sometimes surprised. Available on items like the DB2000 Series deadbolt.
US19 (622) is flat black, a coating rather than a plating. It has become popular in recent years and it is genuinely less durable at high-wear points than either chrome or stainless — expect wear on lever ends and push plates. Stocked on the LE2000 Series keypad lock and the H4545 hinge.
613E is a coated equivalent of dark bronze applied over other base materials, which is how you get a matching dark finish across items that could not all be made from bronze. The Accentra 2100 Series offers it.
Finishes that are not colours
USP (600) is primed steel, supplied to be painted. It is the correct and cheapest specification for hinges on a door that will be painted anyway — the H4545 plain bearing hinge in USP is a common line item on hollow metal work.
689 is aluminium-coloured paint, widely used on door closers and exit devices because it matches anodised aluminium storefront without the cost of matching it properly.
Two practical warnings
Finishes do not match across manufacturers. Two products both labelled US26D from different makers will usually be close and occasionally not. On an opening where the lock, hinges, closer, and push plate will all be seen together, buy the visible items from one manufacturer or accept a slight mismatch.
Finish availability drives lead times. US26D and US32D are stock. Anything else is frequently a special order, and on a large schedule that is the difference between two weeks and ten. If a project is time-critical, pick from stock finishes first and let the architect know why.
Send us the schedule and we will confirm which finishes are stocked across the items you need before you commit to a specification.