The gap may be the return air "duct" and thus required. Did not your contractor explain why it is code?

You could be right. One house a family member lived in, had a small vent in the bottom half of the door for return air, when doors are closed.

"Did not your contractor explain why it is code?"

Surely you jest, the contractor doesn't know and if he does know ,Kathryn didn't pay extra to have questions answered.

”kathryn didnt pay extra to have questions answered?” im a little confused by this statement. This was a whole house renovation and I was making so many decisions, the doors were mentioned on passing but I didnt even think about it until we’d lived in the house for awhile. Now they feel like a sound issue. There is a return vent in the hallway.

Post a picture of the doors on the first floor that don't have this "problem".

this is our powder room downstairs

Katy, the return in the hallway, does not help your air circulation, when you have the door shut at night, so most likely thats why the bedroom doors have the gap.

I found this for you to read, on google. You can do a search for yourself, there is a lot of info out there.

" While gaps under your door may limit privacy, they do serve a purpose. The main reason the gap exists is to keep the door from scraping your floor. After all, flooring is expensive! Another reason is to make central heating and air conditioning more efficient and effective. "

I dont think scraping the floor is an issue with your doors, those gaps, have more to do with your air flow and circulation.

Thank you so much!! once I noticed it, I couldnt unsee it. Plus my sons room (the one in the picture) is a touch more open than the others. But im trying to remind myself 1. noone else but me will notice and 2. its the hottest ro in the house (100 year old house problems 🤣) so maybe its needed for that room.

Probably not worth replacing them all just for a bit more privacy. Sound machines for life ha!

LOL, put a rug up against it. :-)))