Standard Kitchen Cabinet Dimensions
The numbers a kitchen is built to, in inches and millimetres, in one place. Most of them come from how tall people are and how far they can reach, which is why they have barely moved in sixty years, and why the few that do move are worth knowing about.
Kitchen cabinet sizes at a glance
A base cabinet box is 34 1/2 in tall and 24 in deep, and the countertop brings the work surface to 36 in. Wall cabinets are 12 in deep and come in a ladder of heights from 12 to 42 in. Tall cabinets run 84, 90 or 96 in. Widths step in 3 in increments from 9 in up to 48 in, which is why filler strips exist. Everything below is the North American convention; European kitchens use a different, metric set of numbers, and custom work follows the room rather than either.
| Base cabinet | 34 1/2 in high (876 mm), 24 in deep (610 mm) |
|---|---|
| Finished counter height | 36 in (914 mm), counter included |
| Wall cabinet | 12 in deep (305 mm); 12, 15, 18, 30, 36, 42 in high |
| Tall cabinet | 84, 90 or 96 in high (2134, 2286, 2438 mm) |
| Widths | 9 in to 48 in in 3 in steps |
| Counter to wall cabinet | 18 in (457 mm) is the usual gap |
In this guide
Base cabinets
The one number to remember is 36 in, about 914 mm, from the floor to the top of the countertop. Everything else on a base cabinet is worked backwards from it.
| Box height | 34 1/2 in (876 mm), toe kick included |
|---|---|
| Countertop | About 1 1/2 in (38 mm), bringing the top to 36 in |
| Depth, box | 24 in (610 mm) |
| Depth, with overhang | About 25 to 25 1/2 in (635 to 648 mm) |
| Toe kick | Roughly 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 in tall, 3 in deep |
The toe kick is the recess at the bottom that lets you stand at the counter without stubbing your toes, and it is part of the 34 1/2 in, not extra. Sources disagree on its exact height by an inch or so, because shops make it what they make it; 4 in tall and 3 in deep is a safe default and matches most stock cabinets closely enough to swap parts.
Two things move the 36 in. A thicker countertop, say a 3 cm stone slab plus a build-up, needs a shorter box to land at 36 in, so check the counter before you cut. And 36 in is a compromise for an average adult: a tall cook is often much happier at 38 in, and a bank of cabinets built for one household can simply be built taller. This is one of the few standards worth breaking on purpose.
Wall cabinets
Wall cabinets are shallower so you can work under them, and their heights come as a ladder rather than a single number, because what a wall cabinet has to do is fill the space between the counter and the ceiling.
| Depth | 12 in (305 mm) standard |
|---|---|
| Depth over a fridge or microwave | 24 in (610 mm), flush with the appliance |
| Common heights | 12, 15, 18, 30, 36 and 42 in |
| Short heights, 12 to 18 in | Bridge cabinets over a fridge, a range hood or a window |
| Tall heights, 36 to 42 in | Runs to a 9 ft ceiling or up to the crown |
The choice between 30, 36 and 42 in is mostly a ceiling decision. On a standard 8 ft ceiling, a 30 in wall cabinet set 18 in above the counter leaves a soffit or a gap above it. A 36 in cabinet closes most of that, and a 42 in cabinet runs a 9 ft ceiling right up to the crown. Decide it with a tape measure on the actual wall, not from a catalog, because a ceiling that is out of level by an inch across the run is common and it changes what fits.
Tall cabinets
Tall cabinets, pantries and oven housings run floor to near-ceiling, and they come in three heights that line up with the wall cabinets beside them.
| Heights | 84 in (2134 mm), 90 in (2286 mm), 96 in (2438 mm) |
|---|---|
| Depths | 24 in to match the base run, or 12 in for a shallow pantry |
| Common widths | 18, 24, 30 and 33 in |
An 84 in tall cabinet lines up with the top of a 30 in wall cabinet hung 18 in above a 36 in counter, which is why those numbers keep turning up together. A 96 in one reaches a standard 8 ft ceiling, and getting it into the room can be the hard part: measure the diagonal of your doorway and the ceiling height at the actual spot before ordering, because a 96 in cabinet does not tip up in a room with a 96 in ceiling.
Widths and the 3 inch step
Stock cabinet widths move in 3 in steps: 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, 36, and on to 48 in for base cabinets. Wall cabinets use the same ladder over a smaller range, commonly 12 through 36 in.
That step is the single biggest reason a stock kitchen and a custom kitchen look different on the wall. Real rooms are not multiples of 3 in, so a stock layout ends up with a filler strip, a piece of matching material a couple of inches wide, closing the gap at the end of the run or at a corner. There is nothing wrong with a filler and every kitchen has some, but a run of custom boxes made to the actual wall has fewer of them and no leftover inch in a place nobody planned for.
The other reason the step matters is the drawer inside. A 15 in base gives you a much narrower drawer than an 18 in one, and once you subtract the sides and the slide clearance, the difference between a useful drawer and one that only holds cutlery is a few inches of cabinet width. If a run has slack in it, spend the slack on the cabinet that gets the drawers.
The gaps between the cabinets
Cabinet sizes are only half a kitchen. The distances between them decide whether it is pleasant to cook in, and the National Kitchen and Bath Association publishes planning guidelines that most designers work to.
| Counter to wall cabinet | 18 in (457 mm) typical |
|---|---|
| Work aisle, one cook | At least 42 in (1067 mm) |
| Work aisle, two cooks | At least 48 in (1219 mm) |
| Walkway, passing through | At least 36 in (914 mm) |
| Seating at a 36 in counter | 24 in wide by 15 in deep per person, 15 in kneespace |
| Seating at a 42 in counter | 24 in wide by 12 in deep per person, 12 in kneespace |
A work aisle is where somebody stands to cook, measured between the facing counter fronts, tall cabinets or appliances. A walkway is a route through the kitchen that nobody works in. The distinction matters because the numbers differ, and a plan that treats a work aisle as a walkway produces a kitchen where the dishwasher door blocks the only route to the sink.
Watch thisThese are recommendations from a trade association, not building code. Your local code governs things like clearance around a range and receptacle spacing, and it wins. Check the code first, then design to the guidelines inside it.
Where the standards stop
Every number above is a North American convention for factory-made cabinets, and it is worth being clear about how far that reaches.
European kitchens use different numbers. A European base cabinet typically works from a 600 mm module, sits on adjustable legs, and lands at a counter height around 900 mm rather than 914. If you are buying European hardware or fronts, check which system a size belongs to before you assume it fits.
Custom means custom. A cabinet made for your wall is made to your wall. The conventions above are still useful as a starting point, because appliances, sinks and people are all sized around them, but a custom run has no obligation to a 3 in step.
Appliances set their own rules. A dishwasher wants a 24 in opening, a range wants 30 or 36, and a fridge cares about its own clearances and door swing more than about your cabinet ladder. Fix the appliance openings first and lay the rest of the run out around them.
If you want to see what these numbers do to a real wall rather than a table, draw the wall and drop cabinets into it. The measurements stop being abstract the moment you see a 42 in aisle between two 24 in runs in a room that is 10 ft wide.
Try it
Put these numbers on your own wall
Draw your room, drop in base, wall and tall cabinets, and see the clearances and the leftover inches before you spend anything. Works in inches, feet and inches, or millimetres.
Frequently asked questions
What is the standard height of a kitchen base cabinet?
The box is 34 1/2 inches, about 876 mm, and the countertop brings the finished work surface to 36 inches, about 914 mm. That 34 1/2 figure already includes the toe kick, so a base cabinet is not 34 1/2 inches of storage sitting on legs. If your countertop is thicker or thinner than the usual 1 1/2 inches, adjust the box, not the counter height.
How deep are kitchen cabinets?
Base cabinets are 24 inches deep, about 610 mm, for the box, before the countertop overhang of roughly an inch adds to it. Wall cabinets are usually 12 inches, about 305 mm, so you can stand at the counter without hitting your head. The exceptions are the cabinet over a fridge or a microwave, which is often run at 24 inches so it sits flush with the appliance.
What widths do kitchen cabinets come in?
Stock cabinets run in 3 inch steps, so 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24 and on up to 48 inches for a base. That step is why filler strips exist: real walls are not multiples of 3 inches, so the gap between the last cabinet and the wall gets closed with a filler. Custom cabinets have no such rule and are made to the wall.
How much space should there be between the counter and the wall cabinets?
Eighteen inches, about 457 mm, is the usual gap, measured from the countertop to the underside of the wall cabinet. It is a comfort figure rather than a code, and it moves: over a sink people often go higher, and a shorter cook may want it lower. Set it once for the whole run so the wall cabinets line up.
How wide should a kitchen walkway be?
The NKBA planning guidelines recommend a work aisle of at least 42 inches for one cook and at least 48 inches where two people work, measured between the facing counters, tall cabinets or appliances. A walkway that people pass through rather than work in should be at least 36 inches. These are guidelines rather than building code, but they are the numbers a designer will hold you to.
Keep reading
Sources & references
Cabinet sizes are trade conventions rather than a legal standard, so the figures below are the values corroborated across several manufacturers and trade bodies. The metric equivalents are converted, not separately sourced. Measure your own room and check your local code before ordering anything.
- KraftMaid, standard kitchen cabinet sizes (a manufacturer's own size ladder for base, wall and tall)
- Kitchen Cabinet Kings, cabinet sizes and dimensions guide (widths in 3 in steps, wall cabinet heights)
- CabinetCorp, standard sizes and dimensions (tall cabinet heights and depths)
- Mr. Handyman, guide to standard kitchen cabinet sizes (base height and depth, counter height)
- CabinetSelect, standard kitchen cabinet sizes (deeper wall cabinets over appliances)
- National Kitchen and Bath Association, Kitchen Planning Guidelines with Access Standards (PDF) (work aisle, walkway and seated-diner clearances)
- CRD Design Build, kitchen dimensions and NKBA guidelines (how the guidelines sit alongside building code)
- Fabuwood, standard countertop height and depth (36 in finished counter height, counter overhang)