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Standard Kitchen Cabinet Sizes and Dimensions Guide

By: Andrew Saladino | 8 min

Man Measuring kitchen cabinet box.

If you're not an architect, ordering the correct size kitchen cabinets might seem daunting. Without the correct cabinet sizes and dimensions, you risk nonfunctional cabinetry in your kitchen. This heavily trafficked area needs calculated kitchen cabinet measurements so you and your guests are able to move freely without bumping into edges. Every inch counts!

There are a few factors to consider when designing the perfect kitchen cabinet layout, including the use, price, and style - but none as important as the size of your cabinets.

Kitchen Cabinet Sizes + Types

You can find high-quality stock kitchen cabinets in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, but standard kitchen cabinets come in three basic configurations:

  • Base cabinets: floor cabinets that support your countertops and appliances
  • Wall cabinets: cabinets hung above your countertop and stovetop for added storage
  • Tall cabinets: often used as utility cabinets or pantry space and are ideal for narrow spaces
Base Kitchen Cabinet Wall Kitchen Cabinet Tall Kitchen Cabinet
Height: 24-34 1/2" Height: 30, 36, 42" Height: 84, 90, 96"
Width: 9-42" Width: 12-36" Width: 18 or 24", up to 36"
Depth: 24" Depth: 12, 24" Depth: 12 or 24"

Kitchen Cabinet Materials

When choosing the best kitchen cabinets for your home, the type of cabinet material should also be taken into account. Think about how you and your family plan on using your kitchen: Will there be lots of cabinet banging or spilled milk? Or are you planning on actually opening your cabinets once in a blue moon? Strength and durability should hold just as much weight in your decision as appearance and price.

Solid Wood Plywood
  • Lumber is milled directly from trees
  • Contains wood fibers with no adhesive or filler
  • Does not warp as easily as engineered woods
  • Typically more expensive than engineered wood cabinets
  • Manufactured wood material often used for cabinet boxes
  • Constructed by gluing together wood veneers
  • Comparable in strength and durability to solid wood
Medium-Density Fiberboard (MDF) Particle Board
  • Engineered from soft and hardwood materials (such as sawdust)
  • Heavier than most woods
  • Less durable than solid wood but much cheaper
  • Smooth surface is ideal for painted cabinets
  • Engineered from granulated wood shavings and scraps blended with resin and pressed into boards
  • Less durable than hardwood and other pressed woods
  • Often laminated with vinyl to make the surface waterproof
  • Less expensive than most other cabinet materials

If you need an extra hand with your kitchen layout and planning, simply fill out our free design form. We'll work with you to create a functional layout, item list, and price quote tailored to your needs.

Base Kitchen Cabinet Dimensions

Referred to as the "heavy lifters" of cabinetry, base cabinets serve as the foundation for your entire kitchen layout. They have an important role in your design, such as:

  • Supplying necessary storage space, with styles ranging from one drawer and a set of shelves to a few stacked drawers, depending on your needs and preferences
  • Providing base support for your kitchen countertop, sink, and other heavy surfaces
  • Determining a location for your large appliances, such as your dishwasher and range

If you are looking to pick and choose which cabinets to install, the base cabinet is one that simply cannot be skipped - it's essentially the building block upon which everything else is placed.

Base Cabinet w/o Countertops Base Cabinet w/o Countertops.
Base Cabinet w/ Countertops Base Cabinet w/ Countertops.
Cabinet Type Height Width Depth
Standard 34 ½" 9"-42" 24"
Full Height 34 ½" (30" doors) 9"-36" 12"-24"
Lazy Susan 34 ½" (30" tall doors) 33"-36" (9"-12" wide bifold doors) 24"
Blind Corner 34 ½" (30" tall doors) 36" 24"

Standard Base Cabinet Sizes

The majority of your base cabinet layout will consist of standard base cabinets. Their sturdy, block-shaped design makes it easy to place the rest of your kitchen cabinets around them.

  • Height: Typically, standard base cabinets measure 34 ½ inches tall, and 36 inches from the floor to the top of the countertop when a countertop is installed. The toe kick portion of the cabinet is 4 1/2" H, the standard door height is 24" H, and the top drawer height is 6" H (equaling 34 1/2" H total).
    • Three-drawer base cabinets have a 6-inch top drawer and bottom/middle drawer styles measuring 12 inches with a 4 ½-inch toe kick.
  • Width: The width of a standard base cabinet will come in multiples of threes, between 9 inches and 42 inches. Depending on the use, this size will vary substantially.
  • Depth: The depth of base cabinets without a countertop is 24 inches. Base cabinets have a standard depth for easy access. When adding a countertop, there is often an overhang that can add another inch or two.

Full-Height Base Cabinet Sizes

A full-height base cabinet does away with the top drawer, so the cabinet door and shelves make up the entirety of the cabinet.

  • Height: Full-height base cabinets will be the same height as your standard base cabinet, but with 30-inch tall doors.
  • Width: Standard widths for base cabinets start at 9 inches with 3-inch intervals up to 36 inches.
  • Depth: The standard depth for full-height base cabinets is 24 inches. For kitchen islands and applications where wall obstacles prevent a full cabinet depth, the cabinets are reduced in 3" intervals down to 12" as needed.

Lazy Susan Base Cabinet Sizes

When it comes to optimizing corner cabinet storage, lazy Susans are typically the best solution. This L-shaped cabinet features bifold doors and two turntable shelves to allow for easy access in cramped spaces.

  • Height: Lazy Susan corner cabinets are typically 34 ½ inches tall to match the height of the surrounding base cabinets.
  • Width: Lazy Susan cabinets need a bit more space to fit the turntables - standard width is between 33-36 inches.
  • Depth: The standard depth is 24 inches.The cabinet must be deep enough to house the lazy Susan, so you likely won't find these cabinets installed in kitchen islands.

Blind Corner Base Cabinet Sizes

Another corner cabinet option is blind corner base cabinets. Suppose there are wall obstacles or space constraints that may prevent you from installing an L-shaped cabinet. Instead of wasting the space, most homeowners will opt for a blind corner cabinet. As the name implies, half of the cabinet is hidden from view, but still makes use of the space.

  • Height: Like all base cabinets, blind corner cabinets are typically 34 ½ inches tall.
  • Width: Standard blind corner cabinets measure 36 inches wide. To give the door enough clearance to swing, the cabinet needs to be pulled out 6 inches from the wall.
  • Depth: The standard depth for blind corner base cabinets is 24 inches. Because the hidden storage in the blind corner is still accessible, these cabinets have the same depth as standard base cabinets.

Wall Kitchen Cabinet Dimensions

Wall cabinets are designed to store kitchen supplies and food items. When compared to base cabinets, wall cabinets offer a lot more diversity in sizing.

For proper installation, make sure to plan and install your cabinets 54 inches from the floor to the bottom of the wall cabinet. When subtracting the height of your base cabinets and countertop, this leaves 18 inches of height - the standard height for a kitchen backsplash.

Wall Kitchen Cabinet Dimensions

Height Width Depth
30", 36", or 42" 12"-36" 12" or 24"
kitchen-cabinet-sizes-wall-cabinet.

Height

Typically, wall cabinets are available in 30-, 36-, and 42-inch heights. These cabinets fit between the base cabinets and the ceiling.

  • 30-inch-tall cabinets will top align at 84 inches from the floor.
  • 36-inch-tall cabinets will top align at 90 inches above the floor.
  • 42-inch-tall cabinets will top align at 96 inches above the floor.

Width

A standard wall cabinet will vary in multiples of threes between 12 inches and 36 inches. Our assembled cabinets and ready-to-assemble cabinets also include widths of 5 inches and 9 inches in some styles. The width of a wall cabinet can vary to allow for single or double doors.

Depth

Wall cabinets typically have a depth of 12 inches or 24 inches. Deeper wall cabinets are usually reserved for the space above the fridge so they align with the appliance. Wall cabinets should not surpass the depth of a base cabinet.

How To Select Kitchen Wall Cabinets

When selecting wall cabinet sizes, you should take your ceiling height, existing crown molding, and personal preferences into account.

Standard Wall Cabinet Heights When to Choose
30-inch wall cabinets
  • If you have 8-foot ceilings with a 12-inch-high soffit
36-inch wall cabinets
  • If you have 8-foot ceilings
  • If you would like to install stacked crown molding above the cabinets
42-inch wall cabinet
  • If you have 9+-foot ceilings
  • If your ceilings are 8 feet tall and you'd like your cabinets to reach the ceiling with no crown molding

Tall Kitchen Cabinet Dimensions

Reaching up to 8 feet, tall cabinets are typically used as pantry space, with various storage options and configurations for oven cabinets.

To select the correct pantry for your space, match the height of your tall cabinet with the top height of your wall cabinets:

  • 84-inch-high pantry with 30-inch-high wall cabinets
  • 90-inch-high pantry with 36-inch-high wall cabinets
  • 96-inch-high pantry with 42-inch-high wall cabinets

Standard Tall Kitchen Cabinet Sizes

Height Width Depth
84", 90", or 96" 18" or 24" 12" or 24"
Two

Height

Tall cabinets are typically 84, 90, or 96 inches tall. The height of these cabinets will vary depending on your ceiling height and your preference to have space between the cabinet and ceiling or not.

Width

When working with stock cabinet lines, pantry widths are typically limited to 18 inches or 24 inches. However, when working with semi-custom cabinet manufacturers, pantry cabinets can range from 9 inches in 3-inch intervals up to 36 inches wide. Tall oven cabinet widths are typically 30-36 inches to fit most standard size single ovens on the market.

Depth

Tall pantries are most commonly 24 inches deep, but 12-inch options are available for tighter spaces.

If you're ordering a double oven or oven/microwave combo appliance, be sure to carefully check the cutout dimensions before purchasing the wall oven cabinet. In many cases, it's necessary to remove two of the bottom drawers of the tall oven cabinet to allow for the additional height necessary to install the appliance properly inside the cabinet.

Kitchen Cabinet Sizes FAQs

Kitchen cabinet sizing can get complicated depending on your needs. Below are some frequently asked questions to help you create a functional and eye-catching space.

How far should cabinets be from the ceiling?

How far your cabinets are from the ceiling will depend on whether you have a soffit or are planning to install crown molding. An 8-foot ceiling with a 12-inch soffit will need 30-inch cabinets. An 8-foot ceiling with a crown molding finish will typically use 36-inch cabinets. For an 8-foot ceiling with no crown molding or soffit, you would need 42-inch cabinets.

What is a good depth for kitchen cabinets?

The standard depth for full-height base cabinets is 24 inches deep. For islands and applications where wall obstacles prevent full cabinet depth options, it is common that base cabinets are reduced in 3-inch intervals down to 12 inches deep, as needed.

What is the standard size of kitchen cabinet doors?

Kitchen cabinet door heights are typically between 24 and 30 inches. If the base cabinet features a drawer, the door height below the drawer is typically 24 inches. If the cabinet is a full-height base cabinet (one that only includes a door), the door is typically 30 inches tall.

How deep should upper cabinets be?

The standard wall cabinet depth is 12 inches, but 24 inches deep over the refrigerator to allow for easier access. When designing a kitchen with a staggered height cabinet look, it is important that you make taller cabinets 3 to 15 inches deeper. This allows room for crown moldings of the shorter cabinets to finish nicely into the side of the cabinet, and not block the door opening of the taller cabinet.

How do I measure kitchen cabinets?

Taking accurate measurements is an important step to functional kitchen design. Learn how to measure your kitchen with our step-by-step guide.

Once you know which kitchen cabinet sizes you'll need to complete your remodel, check out our wide selection of ready-to-assemble and pre-assembled kitchen cabinets. From classic ice white shaker base cabinets to modern navy blue cupboards, we have styles that'll complement every kitchen design.

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