Kitchen Cabinet Dimensions: Standard Base, Wall and Tall Cabinet Sizes
Every standard cabinet size in US kitchens, how the sizes fit together on a wall, and the metric sizes used in European and UK kitchens. Useful when you are reading a cabinet quote, laying out a kitchen or replacing a single unit.
Standard base cabinets are 34.5 in (87.6 cm) tall and 24 in (61 cm) deep; wall cabinets are 12 in (30.5 cm) deep and 12 to 42 in tall; tall pantry cabinets are 84, 90 or 96 in tall. Stock widths run from 9 to 48 in in 3 in steps (23 to 122 cm). European kitchens use a 72 cm base carcass, 56 to 60 cm deep, in widths from 15 to 100 cm.
- Base cabinet
- 34.5 H × 24 D in
- Wall cabinet depth
- 12 in (30.5 cm)
- Tall cabinet
- 84, 90 or 96 in
- Width steps
- 3 in, 9 to 48 in
On this page
Standard kitchen cabinet sizes chart
US stock and semi-custom cabinets share the same dimensions across brands, so a 30 in base from one line lines up with a 30 in wall cabinet from another. Heights and depths are fixed by type; widths come in 3 in steps.
| Cabinet | Height | Depth | Widths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base | 34.5 in 87.6 cm | 24 in 61 cm | 9 to 48 in 23 to 122 cm |
| Sink base | 34.5 in | 24 in | 30, 33, 36 in (24 to 48 made) |
| Drawer base | 34.5 in | 24 in | 12 to 36 in |
| Wall (upper) | 12 to 42 in 30.5 to 107 cm | 12 in 30.5 cm | 9 to 36 in; 42 and 48 in in some lines |
| Wall above refrigerator | 12 to 24 in | 12 or 24 in | 30, 33, 36 in |
| Tall pantry / utility | 84, 90, 96 in 213, 229, 244 cm | 12, 18 or 24 in | 15 to 36 in |
| Oven cabinet | 84, 90, 96 in | 24 in | 27, 30, 33 in |
The full stock width series is 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, 36, 39, 42, 45 and 48 in. Not every line makes every size: 39 and 45 in are often missing, and wall cabinets wider than 36 in are rare because their shelves sag.
How to read cabinet size codes
Cabinet quotes use short codes that encode the size. The pattern is consistent across most US lines:
- B24: base cabinet, 24 in wide. SB36 is a 36 in sink base; DB18 an 18 in drawer base.
- W3030: wall cabinet, 30 in wide and 30 in tall. W3612 is 36 in wide and 12 in tall, the kind that goes above a refrigerator.
- W362424: a third number is the depth, here 24 in, so this is a deep over-fridge cabinet.
- U188424 (or T188424): tall utility cabinet, 18 in wide, 84 in tall, 24 in deep.
- BLS36, BBC42: corner cabinets, a lazy susan for a 36 in corner and a 42 in blind base corner.
Base cabinet dimensions
Base cabinets carry the countertop, so their height and depth never change in a standard kitchen. The 34.5 in includes the toe kick, and a 1.5 in countertop brings the work surface to 36 in.
- Toe kick: 4 to 4.5 in high and 3 in deep, so you can stand close to the counter without stubbing your toes.
- Depth: 24 in for the box. Doors and drawer fronts add about 3/4 in, and the countertop overhangs the doors by about 1 in, for a total counter depth of 25 to 25.5 in. Overhang options are in the countertop size guide.
- Drawers: standard drawer boxes in a 24 in deep cabinet are about 21 in deep. A three-drawer base usually has a shallow top drawer of about 6 in front height and two deeper drawers for pots.
- Sink base: a base with false drawer fronts and no shelf, so plumbing can pass through. A sink needs a base about 3 in wider than its outside width; sizes are matched in the kitchen sink size guide.
- Shallow and vanity depth: 12 to 21 in deep bases exist for narrow walkways and islands; they need a custom countertop depth.
Wall cabinet heights and depths
Wall cabinets usually start 18 in above the countertop, at 54 in from the floor. Their height is chosen to fit the ceiling, or to leave space for crown molding.
| Ceiling | Wall cabinet | Top of cabinet | Space above |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 ft (96 in, 244 cm) | 30 in | 84 in | 12 in: soffit or open |
| 8 ft (96 in, 244 cm) | 36 in | 90 in | 6 in: crown molding |
| 8 ft (96 in, 244 cm) | 42 in | 96 in | None: full height |
| 9 ft (108 in, 274 cm) | 42 in + 12 in stacked | 108 in | None |
| 10 ft (120 in, 305 cm) | 42 in + 24 in stacked | 120 in | None |
Short wall cabinets fill the gaps above appliances. With the main run ending at 84 in, an 18 in cabinet sits above an over-the-range microwave whose top is at 66 in, and a 12 in cabinet sits above a 70 in refrigerator. Check the refrigerator height before ordering: a 15 in cabinet over the fridge leaves only 69 in, which is too low for most French-door models (see the refrigerator sizes guide).
A 12 in deep wall cabinet has about 11 in of usable shelf depth behind the door. Dinner plates of 11 in or more will not let the door close, which is why some kitchens use 13 to 15 in deep uppers for a plate cabinet, or store large plates in a deep drawer.
Tall and pantry cabinet dimensions
Tall cabinets are 84, 90 or 96 in tall to line up with the tops of the 30, 36 or 42 in wall cabinets. They sit on the floor with the same toe kick as base cabinets.
- Pantry: 18, 24, 30 or 36 in wide and 24 in deep. Pull-out pantries come in narrower widths, from 9 to 18 in.
- Utility (broom) cabinet: 18 or 24 in wide, 12 to 24 in deep.
- Oven cabinet: 27, 30 or 33 in wide to suit 27 and 30 in wall ovens, with a cutout for a single oven or a double oven or oven-and-microwave combination.
- Refrigerator surround: panels and a deep wall cabinet that box in a fridge, usually 1.5 to 3 in wider than the fridge opening on each side.
NKBA recommends that a full-height, full-depth tall cabinet should not stand between two of the main work centers, so pantries usually go at the end of a run, not between the sink and the range.
Corner cabinet dimensions
| Type | Size | How it uses the corner |
|---|---|---|
| Lazy susan base | 33 or 36 in along each wall | Rotating round or kidney-shaped shelves; full access |
| Blind corner base | 36 to 48 in wide, 24 in of it hidden | Needs a 3 in filler and pull-out hardware for the back |
| Diagonal wall corner | 24 in along each wall, 12 in deep | Angled door; holds more than two blind ends |
| Blind corner wall | 24 to 36 in wide | One end hidden behind the adjoining wall cabinet |
NKBA's guidelines ask for at least one corner cabinet to have a functional storage device, such as a lazy susan or pull-out, because the back of a plain blind corner is very hard to reach.
Framed vs frameless cabinets
Two construction methods produce cabinets with the same outside dimensions but different usable space.
Frameless (European, "full access")
- Sides are usually 3/4 in thick, so a 24 in cabinet has about 22.5 in of interior width.
- Doors cover the whole box; drawers can be nearly as wide as the cabinet.
- Built on a 32 mm hole system for hinges and shelves. The usual choice for modern flat-panel kitchens.
Framed (traditional US)
- A face frame of 1.5 to 2 in stiles narrows the door opening, so a 24 in cabinet opens about 20 to 21 in.
- Drawers are narrower than in a frameless box of the same size.
- Fillers are usually wider at walls (up to 3 in) to let doors clear.
Kitchen cabinet sizes in mm (Europe and UK)
European kitchens use metric cabinets built around 60 cm appliances. The carcass is shorter than in the US, with a taller plinth (kickboard) and adjustable legs.
| Cabinet | Height | Depth | Widths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base unit | 720 mm carcass (780 mm in some German systems) on 100 to 150 mm legs | 560 to 580 mm carcass; 600 mm worktop | 150, 200, 300, 400, 450, 500, 600, 800, 900, 1000 mm |
| Wall unit | 720 mm standard; 360 to 900 mm made | 300 to 370 mm | Same as base units |
| Tall unit | about 1970 to 2150 mm | 560 to 580 mm | 300 to 600 mm |
A 720 mm carcass on 150 mm legs with a 40 mm worktop gives a 910 mm counter, close to the US 36 in (914 mm). In inches, a 600 mm unit is 23.6 in and a 1000 mm unit 39.4 in; US cabinets and European cabinets do not mix in one run because the widths, heights and depths all differ slightly.
Planning a cabinet run
- Measure the wall at counter height and at 54 in, from corner to corner or wall to window trim. Walls are rarely square, so use the smaller figure.
- Place the fixed items first: the sink base under the window or plumbing, the range, the refrigerator opening and the dishwasher (normally beside the sink).
- Fill the rest with standard widths. A 144 in wall could hold a 36 in fridge opening, an 18 in drawer base, a 30 in range, a 36 in sink base and a 24 in dishwasher, which add up to exactly 144 in.
- Add fillers at walls. Take 1.5 to 3 in off a cabinet next to a wall so doors and drawers can open past the trim: in the example, swap the 18 in drawer base for a 15 in one and add a 3 in filler at the wall.
- Line up the uppers with the bases where possible, and keep 30 in clear above the range unless a hood or microwave is installed (IRC M1901.1).
Room-wide spacing, such as aisle widths and the work triangle, is covered in the kitchen dimensions guide. For storage cabinets outside the kitchen, see the general cabinet size guide; for the dishwasher opening in the run, see dishwasher dimensions.
Frequently asked questions
What are modern kitchen cabinet dimensions?
Modern flat-panel kitchens are usually frameless (European-style) cabinets in the same overall sizes as traditional ones: 34.5 in tall and 24 in deep for base cabinets and 12 in deep for wall cabinets in the US, or a 72 or 78 cm carcass on a plinth in Europe. Frameless cabinets give about 1.5 in more usable interior width than framed cabinets of the same size.
What is the standard width of a kitchen cabinet in mm?
European and UK cabinets come in 150, 200, 300, 400, 450, 500, 600, 800, 900 and 1000 mm widths, with 600 mm the most common. US stock widths converted to millimeters are 229 mm (9 in) to 1219 mm (48 in) in 76 mm (3 in) steps. Custom and luxury cabinets can be made to any width.
How deep are upper kitchen cabinets?
12 in (30.5 cm) for the box, about 13 in with doors. Cabinets above a refrigerator are usually 24 in deep so they line up with its front. Some designs use 15 in deep uppers to hold dinner plates over 11 in.
How tall are kitchen wall cabinets?
Stock heights are 12, 15, 18, 24, 30, 36 and 42 in (30.5 to 107 cm). The 30, 36 and 42 in sizes are the main run; the short sizes go above refrigerators, range hoods and over-the-range microwaves, or stack on top of the main run in tall rooms.
What is the standard toe kick size?
About 4 to 4.5 in (10 to 11.4 cm) high and 3 in (7.6 cm) deep. It is included in the 34.5 in base cabinet height, and gives space for your feet so you can stand close to the counter.