What size are the parts for a 24 inch base cabinet?
The cut list for a 24" frameless base cabinet in 3/4" plywood: sides, bottom, stretchers, back and shelf, with the arithmetic that sizes each one.
The sides are 30 1/2" × 24" and the bottom is 22 1/2" × 24", for a 24" box.
The interior comes out 22 1/2" wide — the outside width less two thicknesses of 3/4" plywood.
How that is worked out
- A frameless box is the outside dimension, so the bottom and stretchers fit *between* the sides: 24" − 2 × 3/4" = 22 1/2".
- The sides run the full height including the toe kick, 30 1/2", and the kick is notched out of their front bottom corner.
- The back is 23 1/2" × 30", set into a groove rather than screwed to the rear edges — which is what squares the box and keeps it square.
Cut list, 24" frameless base cabinet in 3/4" plywood
| Part | Qty | Length | Width | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sides | 2 | 30 1/2" | 24" | Grooved 1/2" deep for the back |
| Bottom | 1 | 22 1/2" | 24" | Between the sides |
| Top stretchers | 2 | 22 1/2" | 4" | Front and back, holds the top square and carries the countertop fasteners |
| Back | 1 | 23 1/2" | 30" | Set into the groove on all four edges |
| Adjustable shelves | 1 | 22 3/8" | 23 11/16" | A sixteenth narrower than the opening each side, and 1/16" short of the front for a pin |
| Toe kick face | 1 | 22 1/2" | 4" | Set back 3" from the face |
Worth knowing
- This is a frameless (European) box, where the outside dimension is the cabinet and the doors cover the edges. A face-frame cabinet is built differently: the frame sets the opening and the box behind it can be less precise.
- Stretchers rather than a full top is the usual choice for a base cabinet, because a countertop is going over it. A wall cabinet gets a full top panel.
- The back in a groove does more work than it looks like. Screwed to the rear edges it holds dust out; set into a groove it holds the box square for the rest of its life.
- Sizes assume nominal 3/4" plywood is actually 3/4". It usually is not — 23/32" is common — so measure your sheet and use the real figure, or every joint is a thirty-second out.
Work out your own numbers
- Cabinet boxes
A carcass cut list from the finished outside dimensions, face-frame or frameless.
- Cut list optimizer
Lay your parts out on a sheet of plywood and get the cuts in order. Accounts for blade kerf and keeps the grain running the right way.
- Sheet layout calculator
How many same-size panels fit on a sheet of plywood in a plain grid, turned 90° if that fits more.
Related questions
- How do you calculate cabinet box parts?
- For a frameless box, the outside width is the cabinet: the bottom and stretchers are that width less two material thicknesses, and the sides are the full height and depth. Everything follows from the sheet thickness, which is why measuring your actual plywood matters more than the nominal number on the label.
- Should the cabinet bottom sit between the sides or on top of them?
- Between, in a dado or a groove near the bottom of each side. That way the load goes into the sides in shear rather than pulling on fasteners, and the toe kick can be notched out below it. A bottom simply screwed to the underside of the sides depends entirely on the fasteners.
- Is 3/4 inch plywood actually 3/4 inch?
- Usually not — a sheet sold as 3/4" is commonly 23/32", about a thirty-second under. On a cabinet that matters: dadoes cut with a 3/4" bit are loose, and any joint sized from the nominal figure is out. Measure the sheet you bought and work from that.