What are standard kitchen cabinet dimensions?
Base cabinets are 34 1/2" high and 24" deep, so a 1 1/2" countertop lands at 36". Wall cabinets are 12" deep. The figures, and why they are what they are.
A base cabinet is 34 1/2" high and 24" deep — 36" once a countertop is on it.
Its interior comes out 22 1/2" wide on a 24" box, with a 4" toe kick set back 3".
How that is worked out
- The countertop height sets everything: 36" is the standard, and a 1 1/2" top means the box under it is 34 1/2".
- That 34 1/2" includes the toe kick, which is 4" high and set back 3" so your feet go somewhere when you stand at the counter.
- Depth is 24" for a base cabinet because that is what a standard appliance and a standard countertop are built around, and 12" for a wall cabinet so it does not hit you in the head.
The dimensions kitchens are built to
| Cabinet | Height | Depth | Widths it comes in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base | 34 1/2" | 24" | 9" to 48", in 3" steps |
| Base, with countertop | 36" | 25 1/2" | Top overhangs the door by 1 1/2" |
| Wall | 30", 36" or 42" | 12" | 9" to 48", in 3" steps |
| Wall, over a range | 18" | 12" | Matches the range width |
| Tall / pantry | 84" or 96" | 12" or 24" | 18" to 36" |
| Vanity | 31 1/2" | 21" | 24" to 72" |
Worth knowing
- These are conventions the whole industry builds to, not code. They exist because appliances, countertops, sinks and hardware are all made to them — depart from them and you are choosing to make everything else custom too.
- Widths come in 3" steps because that is how stock cabinets are sold. Filler strips take up whatever is left over at the ends of a run, and every kitchen needs some.
- The 18" between the countertop and the wall cabinets is the figure people forget, and it is the one you notice daily. Over a range, 30" to the hood is the usual minimum — check the hood's own instructions, which override any rule of thumb.
- A vanity is lower than a kitchen base at 31 1/2" plus the top, though 36" "comfort height" vanities are now common. Neither is wrong; pick for who uses it.
Work out your own numbers
- Cabinet boxes
A carcass cut list from the finished outside dimensions, face-frame or frameless.
- Drawer boxes
Box sizes and a cut list from the opening, with the slide clearances rounded the way that still fits.
- Countertop overhang support
Whether an overhang needs corbels or brackets, and how many, by material and run length.
Related questions
- How tall is a kitchen base cabinet?
- 34 1/2" for the box, which puts the finished countertop at 36" once a standard 1 1/2" top is on it. That 36" is the number everything else is designed around — dishwashers, ranges and sink bases all assume it.
- How deep are kitchen wall cabinets?
- 12", against 24" for a base cabinet. The shallower depth is what keeps you from hitting your head while working at the counter, and it is why a wall cabinet holds far less than its face suggests. Some kitchens use 15" wall cabinets over a peninsula where nobody stands under them.
- What is the standard space between countertop and upper cabinets?
- 18". It is enough to use a counter without the uppers being in the way, and enough for most small appliances to sit under them. Over a range the clearance to a hood is larger — usually 30" — and the hood's own instructions are what govern, not a general rule.