Cabinet hinge count and placement
Enter the door height. This gives the hinge count and where each one sits down the door.
in
in
From each end to the nearest hinge
Use
2hinges
From the top of the door
- Hinge 1
- 3"
- Hinge 2
- 27"
A rule of thumb, not a code — taller and heavier doors want more hinges to keep the door from racking on the face frame. Anything past two hinges is spread evenly between the top and bottom ones.
About hinging a cabinet door
- Why do taller doors need more hinges?
- Leverage. A door hanging off two hinges racks against them every time it's opened, and the taller and heavier the door, the more that racking force is trying to pull the top hinge's screws out of the face frame. Extra hinges spread that load across more fasteners rather than asking two screws to hold it all.
- Is the hinge table here a code requirement?
- No — it is the rule of thumb most cabinet hardware makers publish for their own hinges, not a building code. A heavy slab door, an outdoor cabinet, or hardware from a specific maker can call for more hinges than the table suggests; check the hinge manufacturer's own spec sheet for anything unusual.
- Should the extra hinges really be spaced evenly?
- It is the simplest rule and close to what most factory-built cabinets do, though some hardware makers publish a slightly different formula that isn't perfectly even. For a standard door, evenly spaced between the top and bottom hinge is a reasonable default; for anything unusual, check the hinge's own instructions.
- Does the setback matter?
- It sets how close to the door's own edge the outer hinges sit, and it interacts with the door's edge profile — too close to the end and there isn't enough material for the hinge cup or the screws. 3" is a common starting point for a standard 3/4" door; check your specific hinge's boring template for its own minimum.