standard upper cabinet height
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Standard Kitchen Cabinet Size and Dimensions Guide
One of the most common renovation projects in your home is replacing your kitchen cabinets to add value, design, and style to your home. A project such as this will involve many tasks. Figuring out the right cabinet design, relocating the appliances to new locations, adding cabinetry to increase storage, creating a kitchen island for a nice open concept, and many more. Either way, it is important to understand the standard kitchen cabinet sizes to make the kitchen renovation journey with ease.
Before you start demolishing your existing kitchen, it is best to consult with a kitchen designer or even read up on different kitchen design concepts and styles. It is important to educate yourself before making any rushed decisions.
How to Find the Correct Upper Cabinet Height
he ideal height at which to install upper cabinets depends on a combination of factors—the height of base cabinets, for starters, as well as countertop thickness, backsplash height, and whether or not there’s a range to consider. And then how you measure this height will vary based on whether you’re installing the cabinets before or after the installation of the base cabinets and countertop.
Regardless, the ideal upper cabinet height will allow a household member of average height to reach those shelves from a standing position without straining the arms or back or even climbing on a step-stool. Read on to determine how high up the wall to mount cabinets in the kitchen, laundry room, or basement bar—and the tips to do so like a pro.
Varying the Installation Heights
These installation standards can be varied slightly to match the needs of users, although this is limited by the dimensions of stock cabinets. A family with members 5 ft. 5 inches or shorter might, for example, install base cabinets at 35 inches above the floor, then leave a 15-inch working space and install the upper cabinets starting at 50 inches above the floor rather than the normal 54 inches.
A family with very tall members might install cabinets slightly higher for convenience. These small variations are within the accepted range, and will not dramatically affect sale potential of your home. However, you should be cautious about more glaring variations to normal design standards when customizing a kitchen, as it may make your house hard to sell in the future.
The ideal upper cabinet height is 54 inches above the floor.
That is, the bottom edge of the upper cabinets should sit 54 inches off the ground. This magic number combines the 34-½-inch height of a standard base cabinet (those that sit on the ground), a standard countertop above it with a thickness of 1-½ inches, and a standard 18-inch backsplash (or, in lieu of a backsplash, empty wall space) between the top of the base cabinet countertop and the bottom of the upper cabinet.
If your base cabinet height, countertop thickness, or backsplash/wall clearance height will differ from the standard heights above, you’ll need to adjust the upper cabinet mounting height so that it represents the sum of these three heights. Measuring the upper cabinet height from the ground is recommended when the base cabinet and its countertop haven’t been installed yet because you intend to install them after the upper cabinets or because you never plan to install base cabinets in the room (e.g. in a laundry room that doesn’t need them.)
In other words, hang upper cabinets 18 inches above the top of the countertop.
If you installed your base cabinets and countertop prior previously, you can use the top of the countertop as a reference. The height between the top of the countertop and the bottom of the upper cabinet should be 18 inches, the height of a standard backsplash.
How to Measure Kitchen Cabinets
If a homeowner is merely replacing existing cabinets for cosmetic reasons or because they’re at the end of their useful life (usually 10 to 15 years). Measuring existing kitchen cabinet dimensions from the outside is probably all that’s required.
If, however, cabinet replacement is part of a larger kitchen remodeling project, you’ll want to create a more extensive blueprint that includes floor level measurements, window, and door placement, wiring, plumbing, and gas lines, as well as light switches and fixtures. Here’s a thorough guide to everything you should look at before ordering new kitchen cabinets for a renovation.
Base Cabinet Height, Depth, and Width
Base kitchen cabinets are the workhorses of kitchen design, installed directly on the floor. Counters are laid on them, sinks installed within them, dishwashers and ranges bracketed by them, and pots and pans are stored within them. Kitchen base cabinets are the most expensive of all kitchen cabinets, and for a good reason: We ask a lot from them.
When buying semi-custom or stock preassembled or RTA cabinets, base cabinets are generally available in these dimensions:
| Height, without countertop | 34 1/2 inches |
| Height, with countertop | 35 to 36 inches |
| Depth (front to wall), without countertop |
24 inches |
| Depth, with countertop | 25 to 26 inches |
| Standard widths | 12, 18, 24, 30, 33, 36, 48 inches |
Base Cabinet Height
Base cabinet height is the dimension that is least variable—virtually all base cabinets come from the factory at 34 1/2 inches tall. Building codes and accepted design practices like to stress accessibility, and the wrong height is the one aspect that can make a base cabinet inaccessible. Where different heights are needed—such as in a kitchen for a wheelchair user—the cabinets generally need to be custom-made to different heights.
Base Cabinet Depth
The depth measurement is taken from the front outer front edge of the cabinet to the wall. Stock base cabinets are generally 24 inches deep (not counting countertop overhang). Deeper base cabinets make it difficult for you to reach the back of the counter or to plug-in appliances. If you have ever had difficulty reaching items in a blind corner (where two sets of cabinets meet at a right angle), you will know how distances beyond 24 inches quickly become difficult.
Because countertops generally overlap the base cabinets at the front, the overall depth (with countertop) usually measures 25 to 26 inches, depending on the edge detailing.
There are also 12-inch, 15-inch, and 18-inch deep cabinets available for special circumstances, although not all manufacturers stock them.
Base Cabinet Width
Base cabinet width is the great variable, and each cabinet tends to be aimed toward certain uses. Widths generally range from 9 to 48 inches in 3-inch increments, and are chosen both to meet space needs and to provide specific functions:
| Dimension (Inches) | Cabinet Type |
| 9, 12, 18, 24 inches | Filler cabinets can accommodate pull-outs, those narrow rolling racks which are great for storing baking pans or spices. |
| 30 inches | Single basin sink |
| 33 inches | Double-basin, offset sink |
| 36 inches | Double-basin sink |
| 48 inches | Largest base cabinet size commonly found in kitchens |
WALL CABINETS DIMENSIONS
These are the cabinets attached above counters and not touching the ground. They are generally used for storing lightweight kitchenware or food and attach directly to your kitchen walls via studs. Wall cabinets set the tone for your kitchen as they are eye level and used most often. These tend to be the more fun cabinets as you can add lighting, glass, and other features to add more personality to your kitchen.
Now down to the dimensions:
- Height– 12, 15, 18, 24, 30, 36, and 42 inches.
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- Wall cabinet heights are typically limited as they must fit between kitchen countertops and ceilings. You will find the heights for these listed as, 12″, 15″, 18″, 24″, 30″, 36″, and 42″.
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- 12-inch cabinets are those you place above a fridge.
- Width- 12-36 inches.
- Standard width for a single or double door wall cabinet is generally available in widths from 9″ to 36″, we carry them in increments of 3″ (i.e., 9″, 12″, 15″).
- Depth- 12-24 inches.
- Standard wall cabinets are generally 24 inches in depth.
