How to use the kitchen cabinet calculator
Kitchen cabinets come in fixed widths, but walls do not. The job is to fill each run with standard units and close any small remainder with a filler. This calculator does the arithmetic for up to three runs, so you can brief a kitchen supplier, compare layouts or check a quote before drawing every elevation.
- Measure each wall run from corner to corner or wall to wall. Enter 0 for a run you are not using.
- Enter the width of appliances in the run that take floor space: 30 in range, 24 in dishwasher, 36 in fridge and so on, added together.
- Enter the wall cabinet length for that run, which is usually the run minus a hood, window or tall unit.
- Choose inside corners. Each corner removes one cabinet depth from the next run.
- Set the largest filler you will accept and the number of exposed ends that need a panel.
How the cabinet fit works
Base space = run length − appliances − corner depth
Wall space = wall length − corner depth (wall cabinets are 12 in deep)
Fill space with standard widths: fewest cabinets with leftover ≤ max filler
Toe kick ≈ total base cabinet width · end panels = exposed ends
The calculator tries every combination of standard widths that fits the space and keeps the one with the fewest cabinets whose leftover is within your filler limit, preferring the smaller leftover on a tie. The widths below are typical, not any one brand's catalogue.
| Item | US typical | Metric typical |
|---|---|---|
| Base cabinet widths | 9–36 in in 3 in steps | 300, 400, 450, 500, 600, 800, 900, 1,000 mm |
| Wall cabinet widths | 12–36 in in 3 in steps | 300–1,000 mm, same range |
| Base height × depth | 34½ × 24 in | 720–870 × 560–600 mm |
| Wall depth | 12 in | 300–350 mm |
Worked examples
A straight 12 ft kitchen run
A 144 in wall holds a 30 in range and a 24 in dishwasher, leaving 144 − 54 = 90 in for base cabinets. Three cabinets can fill that exactly, for example 30 + 30 + 30 or 36 + 36 + 18, with no filler. The wall run is 108 in because a 36 in hood sits over the range, which is three 36 in wall cabinets.
An L-shaped kitchen
Run 1 is 132 in with a 30 in range, and Run 2 is 108 in with one inside corner. Run 2 loses 24 in of base space and 12 in of wall space to the corner, so it is filled as 84 in of base cabinets and 96 in of wall cabinets (if the wall run is 108 in).
A metric run
A 3,600 mm wall with a 600 mm cooker and 600 mm dishwasher leaves 2,400 mm, which three cabinets fill with no filler, for example 1,000 + 1,000 + 400. A 50 mm filler allowance also lets the tool pick a combination up to 50 mm short if it needs fewer cabinets.
Who this calculator helps
- Architects and interior designers blocking out kitchens at concept stage and checking that a layout lands on standard cabinet widths.
- Kitchen designers and fitters producing quick counts for quotes.
- Builders and renovators budgeting cabinetry for a project.
- Homeowners comparing quotes line by line.
Practical tips
- Plan the countertop alongside: runs and islands go into the countertop calculator for slabs and edge length.
- Check the working layout with the kitchen work triangle checker and aisle widths with the furniture clearance guide.
- Measure walls at counter height and at the ceiling; old walls are rarely square, and fillers hide the difference.
- Leave appliance gaps at the size on the installation sheet, not the nominal width.
Want to see a new kitchen before you order cabinets? Try finishes and layouts on a photo with AI Room Redesign.
