What Kitchen Cabinet Size Do I Need?: A Comprehensive Guide

What kitchen cabinet size is right for your kitchen? Get the facts in this comprehensive guide to kitchen cabinet dimensions.

Kitchen renovation checklist: new countertops, brand new tile, and sparkling new appliances. But there's one element in your kitchen that many homeowners may not realize needs a lot of thought. That's kitchen cabinets.

When remodeling a kitchen, you may think cabinets are a quick decision to make before moving on to other details. But you really should give considerable thought, especially when it comes to kitchen cabinet size.

Since cabinets make up the base of your kitchen, getting them right is imperative. Here's how to choose the perfect cabinet size for your kitchen.

Location and Placement

When choosing the cabinets for your kitchen, don't order without considering the location and placement. Do you know where your appliances are going? Are you fitting cabinets around appliances or moving the kitchen elements?

Your kitchen layout will be an important factor because it can dictate the measurements of your cabinets as well as how many you need and what style of cabinets you'll want.

Double-check how much room you have between appliances and kitchen features. This will be a guide of what sizes you're able to have for your kitchen counters.

Keep Individual Needs in Mind

Cabinet manufacturers make their products with their customers in mind. It's quite likely that you'll be able to choose from a variety of pre-fab or ready to assemble cabinets for your kitchen.

But that doesn't mean you should customize your kitchen as much as you can. You can alter cabinet measurements like height and depth if it means accommodating your or another family member.

Your Personal Taste Matters

It is your kitchen, after all, so you should love every inch of it. Choose cabinets that match your personal taste and style. This may mean choosing cabinets at different depths or heights.

You may want more open storage or prefer structured shelving and drawers. Or maybe you like your shelving outside of the cabinets. In the kitchen, style is just as important as function.

What Is a Standard Kitchen Cabinet Size?

Getting the right kitchen cabinet size ensures that your kitchen is proportional. It's fun to pick out all the colors and materials, but the whole design won't look cohesive if the sizes of the cabinets are off.

Luckily, many cabinet manufacturers have standard sizes that work well in any kitchen. Here is the standard for an RTA kitchen cabinet size depending on cabinet type.

Wall Cabinets

Attached above the countertops, most people use wall cabinets to store kitchenware like plates and cups and dry foods. These cabinets attach to the wall with studs and screws.

Often, these are the cabinets you'll see first because they're at eye level. There's also an opportunity to add features like lighting and glass to these cabinets.

Wall cabinet heights tend to be limited because of the ceiling. The most common heights are 12, 15, 18, 24, 30, 36, and 42 inches.

A twelve-inch cabinet often goes above a fridge, microwave, or other appliances. The height you choose ultimately depends on how tall your ceilings are.

You'll find that most wall cabinets fall between twelve and thirty-six inches in width. These cabinets can come with either a single or double door. Standard cabinet depth falls between twelve and twenty-four inches.

Base Cabinets

The place for all your kitchen storage needs, base cabinets often hold pots, pans, and small appliances. Base cabinets are important to get the height right because it affects how high your countertops are.

Because base cabinets must meet building codes, there is not a lot of room for variation. In general, you'll find the base cabinets without the countertops tend to be around 34.5 inches in height.

The width of base cabinets has the most variation. Starting at 9 inches, standard widths increase by three-inch increments. When choosing a base cabinet width, keep the cabinet function in mind.

For storing your pots, pans, baking sheets, or pull-out spice racks, cabinets between a width of 9 and 24 inches work well.

You also need to keep the sink in mind. For a single basin sink, 30 inches will work. Go up to 33 inches if you have an offset sink. Double basin sinks work well with both 33 and 36-inch widths.

A 42-inch cabinet width would give you extra storage space or the addition of a lazy Susan.

You have to be careful with base cabinet depth, though. Deep cabinets may prevent you from plugging in appliances or reaching in the back. In general, 24 inches is a good rule of thumb for depth.

Tall Cabinets

They may not be common in every kitchen, but tall cabinets can offer you a new storage option. You can use these taller spaces to store cleaning supplies or create a panty.

As the name suggests, these cabinets are tall, extending from floor to ceiling. So look for heights starting at 84 inches. This will leave about a foot of space between the cabinet and ceiling in standard kitchens.

If you don't want to leave room, opt for a tall cabinet at a height of 90 or 96 inches.

Tall cabinets are generally slimmer than other cabinets. Widths start at 18 inches and extend to 30 inches, with 24 inches being the most popular size. If you want to add drawers or more storage, then 30 inches is the best option.

For the depth, 24 inches is also the most common size. A deeper cabinet might make retrieving items more difficult. 24 inches is the sweet spot for adding features like drawers, sliders, and other storage solutions.

Finding the Right Kitchen Cabinet Size

Your kitchen is the center of your home. It's where you gather with family and entertain friends. It's the room where your favorite comforting recipes are made and where you might create new ones.

Such an important room deserves to have a strong base when it comes to the cabinets. So it's imperative to consider your cabinets carefully—especially the kitchen cabinet size—when making decisions for your remodel.

Ready to transform your kitchen into one straight out of the pages of a magazine? Reach out to us to get an estimate on your next kitchen remodel.