Kitchen Cabinets and Standard U.S. Measurements

Granger Davis of Alert Data Inc - http://www.rtacabinetmall.com

 In the United States, most domestic cabinet manufacturers are still using imperial measurements . ie Inches so in this article we will not dwell on European nomenclature or Asian conversions. This discussion is about American face framed (modular) kitchen cabinets and how the standard measurements might affect your Kitchen Remodel Project.

For instance: base cabinets

are 24 inches deep. That's the manufacturing standard from the wall (or cabinet back panel) to the front side of the face frame. Now add on a 3/4 inch thick door panel (or drawer front) and another 1/8 inch for bumper pads and hinge off-sets for a total depth around 24 7/8 inches. That's why your typical counter top depth is 25 inches or more ... so when you spill something on the counter top, the spill running over the front edge falls to the floor and not onto your beautiful cabinet faces!
     What about base cabinet Height? With some exceptions like custom or specialty cabinets... base cabinets are all 24 inches deep and 34 1/2 inches high. So, 34 1/2 inches plus a standard counter top thickness of 1 1/2 inches gives us a 36 FF base height. That's 36 inches off of the Finished Floor. With a standard work space height of 18 inches above your 36 inch base means your standard wall cabinet's bottom edge is installed at 54 inches FF. The 34 1/2 inch base cabinet height includes a 4 1/2 inch toe kick area leaving a 30 inch face frame for every base cabinet. Its no coincidence that the standard wall cabinet is also 30 inches high. This 30 inch standard helps with efficiencies in the manufacturing process. The toe space is typically 4 1/2 inches high and 2 1/2 inches deep so that the average person can stand closer the work surface without bending over.
     The widths of base cabinets are made in three inch increments. Usually starting at 9 inches and going to 42 inches or more wide. The standard construction nomenclature will list something like a B18 meaning a base cabinet that is 18 inches wide, 34 1/2 inches high and 24 inches deep. Only the width is listed as the other measurements are assumed to be standard. A standard base cabinet face is made up of a hinged door or doors and a sliding drawer or drawers. The cut off of between single door and double door cabinets seems to be either 21 or 24 inches wide. A single door more than 24 inches wide is much more prone to warping. The drawer heads are normally allowed to go a bit wider. So a B21 is going to have a single door and a single drawer where a B27 will be a double door but still only a single drawer. The drawer head height does vary with each manufacturer but 7 inches is probably an average. The actual drawer box depth can also vary depending on the manufacturer. Some common base cabinet jargon beyond the standard B09 through B42 might include:
BBC for blind base corner
BCD for base corner diagonal
BFH is a base with full height door (no drawer)
BD is a bank of drawers - no door(s)
SB stands for sink base - usually has a false drawer front with no working drawer
BE usually triangle shaped base for the end of a run BLS a base corner with a lazy susan
BF is a base filler piece - 30 high plus a 4 1/2 inch toe kick section
BEP base end also called a dishwasher end panel is side panel for the end of a run
BDEP is a decorative end panel - typically a door panel(s) to dress up the exposed end of a run
 A few other base measurements of interest are the appliance openings. Installers will want to leave 30 1/8 to 30 1/4 inches for a standard 30 inch range. The counter top can butt into the appliance sides to help cover any uneven gaps. Standard dishwashers will also require a 24 1/8 to 24 1/4 inch opening. Modern refrigerators will typically require a little more breathing room to run efficiently. 30 to 33 inch wide refrigerators will need a 36 inch opening. A standard 33 inch drop in sink fits nicely into a SB36.

Upper cabinets also called wall cabinets

have some standard measurements as well. The most universal standard is the 12 inch depth. Made so that a 10 inch plate can be stored with ease. There are exceptions to the 12 inch depth in wall cabinets. A few manufacturers offer upgrades of 15 inch depth but almost all cabinet makers offer 24 inch deep bridge cabinets for use over a refrigerator. The added leverage requires that these 24 deep cabinets be supported by a wall or 24 inch deep side panel(s). Other than the bridge cabinets used over appliances, standard U.S. wall cabinets are available in three heights. The most common is 30 inch high although the 36 and 42 inch tall cabinets are becoming more popular. With a standard starting wall placement of 54 FF, the top edge of wall cabinets should be at 84, 90 or 96 inches FF.
     In the last decade or so, kitchen designers have become infatuated with mixing different height cabinets for a staggered look. It is quite common to see standard 30 inch wall cabinets with 36 inch high corner cabinets and exaggerated bridge cabinets. Bumps ups and even bump outs add a great deal of visual dimension but really do little as far as functionality goes. Typical bridge cabinets are 30 to 36 wide and 12 to 24 tall. Like the base cabinet, wall cabinet widths also run in three inch increments with the same 24 inch cut off for a single door versus double doors. Unlike the base cabinets, standard wall cabinet listings include both the width and height. As in most construction nomenclature, width is listed first so a W1530 is a wall cabinet 15 inches wide12 deep and 30 tall single door. A W3642 is a double door 36 wide, 12 deep and 42 high. An example of a non standard label might be W362418 to denote a wall bridge cabinet 36 wide, 24 deep and 18 high.
A few common wall cabinet descriptions are:
WBC for wall blind corner
WDC is a wall diagonal corner
WE a wall end cabinet - usually triangle shaped for the ending a run
WDEP wall decorative end panel (door panel)
WF wall filler strip
Some wall specialty cabinets will include
WR for wine rack,
PR or PL for plate rack,
MW for microwave shelf or
MWC for microwave combo.
AGD might be a diagonal appliance garage with a tambour (roll up door) that fits under your WDC corner cabinet. More wall cabinet options might include mullion glass doors with a stained matching interior or wall cabinet door(s) ordered "prep for insert" so the consumer can use their own decorative glass or custom material rather than the standard factory wood panel.
     Also common in many of today's kitchen designs is the tall cabinet. Commonly called pantry cabinets and utility cabinets but also includes oven cabinets, these extra large cabinets are designed to stand on the floor (with toe kick slot) and reach all the way up to match the height of you wall cabinets. Most manufacturers charge a premium for these pieces for several reasons. Because of their size and weight, the tall cabinets are the hardest to manufacture, most likely to sustain shipping damage and have the highest warranty claim rates.
     Other measurements of interest to the kitchen cabinet designer? Let me know what I've missed. Comments are welcome.