How to Measure a Kitchen for Cabinets: A Step-by-Step Guide

To measure a kitchen for cabinets, sketch the room, measure every wall in inches at about 36" off the floor, locate each window, door and utility from the nearest corner, measure the ceiling height in several places, and photograph every wall. Accurate measurements are the single biggest factor in getting a cabinet design right the first time.

What tools do you need to measure a kitchen?

• A 25-foot steel tape measure (a laser measure is faster for long walls)
• Graph paper or a measuring app
• A pencil and a 2- or 4-foot level
• A phone camera

Step-by-step: measuring for kitchen cabinets

1. Gather your tools. A 25-foot tape measure, graph paper or a measuring app, a pencil, a level and a phone camera.
2. Sketch the room. Draw a bird’s-eye outline of the room, including every wall, window, door and opening. It does not need to be to scale.
3. Measure each wall. Working clockwise, measure each wall corner to corner at about 36 inches off the floor, in inches, to the nearest 1/8 inch.
4. Locate windows and doors. Measure from the corner to the outside edge of the trim, then the trim-to-trim width, the floor-to-sill height and the floor-to-top-of-trim height.
5. Measure ceiling height. Measure floor to ceiling in at least three places and note any soffits or bulkheads with their height and depth.
6. Mark utilities. Record the center line of the sink drain and the location of water lines, gas, electrical outlets, switches, vents and radiators.
7. List appliances. Write down the width, height and depth of every appliance that stays or is planned, including model numbers when known.
8. Photograph every wall. Take a straight-on photo of each wall and one from each corner so the designer can see obstructions.

Why measure at 36 inches high?

Most base cabinets with a countertop finish at about 36 inches. Measuring at that height gives you the wall length the cabinets will actually occupy and avoids baseboards, which can shorten a floor-level measurement by an inch or more.

How precise do kitchen measurements need to be?

Record measurements to the nearest 1/8 inch and never round. Cabinets come in 3-inch width increments, and the difference is made up with fillers. A rounding error of an inch can mean a cabinet that does not fit or a filler that looks wrong.

Common measuring mistakes

• Measuring only once. Measure each wall at counter height and again near the ceiling — walls are often out of square.
• Forgetting trim. Window and door casing takes up space; measure to the outside edge of the trim.
• Missing obstructions. Radiators, vents, outlets, pipes and soffits all affect what fits where.
• Ignoring the appliance plan. A 36" range and a 30" range lead to different layouts — confirm sizes before design.

What to send your designer

When you submit a design request in the 247 Cabinetry portal, upload your sketch, the photos, and any appliance spec sheets. Add the ceiling height, cabinet brand and door style, and list non-standard appliances with their exact dimensions. Complete requests are designed faster and need fewer revisions.

Frequently asked questions

Should I measure a kitchen in inches or feet?

Use inches only. Cabinet sizes, fillers and appliance specs are all listed in inches, so mixing feet and inches is a common source of errors.

Do I include the countertop overhang in measurements?

No. Measure the walls and openings only. The designer adds countertop overhangs and filler strips to the design.

Can I measure an existing kitchen with cabinets still installed?

Yes. Measure wall to wall above and below the existing cabinets and note the existing cabinet run lengths; the designer only needs the room dimensions.