Before you order your cabinets, it’s essential to get the measurements right. Read on to learn how to measure your kitchen for custom cabinetry.

What You’ll Need

• Tape measure
• Pencil
• Paper
• Ruler
• Level

Tip!

Questions on the below information? Connect with a design expert to get started. We now offer free measurement services! Ask our designers if your zip-code qualifies.

How to Measure Your Kitchen for Cabinets

Before you can select your kitchen cabinets, it’s important to measure your kitchen properly to ensure you end up with cabinets that will fit your kitchen (and your style) perfectly. To get started on crafting your custom cabinetry, we will need some basic information about your kitchen space along with an accurate floor plan drawing.

If you’re confused about the below steps, our design experts are available to answer your questions and walk you through the steps for measuring. Simply fill out this form and a designer will set up a video call at your earliest convenience to walk you through the process.

Step 1: Draw Your Kitchen Floor Plan

Include all of your kitchen's structural features, including all walls, doors, windows, walkways, radiators, ceiling beams, and any other openings or obstacles that would affect where cabinetry can be installed.

Label every opening and wall within your floor plan with its own unique letter (such as A – J in the example above) and create a key on your floor plan drawing to add your measurements to.

Step 2: Fill in Floor Plan Measurements

Use a tape measure to measure the width of your kitchen's walls, openings, doors, and windows in inches. While measuring, hold a level along the measuring tape to ensure you are measuring straight across. To ensure you give your designer exact measurements, include all fractions and don't round any measurements up or down.

First, measure each solid wall from corner to corner. Do the same for openings. For walls that are adjacent to doors and windows (seen in B, C, E, F, and H above), measure from the corners of the room to the outside edge of the door or window’s trim (the moulding that surrounds the door or window).

Measure the total width of each door and window, from the outer edge of the trim on one side to the outer edge of the trim on the other side.

Step 3: Measure the Height of Structural Fixtures

Create a separate floor plan drawing for each wall in your kitchen that has doors and windows. Start by measuring from the ground to the bottom of the window trim (see L and N above). Then, measure the full height of the doors and windows (up to the top edge of the trim).

Step 4: Note the Height of Your Ceiling

Measure from the top of the finished floor to the ceiling. Include the baseboard or ceiling moulding in your measurement.

Add your ceiling measurements to your floor plan sketch to keep track. Consider measuring the height of your ceiling from multiple places to account for any variation in height throughout your kitchen.

Step 5: Factor in Kitchen Appliances

Draw boxes on your floor plan to indicate where your appliances – including the sink, refrigerator, oven, microwave, and dishwasher – are located within your kitchen. If you plan to change the placement of your appliances, please draw them where you would like them to be located.

If you plan on keeping your current appliances, be sure to add the brand, model, and dimensions of your existing appliance. If you haven’t picked out your new appliances yet, add in the brand and dimensions of the appliances you are considering purchasing.

Finally, provide your plumbing locations within your kitchen by measuring from one corner of a wall to the plumbing. Mark that measurement and the plumbing's location down on your floor plan.

Step 6: Discuss Plans With an Expert

Attach your floor plan as well as any pictures you have of your current kitchen from several different angles in an email to your designer. Ready to make your vision a reality? Click here to get a free cabinetry design consultation through Wayfair or start shopping custom cabinets now.

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