A kitchen cabinet layout planner with measurements free of charge is only useful once you know exactly what numbers to put into it — this guide gives you every room measurement, standard cabinet size, and clearance rule you need before you open any planning tool.
By Free Room Planner Team · Last updated: June 2026TL;DR: Gather four room measurements first (wall lengths, ceiling height, window/door positions, and fixed service locations). Know standard cabinet dimensions (base units: 600mm deep, 870mm tall; wall units: 300mm deep, 720mm tall). Check clearances (minimum 1000mm aisle width). Then open a free kitchen planner and input your numbers with confidence.
Why Measurements Come Before the Planner
Skipping the measurement stage is the number one reason kitchen layouts look perfect on screen but fail in real life. You drag cabinets into position, everything fits beautifully — then your fitter arrives and discovers the oven door swings into the island, or the dishwasher can't open without hitting the base unit opposite.
Measuring first also means you skip expensive design consultations. When you walk into a free kitchen layout planner with accurate numbers already in hand, you can brief your fitter directly — no designer, no guesswork, no costly revisions.
This guide covers every measurement you need to gather before you touch a planner. Work through it once, and you'll input accurate dimensions with confidence the first time.
The Four Room Measurements You Must Take First
Before placing a single cabinet, you need four categories of room-level data. Miss any one of them and your layout will need rebuilding.
How to Measure Your Kitchen Walls Accurately
- Measure each wall at three heights: floor level, worktop height (roughly 900mm / 35in from the floor), and just below ceiling height. Walls are rarely perfectly straight — use the smallest measurement to avoid over-planning.
- Note every corner, alcove, and protrusion. Radiators, pipes, and boxing-in all eat into usable cabinet space.
- Measure wall lengths in millimetres. Even a 20mm (¾in) error can mean a cabinet won't fit.
- Sketch a rough top-down outline as you go — even a hand-drawn scribble helps when you open your free floor plan tool later.
Locating Fixed Points: Plumbing, Gas, and Electrics
These are your anchor points. The sink waste, gas supply pipe, and electrical sockets constrain your entire layout — cabinets and appliances must work around them, not the other way round.
Record each fixed point as a distance from the nearest corner. For example: "sink waste 1,200mm (47in) from the left corner of the back wall, 100mm (4in) from the floor." That single measurement tells your fitter exactly where the plumbing sits without any ambiguity.
Standard Kitchen Cabinet Dimensions Explained
Knowing standard kitchen cabinet sizes in mm (and inches) means you can place units in any free kitchen layout planner with realistic proportions — rather than drawing random rectangles and hoping they match real products.
Cabinets across UK, European, and North American markets follow broadly consistent standards, so these figures apply whether you're planning in London, Toronto, or Berlin.
Base Cabinet Sizes
Base cabinets — the units that sit on the floor and support your worktop — come in these standard ranges:
| Measurement | Metric (mm) | Imperial (in) |
|---|---|---|
| Width range | 300mm–900mm | 12in–36in |
| Standard depth | 560–600mm | 22–24in |
| Height (carcass, before worktop) | 870mm | 34.5in |
| Finished worktop height | ~910mm | ~36in |
| Corner unit (each side) | 900–1000mm | 36–39in |
The most common single-door base width is 500mm (20in); the standard double-door is 600mm (24in). Sink base units are usually 600mm or 800mm (24in or 32in) wide with a cut-out floor for waste pipe clearance.
Wall Cabinet and Tall Unit Sizes
Wall cabinets mount above the worktop. Tall larder or pantry units run full height from floor to near-ceiling.
- Wall cabinet height: 720mm (28in) is standard; 900mm (35in) units are available for higher ceilings.
- Wall cabinet depth: 300–350mm (12–14in).
- Gap between worktop and wall cabinet bottom: The industry-standard gap is 450–500mm (18–20in), per NKBA guidelines. This clears most appliances and leaves comfortable prep space.
- Tall unit heights: 2,100–2,200mm (82–87in). Check your ceiling height before committing — a standard UK ceiling sits around 2,400mm (94in), leaving a gap above tall units for a cornice or light pelmet.
Clearance Rules That Prevent Costly Mistakes
Clearance measurements are non-negotiable. A kitchen can have perfect cabinet sizes and still be unusable if the gaps between units are too tight.
Aisle and Walkway Clearances
The minimum recommended aisle width between facing cabinets or appliances is 1,000mm (40in) for a single-cook kitchen and 1,200mm (48in) if two people regularly cook together. Below 1,000mm (40in), drawers on opposite runs can't open at the same time. Below 900mm (35in), two people genuinely cannot pass each other safely.
If your room measurements show the available aisle width is marginal, flag it before your layout goes any further — it affects which cabinet run to shorten.
Appliance Clearances and Door Swing Zones
Appliances need clear floor space in front of them to function — not just to look right on a plan.
- Oven/range door: Needs at least 1,000mm (40in) clear in front to open fully and allow safe dish removal.
- Dishwasher door: Opens flat to the floor, so it needs 600mm (24in) of clear floor space plus room to stand behind the door.
- Fridge/refrigerator: The door needs to swing to at least 90 degrees to pull out shelves and crisper drawers — factor in the hinge side, not just the front clearance.
Few free kitchen layout planners flag these conflicts automatically, so mark appliance swing zones manually as you place each unit.
How to Input Your Measurements Into a Free Layout Planner
Once your measurements are gathered, the planning step is straightforward. At freeroomplanner.com, you can draw your kitchen walls using the room builder, entering each wall length directly from your notes. The grid snapping locks measurements consistently, so minor hand-measurement wobbles don't distort your layout.
Once the room shell is drawn, mark your fixed points — sink position, gas outlet, socket locations — as reference markers before adding any cabinets. Then place base units along each wall run, checking the measurement display as you go. Add wall units above, and check your aisle widths match your clearance targets.
When the layout looks right, export a clean floor plan image and send it directly to your fitter. For more detail on the room-drawing process, the guide to how to plan a kitchen renovation walks through the full workflow. If you're planning other rooms at the same time, the online room dimension calculator covers measuring non-square spaces and awkward room shapes.
A Simple Measurement Checklist Before You Start
Run through this before opening any free kitchen planner:
Room measurements
- All wall lengths (measured at floor, worktop height, and ceiling height)
- Ceiling height
- Window positions: distance from nearest corner, width, and height from floor
- Door positions: distance from nearest corner, width, and swing direction
Fixed service locations (distance from nearest corner)
- Sink waste outlet
- Cold water supply
- Gas supply point (if applicable)
- Electrical socket positions
- Extractor fan or cooker hood connection point
Cabinet sizes confirmed
- Base unit widths for each wall run
- Base unit depth (typically 600mm / 24in)
- Wall unit height and depth
- Tall unit height vs. your ceiling height
Clearances checked
- Aisle width between facing runs (minimum 1,000mm / 40in)
- Appliance door swing zones marked
- Fridge hinge side noted
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the questions homeowners most often ask before starting their kitchen measurement process.
What is the standard depth of a kitchen base cabinet?
The standard kitchen base unit depth is 600mm (24in) across UK, European, and most North American kitchens. Some shallower units exist at 560mm (22in) for tight spaces. Always confirm the depth of your chosen cabinet range before finalising your layout, as even a 40mm difference affects how much worktop overhang you get.
How high should wall cabinets be from the worktop?
The industry-standard gap between the worktop surface and the bottom of wall cabinets is 450–500mm (18–20in), per NKBA guidelines. This gap clears most kettles, toasters, and stand mixers while keeping wall cabinets within comfortable reach. Going below 450mm (18in) makes the worktop feel cramped.
What is the minimum aisle width in a kitchen?
The minimum recommended aisle width between two facing cabinet runs or appliances is 1,000mm (40in) for a single-person kitchen and 1,200mm (48in) if two people regularly cook together. Below 1,000mm, drawers and oven doors begin to conflict with each other.
Do I need a designer to measure my kitchen?
No. With a tape measure, a pencil, and this checklist, you can gather every measurement a fitter needs. Accurate self-measured room data entered into a free kitchen layout planner produces a floor plan clear enough to brief any contractor — without paying for a design consultation.
Can I use a free room planner for other rooms too?
Yes. The same measurement principles apply to bathrooms and living spaces. If you're tackling a bathroom next, the virtual bathroom designer guide covers bathroom-specific clearances and fixture sizing. For multi-room projects, check the article on planning permission floor plans to understand what drawings you may need.
Your Next Step
Accurate measurements gathered before you open a planner save hours of rework — and they make conversations with fitters far smoother. Instead of emailing rough sketches and hoping your contractor interprets them correctly, you hand over a floor plan with real dimensions, real cabinet sizes, and real clearance zones already verified.
You now have everything you need. Open the free kitchen planner at freeroomplanner.com — no sign-up, no download, nothing to install. Draw your walls, drop in your cabinets, and send your fitter a plan they can actually work from.