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How Far Back From a Doorway Should Cabinets get Installed?

The standard distance that cabinets should be installed away from where there is a doorway is 4”. Using this measurement will allow enough room for door casing to be put around the opening. If you’re working on a house remodel, then you can make the dimension more like 2” from the molding that is already around the door.


On new construction homes, this 4” measurement obviously will be affected by the size of the wood trim. I have provided a standard unit of measure to use. If you are working on a high-in custom home it is important to check with the builder or architect to determine the correct distance that the cabinet should be installed from the door opening.

How Far off the Floor do Wall Cabinets get Installed?

If you’re hanging wall cabinetry the correct measurement from the floor to the bottom of the cabinet should be fifty four inches in the kitchen. This 54” dimension will be to the visible exposed edge of the bottom. If there is a recess of 2,” then you would be installing the cabinet at 56” off of the floor to the recessed bottom. When hanging an upper cabinet, in the laundry room over the washer and dryer, you may need to make the dimension fifty six inches to allow for the washer door to clear when it is raised.

How Far Above the Kitchen Counter do Upper Cabinets get Installed?

Usually somewhere between seventeen and eighteen inches higher than the kitchen countertop is where the visible edge of the bottom of the wall cabinet should get installed from the top of the counter.

Just for the record though, the wall cabinets should get hung before the lower kitchen cabinetry is attached to the walls. Sometimes in special situations when the room size is limited, in relation to the size of the countertop, the wall cupboards get installed after the bases and counter. It is done this way because the countertop would not fit in the room if the wall cupboards were installed first.

There are many standard dimensions that professionals use to get the cabinets and counters installed correctly. If you’re just starting out it may seem like becoming a pro at understanding kitchen cabinet installation is a far distance away. Critical measurements relating to doorways, floors, upper wall cabinets and counters are just a drop in the bucket in comparison to the many details that accomplished cabinet makers/installers have to learn in order to complete a custom cabinet job. Professional cabinet makers are constantly referring back to the foundational basics of fabricating and installing cabinets. So learn the basics well because you will use them throughout your kitchen design carrier.

Categories: Installation Tips
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