How to Build a Cabinet
A cabinet is a box of four panels (two sides, a bottom and a top or rails), a thin back, shelves and doors. Build it frameless, the European way, and every part is a plain rectangle cut from sheet goods: no face frame, and the doors cover the front edges. These are the steps, from the size to the last hinge. The box itself is called the carcass, or case; doors, drawers and hardware all hang on it.
What you need
- Board: 3/4 in (18 mm) plywood, melamine or MDF for the box; 1/4 in (6 mm) plywood or hardboard for the back.
- Hardware: concealed hinges, shelf pins, adjustable legs or a plinth, screws (confirmat, pocket-hole or wood screws).
- Tools: a table saw or a track saw (a circular saw with a straight guide works), a drill, a 35 mm hinge bit, a shelf-pin jig, clamps, a square and a tape.
1. Decide the size
Start from the space and the standard sizes. A kitchen base cabinet is about 720 mm tall without legs (34 1/2 in with the toe kick) and 560–580 mm (24 in) deep; a wall cabinet is 300–350 mm (12 in) deep. Widths can be anything; cabinets wider than 600 mm (24 in) get two doors.
2. Work out the parts
In a frameless cabinet the sides run full height and the bottom and top rails fit between them. That is the one rule to remember: the bottom is the cabinet width minus two board thicknesses. A 600 × 720 × 560 mm base cabinet in 18 mm board needs:
| Part | Qty | Size (mm) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Side | 2 | 720 × 560 | Full height |
| Bottom | 1 | 564 × 560 | 600 − 2 × 18 |
| Top rail | 2 | 564 × 100 | Front and back |
| Shelf | 1 | 562 × 520 | 2 mm shorter, set back from the door |
| Back | 1 | 6 mm board | Into a groove, or nailed on the back |
| Door | 1 | 714 × 594 | 3 mm gap all round |
Our calculator does this for any size, in millimetres or inches, and lays the parts out on your sheets:
3. Cut the panels
Cut the long parts first, from the full sheet, then the small ones from the offcuts. Every part must be square and within half a millimetre (1/64 in) of its size, or the box will not close up. In melamine, use a blade with a scoring blade, or tape the cut line and cut with the good face up on a table saw (down with a circular saw), so the coating does not chip.
4. Edge band the visible edges
Band the front edges of the sides, bottom and shelves, and all four edges of the doors, before you assemble anything. Iron-on banding needs only a household iron and a trimmer. See what edge banding is and how to apply it.
5. Drill before assembly
Everything is easier to drill while the panels are flat:
- Shelf-pin holes: 5 mm holes, 32 mm apart, 37 mm from the front and back edges of each side.
- Hinge plates: on the sides, 37 mm from the front edge, level with the hinge cups.
- Hinge cups: 35 mm holes in the doors, 11–13 mm deep (check your hinge), 3–5 mm from the door edge and 80–100 mm from the top and bottom.
6. Assemble the box
Glue and screw the bottom between the sides, then the two top rails. Confirmat screws are the strongest choice in melamine and MDF; in plywood, pocket-hole screws hidden on the outside of the box, or dowels and glue, work well. Before the glue sets, measure the two diagonals: when they are equal, the box is square.
7. Fit the back
A 6 mm back slid into grooves cut 10–20 mm from the back edge of the sides is the neatest. Otherwise nail and glue it onto the back, or into a rabbet. Either way, the back is what keeps the cabinet square, so fix it with the box square.
8. Legs, toe kick and installation
Screw adjustable legs under the bottom, about 50 mm from each corner, and clip a plinth to them later. For a US-style toe kick, cut a 4 × 3 in notch at the bottom front of each side instead. Level the cabinet, screw it to the wall through the back rail into studs, and screw neighbouring cabinets together through their sides.
9. Hang the doors and shelves
Press the hinges into the door cups, clip them onto the plates and adjust them until the gaps are even, 2–3 mm all round. If a door rubs or sits crooked, see how to adjust cabinet hinges. Set the shelves on their pins and you are done.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting the board thickness in the width of the bottom and rails.
- Trusting the label: 3/4 in plywood is often 23/32 in (18.3 mm). Measure your board and use the real number.
- Edge banding after assembly, when the edges are hard to reach and trim.
- Drilling hinge cups in the wrong face of the door: mark the inside of every door first.
Start from a plan
Our base and wall cabinet plans are free: type the size and get every part with its edge banding, ready for the cut list.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best material to build cabinets?
3/4 in (18 mm) plywood or melamine-faced particle board for the boxes, 1/4 in (6 mm) plywood or hardboard for the backs, and plywood or MDF for the doors.
What screws do you use to build cabinets?
Confirmat screws (7 × 50 mm) for melamine and MDF, 1 1/4 in pocket-hole screws or 2 in wood screws for plywood, always with glue in plywood joints.
How do I keep a cabinet square?
Measure both diagonals before the glue sets: when they are equal, the box is square. The back panel then locks it that way.
Is it cheaper to build your own cabinets?
Usually, yes: the boards and hardware cost a fraction of custom cabinets, and you can build any size. The time and the tools are the real cost.