What is the standard height of kitchen cabinets?

Base cabinets are 34 1/2 in (876 mm) tall, 36 in (914 mm) with a 1 1/2 in countertop. Wall cabinets are 30, 36 or 42 in tall, hung 54 in from the floor. Tall pantry and oven cabinets are 84, 90 or 96 in.

How tall are base cabinets without the countertop?

34 1/2 in: a 30 in box on a 4 1/2 in toe kick. In Europe, a 720 mm carcass on 100–150 mm legs, 820–870 mm before the worktop.

What is the most common wall cabinet height?

30 in for an 8 ft ceiling with a soffit or crown above, 36 in to leave a small gap, and 42 in to reach an 8 ft ceiling or for a 9 ft ceiling.

How tall is a pantry cabinet?

84, 90 or 96 in (213, 229 or 244 cm), so its top lines up with the top of the wall cabinets: 84 in under 30 in uppers, 90 in under 36 in uppers and 96 in under 42 in uppers.

Standard Cabinet Height: Base, Wall and Tall Cabinets

Standard kitchen base cabinets are 34 1/2 in (876 mm) tall, 36 in (914 mm) with the countertop. Wall cabinets are 30, 36 or 42 in (76, 91 or 107 cm) tall, and tall pantry and oven cabinets 84, 90 or 96 in (213–244 cm). These are the most common cabinet heights in every US kitchen, and every manufacturer builds to them, so appliances, countertops and hardware all fit. In Europe the numbers are metric: a 720 mm base carcass on legs, with the worktop at 850–920 mm.

Cabinet heights chart

Cabinet	Height	Metric
Base (floor) cabinet, box and toe kick	34 1/2 in	876 mm (EU: 720 mm carcass + 100–150 mm legs)
Base cabinet with countertop	36 in	914 mm (EU: 850–920 mm)
Wall (upper) cabinet	30, 36 or 42 in	762, 914 or 1067 mm (EU: 720 or 900 mm)
Short wall cabinet (over a fridge or range)	12, 15, 18 or 24 in	305–610 mm
Tall pantry or oven cabinet	84, 90 or 96 in	2134, 2286 or 2438 mm (EU: 2000–2200 mm)
Bathroom vanity	30–32 in, or 34–36 in comfort height	760–910 mm
Desk-height cabinet	28 1/2–30 in	725–760 mm

How a base cabinet height adds up

Part	Height
Toe kick (plinth)	4–4 1/2 in (100–115 mm)
Cabinet box	30–30 1/2 in (about 770 mm)
Countertop	1 1/4–1 1/2 in (30–40 mm)
Counter height	36 in (914 mm)

Floor cabinets in the same run must all be the same height, so the counter is flat. Set the toe kick or the adjustable legs to the highest point of the floor, and shim the rest up to it. For a different counter height, change the toe kick, not the box: see standard countertop height.

Wall cabinet height and the ceiling

Wall cabinets hang with their bottom 54 in (137 cm) from the floor, 18 in above a 36 in counter. Their height then decides what happens at the ceiling:

Ceiling	Wall cabinet	Top of cabinet	Above it
8 ft (96 in)	30 in	84 in	12 in soffit, crown or open shelf
8 ft (96 in)	36 in	90 in	6 in gap or crown moulding
8 ft (96 in)	42 in	96 in	Reaches the ceiling
9 ft (108 in)	42 in	96 in	12 in, or a row of 12 in stacked cabinets
10 ft (120 in)	42 in + 18 in stacked	114 in	Small gap for crown

To work out the height for any ceiling: ceiling height − 54 in − the space you want above. See upper cabinet height for the distance above the counter and over the range.

Cabinet height from the floor

Point	From the floor
Top of a base cabinet box	34 1/2 in (876 mm)
Countertop	36 in (914 mm)
Bottom of wall cabinets	54 in (1372 mm)
Top of 30 / 36 / 42 in wall cabinets	84 / 90 / 96 in
Top of tall cabinets	84, 90 or 96 in, lined up with the wall cabinets
Bottom of a microwave or range hood	30–36 in above the cooktop, by the maker's manual

Tall and pantry cabinet height

A kitchen pantry cabinet height of 84, 90 or 96 in is chosen to line up with the top of the wall cabinets, so the whole kitchen has one top line. They are 12, 15 or 24 in deep and 18–36 in wide. Over 84 in, split the doors into an upper and a lower door: a single tall door warps more easily.

Building cabinets to these heights

Because you build them yourself, you can change any height: a taller toe kick for a tall cook, 40 in uppers for an odd ceiling. Our plans calculate every part from the height you type:

Standard Cabinet Height