Is 36 inches the standard counter height?

Yes, in the US and Canada kitchen counters are 36 in (91.4 cm) from the floor to the top. In the UK and most of Europe the usual height is 90–91 cm.

42 in (107 cm). Bar stools for it have a seat at 28–30 in; counter stools for a 36 in counter have a seat at 24–26 in.

How deep is a standard countertop?

25 to 25 1/2 in (63.5–65 cm) on 24 in base cabinets, so the front overhangs about 1 in. In Europe worktops are 600 mm deep, sometimes 620–650 mm.

How high is a bathroom countertop?

30–32 in (76–81 cm) for a traditional vanity and 34–36 in (86–91 cm) for a comfort-height vanity.

How much overhang does a counter need for seating?

About 15 in (38 cm) of knee space at a 36 in counter, 12 in (30 cm) at a 42 in bar and 18 in (46 cm) at table height.

Standard Countertop Height: Kitchen, Bathroom & Bar

The standard kitchen countertop height is 36 in (91.4 cm), measured from the floor to the top of the counter. In the UK and Europe it is usually 90–91 cm, with 85–95 cm possible by changing the cabinet legs or plinth. Bathrooms and bars use different heights, listed below. For raised bars and the stools to match, see counter height vs bar height.

Countertop heights at a glance

Counter	Height (US)	Height (metric)
Kitchen counter	36 in	90–91 cm
Kitchen island, work side	36 in	90–91 cm
Raised bar on an island	42 in	105–107 cm
Bathroom vanity, traditional	30–32 in	76–81 cm
Bathroom vanity, comfort height	34–36 in	86–91 cm
Accessible (ADA) counter	34 in maximum	86.5 cm maximum
Table or desk height	29–30 in	74–76 cm

How 36 inches adds up

In the US, a base cabinet is 34 1/2 in tall including a 4 to 4 1/2 in toe kick, and a 1 1/2 in countertop brings it to 36 in. A thinner 1 1/4 in (3 cm) stone top is usually set on a 1/4 in build-up or on slightly taller cabinets so the counter still lands at 36 in.

European kitchens build up the same way in millimetres: a 720 mm cabinet carcass on 150 mm legs, plus a 30–40 mm worktop, gives 900–910 mm. With 100 mm legs the counter drops to about 860 mm; with 200 mm legs it rises to about 950 mm.

Part	US	Europe
Toe kick or legs	4–4 1/2 in	100–150 mm
Cabinet box	30–30 1/2 in	720 mm
Countertop	1 1/4–1 1/2 in	30–40 mm
Counter height	36 in	850–910 mm

Countertop depth and overhang

A standard countertop is 25 to 25 1/2 in (63.5–65 cm) deep. Base cabinets are 24 in (61 cm) deep, so the top hangs about 1 in (25 mm) past the doors, and drips fall in front of them instead of on them. In Europe, worktops are 600 mm deep over 560–580 mm carcasses.

Where people sit at the counter, it needs to overhang far enough for their knees:

Counter height	Knee space (overhang)	Stool seat height
Table height, 30 in	18 in (46 cm)	18 in (chairs)
Counter height, 36 in	15 in (38 cm)	24–26 in
Bar height, 42 in	12 in (30 cm)	28–30 in

Allow 24 in (61 cm) of counter length per seat. An overhang over about 10 in (25 cm) needs brackets or corbels under a stone top.

Choosing a different height

The 36 in standard suits people about 5 ft 3 in to 5 ft 9 in tall. A good working counter sits 4–6 in (10–15 cm) below your bent elbow when you stand. Tall cooks often raise counters to 38–39 in (97–99 cm), and shorter ones lower them to 34 in, simply by changing the toe kick or the legs. Keep the 36 in standard where appliances slide under the counter: dishwashers need 34 1/2 in (or 820 mm in Europe) of clear height.

Building the base cabinets

If you build your own cabinets, the counter height is just the sum of the legs, the box and the top, so you can pick any height. Our base cabinet plan recalculates every panel when you change the height, width or depth:

Standard Countertop Height