Kitchen Cabinet Dimensions and Standard Sizes Explained

Getting kitchen cabinet sizes right is what separates a kitchen that feels effortless from one that fights you every day. UK units are built to a set of standard dimensions, and once you know them you can plan a layout, price a project, or check a quote without guessing. This guide sets out the standard base, wall and tall unit sizes in millimetres, the common widths to build a run from, and the working heights that keep a kitchen comfortable to use. It applies whether you are planning a small flat in Islington or a family kitchen in a Victorian terrace.

Almost every UK kitchen, from budget flat-pack to high-end bespoke, is built around the same core measurements. Bespoke makers can break the rules, but they usually start from these numbers because appliances, worktops and splashbacks are all sized to match.

Base units: the foundation

Base units are the cabinets that sit on the floor and carry the worktop. The standard UK base unit carcass is 720mm high and around 560 to 570mm deep before you add anything. On top of that you build the finished working height:

• The carcass sits on a plinth (kickboard) of roughly 150mm.
• The worktop adds around 40mm.

Add those together and a finished worktop lands at about 870 to 910mm from the floor, which is the comfortable standard for most people. If you or the main cook are notably tall or short, this is the one figure worth adjusting, because raising or lowering the plinth changes the whole run.

Base units come in a familiar set of widths so they line up neatly: 150, 300, 400, 500, 600, 800 and 1000mm. The 600mm unit is the workhorse and matches most integrated appliances, which is why dishwashers, ovens and washing machines are built to slot into a 600mm gap. Narrow 150mm units are usually pull-out storage. For the detail on drawer and door options, see our kitchen base units guide.

Wall units: what goes above

Wall units are shallower so they do not loom over the worktop or bang against your head. The standard depth is 300mm, excluding the door thickness. Heights come in three common options: 575mm, 720mm and 900mm, with 720mm the most popular because it lines up cleanly with tall units and leaves room above for a bulkhead or open space.

The gap between the worktop and the underside of the wall units matters as much as the units themselves. The comfortable standard is 450 to 500mm, enough to fit a kettle and small appliances underneath and to tile a splashback, without the cupboards being out of easy reach.

Tall units: ovens, larders and fridges

Tall units run from the floor to roughly the top of the wall cabinets, giving you full-height storage or housing for a built-in oven and fridge. They typically stand between 1960mm and 2300mm high, with around 2140mm a common choice that aligns the top with a standard wall-unit run. Depth usually matches the base units at around 560 to 570mm. Larder units and appliance housings are both built on this footprint, so a tall run reads as one clean vertical block. Our kitchen larder units guide covers the storage options inside them.

Corner units and awkward spaces

Corners are where standard sizes get interesting, because two runs of cabinets meet at a right angle and something has to give. The usual solutions are an L-shaped corner unit, a diagonal corner unit with a carousel, or a blank corner post that sacrifices the awkward space for simplicity. Each eats a slightly different amount of your wall length, so plan corners first and fill the straight runs around them. We go into the trade-offs in our kitchen corner units guide.

How to plan a layout from these sizes

Start by measuring the room in millimetres, floor to ceiling and wall to wall, and mark the position of the sink waste, gas or electric points, and any window. Then lay out the appliances first, because they are fixed at 600mm and cannot flex, and build the cabinet run around them using the standard widths. Leave a small filler panel, usually 20 to 50mm, at the end of a run or against a wall, because rooms are rarely perfectly square and the filler absorbs the difference.

Most UK manufacturers publish full dimension tables for their ranges, and it is worth checking the specific brand you are buying, since a few use slightly different carcass heights. A typical reference is the specification detail at a supplier such as Howdens, which lists standard unit sizes clearly. If you are fitting a compact space, our small kitchen design ideas show how to make these standard sizes work in a tight footprint.

Frequently asked questions

What are the standard kitchen cabinet sizes in the UK? UK base units are 720mm high and around 560 to 570mm deep, in widths of 150, 300, 400, 500, 600, 800 and 1000mm. Wall units are 300mm deep in heights of 575, 720 or 900mm, and tall units run roughly 1960 to 2300mm high. These sizes are near-universal across brands.

What is the standard height of a kitchen worktop? About 870 to 910mm from the floor. That comes from a 720mm base carcass, a roughly 150mm plinth and a worktop of around 40mm. You can raise or lower it by adjusting the plinth height if the main cook is particularly tall or short.

How deep are kitchen wall units? The UK standard is 300mm deep, not counting the door. That keeps them clear of your head over the worktop while still holding plates, glasses and dry goods. Deeper wall units exist but are less common in fitted UK kitchens.

What is the standard gap between worktop and wall units? Between 450 and 500mm. This leaves room for small appliances like a kettle or toaster underneath and space to tile or fit a splashback, while keeping the wall cupboards within comfortable reach.

Why are so many kitchen units 600mm wide? Because integrated appliances, ovens, dishwashers, washing machines and many fridges, are built to a 600mm width. Standardising cabinets around 600mm means appliances slot into the run without custom gaps, which keeps kitchens easy to design and appliances easy to replace.