Cabinet Calculator
Corners eat more frontage than their width.
Work out Cabinet. Corners eat more frontage than their width. Free, with no account and nothing to install.
More for a diagonal or patterned layout, more again for an awkward room
Units to buy
34 units
20 m² net · 20 m² with waste
Kitchen units are sized by frontage in standard modules, so the run length divided by the module width is the count — and the remainder is a filler panel rather than a smaller unit. Corners consume more frontage than their width suggests, because the two runs meet and one loses access.
How the Cabinet Calculator works
Kitchen units for a run, from the frontage available and the module width. Corners are where a layout goes wrong: they consume more frontage than their width suggests because two runs meet and one loses access.
Also known as: how many kitchen units do i need · kitchen cabinet run calculator · kitchen unit width planning · base unit count calculator
Frontage, modules and the filler nobody plans for
Kitchen units come in fixed widths — commonly 300, 400, 500, 600, 800 and 1,000 mm — so a run is a combination of modules rather than a continuous length. The run divided by the module widths gives the count.
What is left over is a filler panel, not a smaller unit. Almost every kitchen needs at least one, because room dimensions rarely divide exactly into module widths, and planning where the filler goes is better than discovering it at the last unit.
Ranges differ in what widths they offer, so a layout planned around a width that does not exist in the chosen range has to be redone. Checking the actual module list before drawing a layout saves a great deal of rework.
Corners are where the space goes
A corner is the least efficient part of any kitchen. Two runs meet, and the depth of one consumes frontage from the other — so the corner takes more space than its unit width suggests and gives back less usable storage.
The options are a dedicated corner unit with a carousel, a blank corner with access from one side only, or a diagonal unit. The carousel recovers otherwise unreachable volume at a cost; the blank corner is cheap and wastes a substantial volume.
It also affects door swings. Two doors meeting at an internal corner can foul each other, and a drawer next to a corner may not open past the adjacent handle. Both are layout problems that only appear once the units are in.
Appliances and the work triangle
Appliances take frontage exactly as units do. Integrated ones need a housing sized to the manufacturer's aperture dimensions rather than to the appliance itself, and those are the numbers to design to — the difference is usually a few millimetres and it matters.
The work triangle between sink, hob and refrigerator is the oldest kitchen layout principle and it still describes most of what makes a kitchen tiring. Keeping it compact and uninterrupted matters more than total floor area.
So does landing space. A meaningful run of worktop beside the hob and beside the sink is worth more than the same area distributed elsewhere. A large kitchen with all its worktop in one place is less usable than a small one with surfaces where they are needed.
Where to go next
The Cabinet question rarely arrives on its own. These are the ones that usually come with it:
- Countertop Calculator — Where the join falls matters more than the total length.
- Floor Tile Calculator — Buy a spare box — dye lots do not match later.
- Baseboard Calculator — Corners consume length the tape measure does not show.
- Ring Size Calculator — Finger measurement to US, UK, EU and Japanese sizes.
Frequently asked questions
How do I work out how many kitchen units I need?
Divide the run length by the module width. What is left is a filler panel rather than a smaller unit, since units come in fixed widths.
What are standard cabinet widths?
Commonly 300, 400, 500, 600, 800 and 1000 mm, with 600 the most common base module. Ranges differ, so check before planning a layout around a width that may not exist.
How do corner units work?
A corner needs either a dedicated corner unit or a blank panel where the two runs meet. Either way it consumes more frontage than the unit width, because part of one run is lost to the other's depth.
What is a filler panel?
A strip that closes the gap between the last unit and a wall. Almost every kitchen needs one, because room dimensions rarely divide exactly into module widths.
How much clearance do I need between runs?
Around 1,000 to 1,200 mm for a walkway between opposing runs, and more where two people work at once or where appliance doors open into the space.
Should I include the appliance widths?
Yes, as part of the run. Appliances take frontage the same as units do, and integrated ones need a housing unit sized around them rather than a gap.
What is the standard base unit height?
Around 870 mm plus the worktop, giving a working surface near 900 mm. Legs are adjustable to level on an uneven floor, which is what the plinth conceals.
How do I plan around appliances?
Integrated appliances need a housing unit sized around them; freestanding ones need a gap plus tolerance. The manufacturer's aperture dimensions are the ones to design to, not the appliance dimensions.
What is the work triangle?
The path between sink, hob and refrigerator. Keeping it uninterrupted and reasonably compact is the oldest kitchen layout principle, and it still describes most of what makes a kitchen tiring to work in.
How much worktop space is enough?
A meaningful run beside the hob and beside the sink matters more than the total. A large kitchen with all its worktop in one place is less usable than a small one with landing space where it is needed.
Do wall units have to align with base units?
No, and they frequently should not — a wall unit above a hob or a sink is in the way. Alignment looks tidier and usability generally wins.
What is a corner carousel worth?
It recovers space that is otherwise unreachable, at a cost. The alternative — a blank corner with access from one side only — wastes a substantial volume in most L-shaped kitchens.
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Related calculators
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