Introduction
Getting kitchen unit sizes right is the difference between a smooth install and weeks of frustration. Standard heights, widths and depths exist for a reason: they make appliances line up, worktops meet neatly and doors open without clashing. But when you start planning in detail, things like plinth height, worktop thickness and wall cabinet clearance can quickly get confusing.
This guide focuses on clear, metric-only dimensions so you can plan with confidence. We will walk through standard base, wall and tall unit sizes, explain how flat-pack and rigid units differ, and look at awkward realities like uneven walls, low ceilings and integrated appliance housings. By the end, you should be able to sketch out a layout that a fitter – or a DIY install – can follow with far fewer surprises.
If you are still deciding what type of storage to use, you may also find it helpful to read about alternatives to standard kitchen units such as dressers and open shelving and our broader overview in the kitchen units buying guide on base, wall, tall and corner options.
Key takeaways
- Most base cabinets are around 720 mm high, with an additional 150 mm plinth and 30 mm worktop, giving a typical finished worktop height of about 900 mm.
- Standard unit depths are usually 560 mm for base units and 300–330 mm for wall units, designed so a standard 600 mm worktop overhangs slightly at the front.
- Common unit widths run in 150 mm increments from 150 mm to 1000 mm, which helps you mix cupboards, drawers and specialist fittings such as a three-quarter corner carousel into the same run.
- Leave 450–500 mm between worktop and wall cabinets for a comfortable working height and enough space for kettles, toasters and splashbacks.
- Always measure floors, walls and ceiling heights in several places; allow for filler panels and scribing so your units appear straight even if the room is not.
Standard kitchen unit heights
Kitchen unit heights are best thought of as three layers: the cabinet carcass, the plinth beneath it and the worktop above it. Understanding each measurement makes it easier to adjust for your own comfort and for any quirks in your room.
Base unit heights
The most common base cabinet carcass height in the UK is 720 mm. This is the bare cabinet, without legs or worktop. When you add adjustable legs and a plinth, plus the worktop thickness, you get to the finished working height.
Typical components for a standard run of base units look like this:
- Cabinet carcass: 720 mm
- Legs and plinth: 140–170 mm, commonly set to around 150 mm
- Worktop thickness: 28–40 mm, often around 30 mm
Combine those and you get a finished worktop height of about 890–930 mm, with 900 mm being a very common target. Taller people sometimes prefer to raise this slightly by extending the legs and plinth, while shorter users may set them closer to the minimum.
Before committing to a final worktop height, stand at a real or mock-up surface and check it feels comfortable for food preparation and washing-up. A few millimetres adjustment can make a surprising difference for everyday use.
Wall unit heights
Wall cabinets come in several standard heights so you can match them to your base units and ceiling height:
- Short wall units: around 575–600 mm
- Standard wall units: around 720 mm (to align with a 720 mm base carcass)
- Tall wall units / bridging units: 900 mm or more
Many people choose 720 mm-high wall units above 720 mm base units so the doors line up neatly across the room, but using shorter wall units can be helpful if you have a low ceiling or want a lighter, more open look.
Tall unit heights
Tall units, sometimes called larder or pantry units, are designed to reach close to the ceiling or at least to be visually substantial. Common heights include:
- Full-height tall units: 2150–2300 mm (including legs and top panel)
- Mid-height units: 1400–1600 mm (often used for built-in ovens with cupboards above and below)
Before choosing tall units, check your ceiling height in several places. Older properties often have ceilings that vary across the room, and you may need slightly lower legs or trimming panels to keep the run looking straight.
Standard kitchen unit depths
Depths are just as important as heights because they determine how your worktop overhangs, how appliances sit within units and whether doors and drawers clear handles opposite in a galley kitchen.
Base unit depths
The standard depth for base units in the UK is around 560 mm for the cabinet carcass. This is designed to sit under a 600 mm-deep worktop, leaving a small overhang at the front and sometimes a small service gap at the back.
Key figures to keep in mind:
- Base cabinet depth: 560 mm (front of cabinet to back panel)
- Standard worktop depth: 600 mm (sometimes 620–640 mm for deeper worktops)
- Overhang at front: usually around 20–40 mm beyond the cabinet doors/drawers
Deeper worktops can be useful if you want to bring the front edge out slightly or hide larger pipes and services behind the units. For example, a solid oak worktop around 620 mm deep allows a more generous overhang or a small service void at the back.
Wall unit depths
Wall cabinets are shallower so they do not dominate the room and so you do not bang your head when working at the counter. Typical wall unit depths are:
- Standard wall unit depth: 300–330 mm
- Shallow wall units: 200–250 mm (often used above breakfast bars or in tight spaces)
These depths are enough to store plates, glasses and tins while still keeping the worktop area feeling open. They also help ensure cooker hoods and extractors can be fitted neatly without sticking out excessively.
Tall unit depths
Tall units generally match the depth of base units, so around 560 mm for the carcass. This keeps the front of all your units flush, which is particularly important if you are running a continuous plinth or worktop across different unit types.
Standard kitchen unit widths
Widths are usually modular, based on 150 mm increments. This makes it easier to build up a run of units that exactly fills your wall, using a mix of cupboards, drawers and specialist storage within consistent front sizes.
Common unit widths
These sizes are typical for many UK kitchen ranges:
- 150 mm: very slim pull-outs for spices, bottles or tray storage
- 300 mm: narrow cupboards or pull-outs, often used near corners
- 400 mm: narrow cupboards or drawers
- 450 mm: handy for a compact integrated dishwasher or bin unit
- 500 mm: less common but found in some ranges
- 600 mm: the staple size for cupboards, drawers and integrated appliances
- 800 mm: wider cupboards or double-door wall units such as an 800 mm gloss wall cabinet
- 900 mm: very common for wide drawer units and hob units
- 1000 mm: often used for larger cupboards or corner solutions
Not every manufacturer offers every width, but most core ranges will cover 300 mm to 600 mm as standard and many go up to 1000 mm in steps of 100 mm or 150 mm. Corner and special units follow slightly different rules, which we will touch on shortly.
Unit widths for appliances
Integrated appliances are designed around nominal widths so they can sit neatly within a standard unit line. The most important sizes to remember are:
- Dishwashers: typically 450 mm (slimline) or 600 mm (full size)
- Ovens: usually built into a 600 mm-wide housing, sometimes 900 mm for wide ranges
- Fridges and freezers: often in 540–600 mm-wide housings, but tall built-in models have specific height and depth requirements
- Washing machines and dryers: generally 600 mm wide
When planning, pay attention not just to the appliance body but also to the door thickness and hinge clearance. Make sure adjacent units and handles will not clash when doors are opened fully.
Plinths, worktops and clearances
Beyond the raw cabinet sizes, there are a few critical gaps and allowances you need to build into your plan. These are what make a kitchen feel comfortable and functional day to day.
Plinth heights
Plinths (also called kickboards) cover the adjustable legs under your base and tall units, creating a tidy look and stopping crumbs and dust from collecting underneath. Typical plinth heights are:
- Standard plinth: around 150 mm
- Low plinth: 100–130 mm in some modern or compact ranges
- High plinth: up to 170 mm to help accommodate wonky floors
Most modern units use adjustable plastic legs, so you can fine-tune the final plinth height by a few millimetres to level the run.
Worktop thickness
Worktop thickness affects both the finished height and how solid and premium the surface feels. Common thicknesses include:
- Laminate worktops: around 28–40 mm
- Solid wood worktops: often 27–40 mm, such as a 27 mm-thick oak top
- Composite/stone: 20–30 mm, sometimes with a built-up edge to look thicker
Thicker worktops can look more traditional or substantial, while thinner profiles suit sleek, modern designs. Just remember to factor the thickness into window cill heights and any existing tiling.
Wall cabinet clearance above worktops
The space between your worktop and the bottom of wall units is crucial for both comfort and safety. Too low and it feels cramped; too high and upper shelves become hard to reach. A practical range for most kitchens is:
- Minimum clearance: around 450 mm
- Common target: 450–500 mm
- Higher clearances: 550 mm or more above hobs, depending on extractor requirements
Always check the installation instructions for your hob and extractor fan, as they usually specify a minimum distance from the cooking surface to any cabinets or hoods above.
Flat-pack vs rigid: do sizes differ?
Flat-pack (self-assembly) and rigid (pre-assembled) kitchens mostly follow the same broad dimensions, but there are small differences worth knowing about when you mix ranges or replace units in an existing layout.
Flat-pack cabinets often use standardised sizes to keep packaging efficient and instructions simpler. Heights of 720 mm and depths of 560 mm are very common, and widths follow the 150 mm or 100 mm modular pattern. Legs and plinths give you flexibility to deal with minor floor variations.
Rigid cabinets may include thicker cabinet sides, integrated support frames or specific design detailing, which can change internal measurements slightly even when the external width, depth and height are nominally the same. Some rigid manufacturers also offer slightly different heights, such as 715 mm carcasses with 150 mm plinths, or taller 780 mm carcasses for a more ergonomic working height.
If you plan to combine units from different sources, always compare the full technical drawings rather than assuming that a stated 600 mm-wide unit will line up exactly in every direction.
For a broader look at how construction affects durability and fitting, you may want to explore our guide comparing flat-pack and pre-assembled kitchen units for cost and durability.
Corner units and carousel fittings
Corners are where standard sizes become less intuitive. While the external widths still follow typical modules (for example two 1000 mm corner units meeting in an L-shape), a significant chunk of the corner space is hidden or given over to mechanisms.
Standard corner base units often use a 900 mm or 1000 mm width along each wall, with the internal storage accessed by a door on one side. Inside, you might find static shelves, a swinging shelf or a dedicated corner mechanism such as a three-quarter carousel.
A three-quarter corner carousel fitting is designed to sit within a standard corner base and bring hidden items to the front. The diameter of the carousel (for example around 820 mm) determines how much of the corner is used and how wide the access door needs to be. Checking these measurements against your chosen carcass dimensions is vital to ensure it can rotate freely without catching doors or hinges.
If you are unsure which corner option suits your space, our corner kitchen units guide on L-shaped, carousel and magic corner solutions explains the main approaches and how they differ in capacity and access.
Integrated appliance housings and fridge sizes
Integrated appliance housings look like standard cabinets from the outside but have carefully designed internal dimensions, ventilation gaps and mounting points for doors. Treating them like a regular cupboard when you plan your layout can cause issues with fit and airflow.
Fridge and freezer housings
Tall integrated fridge and freezer housings are commonly 600 mm wide to line up with the rest of the run. Heights vary depending on the appliance type:
- Under-counter fridges/freezers: sit in a standard 600 mm-wide base space with a 720 mm worktop height; allow for the plinth and any ventilation grill
- Tall integrated fridge/freezer: housings often around 2120–2300 mm high including plinth, to take a full-height appliance plus top cupboard
Always check the manufacturer’s specification for ventilation requirements at the top, bottom and sometimes behind the appliance. Some models need a vent in the plinth or a gap above the cabinet, which affects how tightly you can run cornices or ceiling panels.
Oven and dishwasher housings
Single ovens are generally designed to fit into a 600 mm-wide housing, either under the worktop or in a tall unit with cupboards above and/or below. Double ovens and combination units can require taller housings, so confirm both the aperture size and the total external height you want in that run.
Integrated dishwashers typically share widths with their free-standing equivalents:
- Slimline: around 450 mm wide
- Full size: around 600 mm wide
The depth is similar to your base units but allow a little extra for pipes and cables at the back. Check the distance from the wall to the front of the adjacent cabinets when the door is open so that it does not foul walls, islands or opposite units in a narrow room.
Dealing with uneven walls, floors and low ceilings
In real homes, walls bow, floors slope and ceilings are rarely perfectly level. The good news is that standard kitchen unit sizes assume some of this and allow room to adjust. The key is to measure thoroughly and build in tolerance.
Uneven and out-of-square walls
Start by measuring each wall at several points along its length, not just at the ends. If you find variation, plan to use filler panels and scribes where units meet the wall. Rather than forcing cabinets tight to a wavy wall, you fix them straight and level, then trim a filler strip to follow the wall’s contour.
Standard filler panels are often 50–100 mm wide, but they can be cut down to size. Leaving 20–40 mm for filler at either end of a run is common and helps everything look purpose-built rather than squeezed in.
Sloping floors and low ceilings
Sloping floors can usually be handled with adjustable cabinet legs. These often allow 30–40 mm of adjustment, which is enough for many rooms. The important thing is to set the tops of the cabinets level so the worktop is flat, even if the plinth height varies slightly along the run.
For low or uneven ceilings, tall units are the most sensitive. Check the lowest point of the ceiling where a tall unit will sit and leave around 10–20 mm clearance for fitting and ventilation. If the ceiling drops mid-run, it may be better to end tall units before that point and continue with wall units instead.
Planning layouts and measurement checklists
Once you know the standard sizes, the next step is turning them into a practical layout. Having a simple checklist makes it easier to gather all the essential measurements before ordering.
Printable measurement checklist (metric)
Use this as a starting point when sketching your kitchen. You can copy it into a notebook or print it out and fill it in on site.
- Room length (each wall, measured at floor level, mid-height and near ceiling)
- Room width (especially important for galley layouts and islands)
- Ceiling height (several points, note the lowest)
- Window positions, widths and sill heights
- Door positions, opening directions and frame widths
- Radiators, pipes and boxed-in areas
- Existing electrical sockets and planned new ones
- Water, waste and gas connection positions
- Preferred worktop height (finished height from floor)
- Plinth height and worktop thickness you plan to use
- Target wall unit clearance above worktops
- Appliance sizes (width, height, depth and door swing needs)
- Space for corner mechanisms or carousels (check door sizes and internal diameters)
Having this information to hand makes using any planning tool or working with a kitchen designer far more efficient and reduces the risk of discovering awkward clashes late in the process.
When to consider non-standard sizes
Standard units suit most kitchens, but there are times when going off the standard grid is worthwhile. Very narrow rooms might benefit from shallower base units (for example 450 mm deep) on one side to improve circulation. Very tall or short users may appreciate a custom worktop height for better ergonomics.
Some ranges offer reduced-depth base and tall units, extra-tall wall cabinets or bespoke widths to fill awkward gaps. In other situations, it may be more economical to use standard units and adjust the room – for example, moving a radiator slightly or trimming back a nib of wall – than to commission custom carcasses.
If you are weighing up more flexible layouts, it can help to compare fitted runs with more modular approaches and freestanding pieces. Our article on fitted versus modular kitchen units explores where each approach makes the most sense.
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