How to Measure Your Kitchen for Custom Cabinets

Before a custom cabinet maker can design your kitchen or give you a meaningful quote, they need accurate measurements of the space. While most professionals will come to your home and take their own measurements before finalizing a design, having a good set of preliminary measurements helps you get more accurate ballpark quotes, communicate your kitchen layout during initial consultations, and start thinking about design possibilities before the first meeting.

You don’t need professional tools or drafting experience to do this. A tape measure, a pencil, and some graph paper (or even your phone’s notes app) are all it takes.

What You’ll Need

• A tape measure (25-foot is ideal)
• A pencil and notepad, or your phone
• Graph paper (optional, but helpful for sketching)
• A helper to hold the other end of the tape measure on long walls (optional but makes it easier)
• A step stool for measuring upper walls and soffits

Step 1: Sketch Your Kitchen Layout

Start by drawing a rough floor plan of your kitchen from above. Don’t worry about scale or precision at this stage. You just need a bird’s-eye view showing every wall, doorway, and window opening. Label each wall with a letter or number so you can reference them easily when recording measurements.

Include any architectural features like soffits (the boxed-in area between the top of the wall cabinets and the ceiling), bulkheads, columns, angled walls, or pass-throughs. These all affect where and how cabinets can be installed.

Step 2: Measure Each Wall

Starting from one corner of the kitchen and working your way around the room, measure each wall from corner to corner. Take each measurement at countertop height (approximately 36 inches from the floor), because walls can be slightly out of plumb, and the measurement at counter height is what matters most for cabinet fit.

Write each measurement directly on your sketch next to the corresponding wall.

A few tips for accurate wall measurements:

• Measure from the inside corner of the wall, not from the face of any existing cabinets or trim
• If you can’t remove existing cabinets to measure, measure the face of the cabinets and note that this is a cabinet-face measurement (your cabinet maker will account for the difference)
• Measure in inches, not feet and inches. This avoids conversion errors. A wall that’s 146 inches is less prone to mistakes than “12 feet 2 inches”

Step 3: Measure Windows and Doors

For every window along a cabinet wall, record three measurements:

1. The distance from the nearest corner to the left edge of the window frame
2. The width of the window (including the frame/casing)
3. The height of the window sill from the floor

For doorways and openings, record:

1. The distance from the nearest corner to the edge of the door frame
2. The width of the opening (including the frame/casing)
3. Which direction the door swings (if applicable)

These measurements tell your cabinet maker exactly where cabinets can and can’t go, and how to design around fixed features.

Step 4: Measure Ceiling Height and Soffits

Measure the floor-to-ceiling height in at least three spots along the cabinet walls (corners and center). Old homes in particular can have ceiling heights that vary by an inch or more across the room. Record all measurements.

If your kitchen has soffits (enclosed boxes above the existing upper cabinets), measure:

• The depth of the soffit from the wall
• The height of the soffit from the ceiling
• The length of the soffit along the wall

You and your cabinet maker will discuss whether to keep, remove, or build to the soffits during the design phase.

Step 5: Locate Plumbing and Electrical

Mark the following on your sketch with as much precision as possible:

Plumbing:

• Center of the sink drain (measure from the nearest wall corner)
• Hot and cold water supply line locations
• Dishwasher water supply and drain locations
• Gas line location (if you have a gas range)

Electrical:

• Location of every outlet along the cabinet walls
• Location of light switches
• Dedicated appliance outlets (for the refrigerator, dishwasher, garbage disposal, microwave, range hood)
• Any existing under-cabinet lighting connections

Knowing where the plumbing and electrical currently live helps your cabinet maker design around existing connections or plan for changes. Moving plumbing or electrical adds cost and time, so if your current layout works, designing cabinets to accommodate existing connections is the most efficient path.

Step 6: Measure Appliances

Record the width, depth, and height of every appliance that will be built into or surrounded by cabinets:

• Refrigerator (note whether it’s counter-depth or standard depth)
• Range or cooktop (width is especially critical)
• Dishwasher
• Built-in microwave or microwave drawer
• Wall oven (if applicable)
• Range hood or over-the-range microwave

If you’re buying new appliances, get the exact model numbers and look up the specification sheets (available on manufacturer websites). These sheets include the cutout dimensions and clearance requirements that your cabinet maker needs. Provide these specs along with your kitchen measurements.

Step 7: Note Obstacles and Irregularities

Real kitchens have quirks. Note anything that might affect cabinet placement or design:

• Pipes, ducts, or structural elements that protrude from walls
• Out-of-square corners (place a square or large book in the corner; if there’s a visible gap, the corner isn’t 90 degrees)
• Uneven floors (place a level on the floor along the cabinet walls and note any slope)
• Existing venting or ductwork for the range hood
• Water heater, furnace, or other utilities accessed through the kitchen

Don’t worry about solving these issues yourself. Your cabinet maker has seen it all and can design around virtually any obstacle. Just document what’s there so they can plan accordingly.

Putting It All Together

Once you’ve gathered all your measurements, you should have:

1. A sketch showing the floor plan layout
2. Wall measurements (corner to corner, at countertop height)
3. Window and door locations with dimensions
4. Ceiling heights (multiple spots)
5. Soffit dimensions (if applicable)
6. Plumbing and electrical locations
7. Appliance dimensions or spec sheets
8. Notes about any irregularities or obstacles

This information gives a cabinet maker everything they need to start a preliminary design and provide a ballpark quote. When you’re ready to move forward, the cabinet maker will visit your home and take their own precise measurements using professional tools, often including a laser measuring device that captures dimensions to the 1/16th of an inch.

For a realistic idea of what your custom cabinet project might cost based on your kitchen’s size, see our complete custom cabinet cost guide. And when you’re ready to start conversations with professionals, find custom cabinet makers in your area through our directory.

Frequently Asked Questions

How accurate do my measurements need to be?

For initial planning and quote purposes, within half an inch is perfectly fine. Your cabinet maker will take their own precise measurements before building anything. The goal of your measurements is to give them a clear picture of the space so they can develop a design concept and estimate costs.

Should I remove existing cabinets before measuring?

No, that’s not necessary at this stage. Measure around or behind existing cabinets where you can. If you can only measure the face of the current cabinets, note that on your sketch. The cabinet maker will measure the bare walls during their on-site visit.

What if my walls aren’t straight?

That’s more common than you might think, especially in older homes. Take measurements at multiple heights (floor level, countertop height, and upper cabinet height) to capture any bowing or unevenness. Custom cabinets are actually better suited to imperfect walls than stock cabinets because they can be built to accommodate irregularities.

Do I need to provide a floor plan drawing?

A rough sketch is helpful but doesn’t need to be an architectural drawing. A simple overhead view showing the wall layout with measurements noted is sufficient. Some homeowners take a series of photos of each wall along with their measurements, which can be just as useful as a sketch.

What’s the most common measuring mistake homeowners make?

Forgetting to measure ceiling height or assuming it’s uniform. Many homes have ceiling heights that vary by half an inch to a full inch across the room. If upper cabinets are designed for a 96-inch ceiling and the ceiling is actually 95 inches in one spot, the installation runs into problems. Measuring ceiling height in multiple locations prevents this.

Last Updated: February 2026