Cabinet Linear Foot Calculator
Cabinets are the one kitchen item that isn't sold by the square foot. They're quoted by the linear foot, meaning the length of wall the run covers, with base, wall, and tall cabinets counted separately. Measure each run, enter it below, and you get the linear footage a supplier will quote against, plus the countertop square footage that sits on top of it.
Why linear feet and not square feet
A cabinet's depth and height are standardized, so the only variable is how far along the wall it runs. A 24 inch deep base cabinet is 24 inches deep whether it's 12 inches wide or 36. That makes the length of the run the only thing worth pricing, and it's why quotes come back as a rate per linear foot.
The industry shorthand for this is the "10x10 kitchen," a standard L-shaped layout used to compare cabinet lines against each other. It works out to roughly 20 to 25 linear feet of cabinetry. HomeAdvisor puts a 10 by 10 kitchen at $2,000 to $24,000 depending on the line, with installed rates of $100 to $300 per linear foot for stock, $150 to $650 for semi-custom, and $500 to $1,200 for custom.
That spread is why the number matters. At 22 linear feet, the difference between a stock and a semi-custom quote is thousands of dollars, and the linear footage is the multiplier on all of it.
How to measure your kitchen
- Sketch the kitchen from above and mark each wall that has or will have cabinets.
- Measure each wall run from corner to corner, in inches, at counter height rather than at the floor, since baseboards and out-of-square corners distort a floor measurement.
- Note the runs separately for base cabinets, wall cabinets, and tall or pantry units. They're priced differently and they rarely cover the same length of wall.
- Mark the appliances: range, dishwasher, refrigerator, and any sink base.
- Mark the windows and doors, since wall cabinets stop at a window and base cabinets stop at a doorway.
For a first quote, most suppliers take the full wall runs and adjust later. For an accurate order, subtract the appliance openings: about 30 inches for a standard range, 24 for a dishwasher, and 33 to 36 for a refrigerator.
Measure in inches and convert at the end. Cabinet widths come in 3 inch increments, so a 137 inch wall doesn't divide neatly and the gap gets taken up by filler strips.
Standard cabinet dimensions
Knowing the standard sizes tells you what will fit before you order anything. These are the common US dimensions, as listed by Kitchen Cabinet Kings:
| Cabinet | Height | Depth | Widths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base | 34.5 in (36 in with countertop) | 24 in | 9 to 42 in, in 3 in steps |
| Wall | 30, 36, or 42 in | 12 in (24 in over a fridge) | 12 to 36 in, in 3 in steps |
| Tall / pantry | 84, 90, or 96 in | 12 or 24 in | 18 or 24 in stock |
The toe kick takes 4.5 inches at the bottom of a base cabinet. Wall cabinets hang with their bottom 54 inches off the floor, leaving the standard 18 inch backsplash gap above a 36 inch counter.
When you do need square footage
Three cabinet jobs are measured in area rather than length.
Countertops. A countertop is the base run multiplied by its depth, normally 25 inches with the overhang. So 17.5 linear feet of base cabinet carries 17.5 x 25 / 12, which is about 36.5 square feet of countertop. The countertop calculator handles islands and separate runs.
Painting or refinishing. Here you're covering the doors, drawer fronts, and face frames, not the boxes. Measure each door and drawer front, add them up, and double the total if you're painting both sides. A typical 10x10 kitchen has somewhere around 30 doors and drawer fronts, which is why refinishing quotes are usually per door rather than per square foot. The paint calculator turns the area into gallons.
Cabinet backs and fillers. Panels and end skins are sold as sheet goods, so those are square footage buys.
Worked example: an L-shaped kitchen
Two walls, 12 feet and 8 feet, so 20 feet of wall total.
- Base cabinets: 20 feet minus 2.5 feet for the range, so 17.5 linear feet.
- Wall cabinets: 20 feet minus 3 feet for the window and 2.5 feet over the range for the hood, so 14.5 linear feet.
- Countertop: 17.5 x 25 / 12 = 36.5 square feet.
- Cabinet total for quoting: 32 linear feet across base and wall.
At a stock rate of $200 per linear foot installed, that's around $6,400. At semi-custom rates it's closer to $13,000. Same kitchen, same measurements.
Common mistakes
Adding base and wall runs into one number without splitting them. They're priced separately, and a quote built on a single combined figure will be wrong in both directions.
Measuring at the floor. Baseboards and uneven walls throw the number off. Measure at counter height.
Forgetting that corners eat space. An L-shaped run needs a corner cabinet, typically a 36 inch lazy Susan base, and the two walls overlap at that corner. Don't count the same corner twice on both walls.
Assuming square footage. If someone quotes you cabinets by the square foot, ask what they mean. It's almost always linear feet, or a per-door price for refinishing.
Measuring the old cabinets instead of the walls. The existing run may not use the full wall, and you may want a different layout.
Frequently asked questions
How do you measure kitchen cabinets?
Measure each wall run corner to corner in inches at counter height, keeping base, wall, and tall cabinet runs separate. Note where appliances, windows, and doorways interrupt the run. Convert to feet at the end, since cabinets are quoted per linear foot.
Are cabinets measured in linear feet or square feet?
Linear feet. Because cabinet depth and height are standardized, only the length of the run varies, so that's what suppliers price. Square footage comes into it for countertops and for painting the doors.
What is a 10x10 kitchen?
It's an industry benchmark layout, an L-shape on two 10 foot walls, used to compare cabinet lines on a like-for-like basis. It works out to roughly 20 to 25 linear feet of cabinetry, and most cabinet price lists quote a 10x10 total.
How much do kitchen cabinets cost per linear foot?
Installed rates run about $100 to $300 per linear foot for stock, $150 to $650 for semi-custom, and $500 to $1,200 for custom, according to HomeAdvisor. A 10 by 10 kitchen lands anywhere from $2,000 to $24,000 depending on which of those you pick.
How do I calculate the square footage of my cabinets?
For countertops, multiply the base cabinet run by 25 inches of depth and divide by 12. For painting, measure each door and drawer front and add them up. There's no meaningful square footage for the cabinet boxes themselves, which is why they're sold by the linear foot.
Do I subtract appliances from the cabinet measurement?
For an accurate order, yes: about 30 inches for a range, 24 for a dishwasher, and 33 to 36 for a refrigerator. For a first ballpark quote, suppliers usually work off the full wall run and adjust when the design is final.
What is the standard depth of a base cabinet?
24 inches, with a countertop that finishes at about 25 inches once you include the overhang. Base cabinets stand 34.5 inches high, which becomes 36 inches with the counter on top.