How to measure your kitchen for cabinets

You need a steel tape measure, a pencil, and a sheet of paper. Draw the room from above as a rough outline — it doesn't need to be to scale — and number the walls going round the room. Every measurement goes onto that sketch, next to the wall it belongs to.

Measure in inches, and round down to the nearest ⅛". Cabinets are sold in inch sizes.

1. 01

   Step 1: Each wall, corner to corner

   Measure at counter height (36" off the floor), not along the floor or at the ceiling. On an older house, measure again near the floor and near the ceiling, and use the smallest of the three.
2. 02

   Step 2: Floor to ceiling

   In at least two places. The lowest figure decides the wall cabinets: they hang with their bottoms at 54", so the space above that is what they have to fit into.
3. 03

   Step 3: Windows and doors

   For each one: how far along the wall it starts (from the corner you numbered first), its width including the trim, and — for a window — the height of the sill off the floor. A window is where a run of wall cabinets has to stop.
4. 04

   Step 4: Where the water comes in

   Measure along the wall to the centre of the drain and the supply pipes. The sink base goes there, or a plumber has to move them.
5. 05

   Step 5: Where the gas or the range outlet is

   The same for the range: along the wall to the gas stub, or to the outlet on an electric range. Note the refrigerator's outlet too, and any dedicated outlet for a microwave or dishwasher.
6. 06

   Step 6: Anything that can't move

   A radiator, a boiler, a vent, a column, a soffit. Measure it like a window: where it starts along the wall, how wide it is, how high off the floor, and how far it sticks out.

Wall cabinets come in 30", 36" and 42" heights and all hang at the same 54". On a standard 96" ceiling, 36" leaves a 6" reveal above. 42" runs flush to the ceiling if you'd rather have the storage. Enter your own ceiling in the designer and it picks the size for you. The full table is in the cabinet sizing guide.

RTA cabinets come flat-packed, so boxes rather than assembled cabinets have to get into the house — but tall pantry boxes are long. Measure the narrowest door and the tightest turn on the way to the kitchen. Delivery is curbside; if the boxes need to come inside or upstairs, tell us ahead of time so it can be arranged. Shipping & returns

Open the free kitchen designer, draw the walls from your sketch, and add the windows, doors, water and gas where you measured them. One tap lays out the cabinets and checks the plan against the NKBA's planning guidelines; you get a plan, elevations, 3D and a priced cabinet list.

In New Jersey, we'll measure the room for you instead — free. Email wowcabinet@gmail.com.

Should I measure in inches or centimetres?

Inches. Cabinets are made in inch sizes (a 30" base, a 36" wall cabinet), and the designer works in inches too. Round down to the nearest ⅛".

Why measure at counter height and not along the floor?

Skirting boards, uneven floors and out-of-square corners make a floor-level figure wrong. The counter-height figure is the one the cabinets actually have to fit.

What if my walls aren't square?

Measure each wall at three heights and use the smallest figure. Cabinets come in fixed sizes and fillers take up the difference, so a wall that's a little out is normal.

Can someone measure for me?

Yes, in New Jersey the measuring visit is free. Email wowcabinet@gmail.com to arrange it.

• Cabinet sizes and clearancesStandard heights, depths and the NKBA clearances.
• Kitchen cabinet door styles
• Corner cabinetsWhere two runs meet.