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Upper cabinet heights in the US and the UK compared
As checked on 16 October 2026, the bottom of a standard US upper cabinet sits 18 inches (46 cm) above the worktop. On a 36 inch (91 cm) worktop that is 54 inches (137 cm) from the floor. UK wall units start 450 to 500 mm (18–20 in) above the worktop.
| Measurement | US standard | UK standard |
|---|---|---|
| Worktop to bottom of cabinet | 18 in (46 cm) | 450–500 mm (18–20 in); Howdens 464 mm over a 38 mm worktop |
| Floor to bottom of cabinet | 54 in (137 cm) | 1,392 mm (55 in): Howdens 890 + 502 mm, our sum |
| Worktop height below it | 36 in (91 cm) | About 910 mm (36 in) with a 40 mm worktop |
| Cabinet heights | 12–54 in (30–137 cm); 42 in reaches an 8 ft ceiling | 575, 720 and 900 mm (23, 28 and 35 in); Howdens 557 mm |
| Top of the cabinets | 96 in (244 cm) with a 42 in cabinet | 2,112 mm (83 in) with a 720 mm unit; 2,292 mm (90 in) with 900 mm |
| Over the hob | 24 in (61 cm) to a hood; 30 in (76 cm) to a cabinet | Follow the hob and hood maker's guide |
| Highest everyday storage | 84 in (213 cm) | The same NKBA limit, 2,134 mm |
Source: KraftMaid kitchen cabinet sizes; Howdens kitchen installation manual; DIY Kitchens advice pages; Cut My kitchen unit sizes; US National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) Planning Guidelines 18 and 27. Checked October 2026.
Read the first two rows first: they set where the cabinets hang. The sizes of the cabinets themselves are in our guide to standard kitchen cabinet sizes. Every other measurement in this series is in our kitchen dimensions guides.
US upper cabinets start 18 inches above the worktop, 54 inches from the floor
In the US, upper cabinets start 18 inches (46 cm) above the worktop. KraftMaid, a large US cabinet maker, says they are typically installed 54 inches (137 cm) above the floor. The two numbers match because the worktop sits at 36 inches (91 cm).
The 18 inch gap leaves room for a toaster, a coffee machine and your hands as you work. It also keeps the bottom shelf in easy reach for most people, and it sets the height of a full backsplash. If your worktop is higher or lower than 36 inches, keep the 18 inch gap and move the cabinets with it.
Your worktop height is the place to start. Our guide to the standard kitchen countertop height shows how to set it to your own elbow. Then add 18 inches for the bottom of the upper cabinets.
Measure the gap to the bottom of the cabinet box, not to a light strip or trim fixed under it.
UK wall unit height is 450 to 500 mm above the worktop
In the UK, wall units start 450 to 500 mm (18–20 in) above the worktop. That is the range the UK supplier Cut My gives. DIY Kitchens works to about 490 mm (19 in) over a 40 mm worktop, and about 500 mm over a 30 mm one. The thicker the worktop, the smaller the gap.
Howdens, a large UK kitchen supplier, shows every height from floor to wall unit in its installation manual. The base cabinet stands at 890 mm: a 720 mm box on 170 mm legs. The wall cabinet hangs 502 mm above that, which leaves 464 mm over a 38 mm worktop. By our sum, the bottom of the wall cabinet is 1,392 mm (55 in) from the floor.
That is almost the same as the US 54 inches. In the Howdens plan the worktop is a little higher, about 928 mm (36½ in), and the gap a little wider.
DIY Kitchens says to measure to the bottom of the wall unit, not to the light pelmet, the trim strip fixed under it.
Ceiling height decides how tall the upper cabinets can be
Ceiling height decides how tall the upper cabinets can be, because the bottom is fixed at 54 inches (137 cm). With a standard 8 foot (244 cm) ceiling there are 42 inches (107 cm) left above that line.
| Cabinet height | Space left above | What it suits |
|---|---|---|
| 30 in (76 cm) | 12 in (30 cm) | A soffit, a boxed-in space above the cabinets |
| 36 in (91 cm) | 6 in (15 cm) | Crown moulding, a decorative trim along the top |
| 39 in (99 cm) | 3 in (8 cm) | Crown moulding |
| 42 in (107 cm) | None | Cabinets right up to the ceiling |
Source: KraftMaid kitchen cabinet sizes for what each cabinet suits; the space left above is our sum, a 96 in (244 cm) ceiling less the 54 in line and the cabinet. Checked October 2026.
For a taller ceiling, KraftMaid makes 48, 51 and 54 inch (122–137 cm) cabinets. Tall units set the line too. A 90 inch (229 cm) pantry lines up with the top of a 36 inch wall cabinet. In the UK, DIY Kitchens lines wall units up with the tops of the tall units. In the Howdens plan, a 720 mm unit tops out at 2,112 mm and a 900 mm unit at 2,292 mm.
Over the hob the gap grows to 24 or 30 inches
Over the hob, the gap grows to at least 24 inches (61 cm). That is guideline 18 of NKBA, the US National Kitchen & Bath Association. It is the gap between the hob and a hood, or another surface above it that cannot burn.
NKBA also points to the US building code. It asks for 30 inches (76 cm) to anything that can burn and to metal cabinets, and allows 24 inches with an approved hood. For an over-the-range microwave, the maker sets the gap.
So the cabinet above the hob is usually shorter than the rest, or replaced by the hood. In the UK, take the gap from the hob and hood installation guides. Read your hood maker's guide, and our guide to how high to fit a range hood, before you fix the wall cabinets beside it.
Shelves above 84 inches are hard to reach
Shelves more than 84 inches (213 cm) above the floor are hard to reach. NKBA counts storage above that line as extra storage, not everyday space. Keep the plates and glasses you use every day lower down.
If someone at home uses a wheelchair, the bar is lower. The US accessibility standard ICC A117.1, from the International Code Council, puts the highest reach at 48 inches (122 cm). Over a 20 to 25 inch (51–64 cm) deep worktop it drops to 44 inches (112 cm). A cabinet that starts at 54 inches is above both, so keep that person's everyday things in base cabinets and drawers.
Where the cabinets go also depends on the layout. Our guide to choosing a kitchen layout shows where the wall runs and the tall units fit.
How to set upper cabinet height in six steps
Measure the ceiling first, then work up from the worktop.
- Measure the ceiling height in three places along the wall, and use the lowest.
- Set the worktop height: 36 inches (91 cm) in the US, about 910 mm in the UK, or your own height.
- Add the gap: 18 inches (46 cm) in the US, or 450 to 500 mm in the UK. Mark that line on the wall with a level.
- Over the hob, raise the line to the gap in the hob and hood guides: at least 24 inches (61 cm).
- Take the height of that line away from the ceiling height. Pick the tallest standard cabinet that fits in what is left, with room for any trim.
- Check it: the line is level, the tops line up with any tall units, and the doors open past the ceiling and the hood.
Once the heights are set, measure each worktop run with our guide to measuring kitchen countertops.
Add up your worktopsMeasure each run and get the area for your quote.
Open the countertop calculator →Common problems with upper cabinet height, and how to fix them
Most height problems come from three things. The gap was taken to the wrong line, the hob was forgotten, or the ceiling was not measured.
| What you see | Why it happens | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| A coffee machine or mixer does not fit under the cabinets | The gap is under 18 in (46 cm), or measured to the trim | Keep 18 in, or 450–500 mm, to the bottom of the box |
| You cannot reach the bottom shelf | The cabinets are hung high for a tall ceiling | Keep the bottom at 54 in (137 cm) and put the extra height at the top |
| The cabinet above the hob is too close | The 18 in gap was kept along the whole run | Leave 24 in (61 cm) to a hood and 30 in (76 cm) to a cabinet |
| The tops of the cabinets do not line up | Wall and tall units were planned separately | Match them: a 90 in pantry with 36 in wall cabinets, or follow the tall units in the UK |
| A dusty gap shows above the cabinets | Cabinets shorter than the space left | Use a taller cabinet, crown moulding or a soffit |
| The doors hit the ceiling | The ceiling is lower at one end | Measure the ceiling in three places and plan from the lowest |
Source: KraftMaid kitchen cabinet sizes; DIY Kitchens advice pages; Cut My kitchen unit sizes; NKBA Kitchen Planning Guidelines 18 and 27. Checked October 2026.
With the heights set, choose the finishes. A kitchen style brief helps you pick doors and colours. New guides in this series appear in all our kitchen guides.
Quick questions
- Is there a standard distance between countertop and upper cabinets?
Yes. It is 18 inches (46 cm) in the US, and 450 to 500 mm (18–20 in) in the UK. DIY Kitchens works to about 490 mm over a 40 mm worktop. Over the hob the gap grows to at least 24 inches (61 cm).
- What is the standard height for upper cabinets from the floor?
Not one number everywhere, but 54 inches (137 cm) to the bottom of the cabinet is the US standard. That is a 36 inch worktop plus the 18 inch gap. In the Howdens UK plan, 890 mm of base cabinet plus the 502 mm gap puts it at 1,392 mm (55 in).
- How high is too high for cabinets?
Not a fixed line, but NKBA counts storage more than 84 inches (213 cm) above the floor as extra storage, not everyday space. For a wheelchair user, the US accessibility standard puts the highest reach at 48 inches (122 cm), or 44 inches over a deep worktop.
- Which is better, 30 inch or 36 inch upper cabinets?
Only your ceiling decides. With an 8 foot (244 cm) ceiling and cabinets starting at 54 inches, 30 inch cabinets leave 12 inches (30 cm) above them. 36 inch cabinets leave 6 inches (15 cm) for crown moulding, and 42 inch cabinets reach the ceiling.
- What is the standard size of a hanging kitchen cabinet?
Not one size. US wall cabinets run 12 to 54 inches (30–137 cm) tall and 12 inches (30 cm) deep at KraftMaid. UK wall units are 575, 720 or 900 mm tall and 300 mm deep at Cut My. Howdens adds a 557 mm height.
- How high are Howdens wall units?
Not one height: Howdens makes wall cabinets 557, 720 and 900 mm tall. Its plan hangs them 502 mm above the base cabinets, or 464 mm over a 38 mm worktop. The top of a 720 mm unit is then 2,112 mm from the floor.
How we check
We take every clearance from published planning guidelines and manufacturer guides, and record the page and the date we checked it. Our examples are drawn to scale from the dimensions they state. They are planning examples, not approvals for installation: services, fixings and local rules need your designer or installer. Our editorial policy.
Sources5 published guidelines and guides behind this page
Numbered in order of first use.
- What are standard kitchen cabinet sizes? Wall cabinets typically installed 54 in above the floor or 18 in above the countertop; 36 in countertop height; wall cabinets 12–54 in tall and 12 in deep; 42 in reaches an 8 ft ceiling, 36 and 39 in leave room for crown molding, 48, 51 and 54 in for taller ceilings, under 36 in for soffits; 90 in pantry aligns with a 36 in wall cabinet, KraftMaid. Checked 16 October 2026.
- Kitchen installation manual, Planning dimensions: standard cabinets. Base cabinet 720 mm on 170 mm legs (890 mm); wall cabinets 557, 720 and 900 mm hung 502 mm above the base (464 mm over a 38 mm worktop); top of wall cabinets 2,112 mm standard, 2,292 mm extra tall, Howdens. Checked 16 October 2026.
- What gap do I need between the worktop and bottom of the wall units? About 490 mm with a 40 mm worktop, 500 mm with 30 mm; 150 mm legs, 720 mm base, 910 mm to the worktop; wall units line up with the tops of tall units; measure to the unit, not the pelmet, DIY Kitchens. Checked 16 October 2026.
- Kitchen unit sizes: wall units 575, 720 and 900 mm high, 300 mm deep, bottom edge 450–500 mm above the worktop, Cut My (UK worktop and unit supplier). Checked 16 October 2026.
- Kitchen Planning Guidelines, guideline 18 (cooking surface clearance: 24 in to a protected noncombustible surface; code 30 in to combustible material, 24 in with an approved range hood; over-the-range microwave set by the manufacturer) and guideline 27 (storage above 84 in counted as miscellaneous; ICC A117.1 high reach 48 in unobstructed, 44 in over a 20–25 in deep counter), National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA). Checked 16 October 2026.
The heights come from manufacturer guides and installation manuals and from the NKBA planning guidelines, checked on 16 October 2026. Inch-to-centimetre conversions and the space left above the cabinets are our sums, rounded. They are planning references, not a check of local building rules or of a specific product. Measure your room and read the hob and hood guides before you fix the cabinets.