Ordering replacement kitchen doors is straightforward once you know which sizes you need, but working that out is where most people get stuck. A single base unit can take one tall door, a drawer and a door, or a stack of four drawer fronts, and each option uses a different set of door sizes. This guide explains how door configurations work, so you can choose the right combination for your kitchen before you order.
For the full diagrams, see our Door Configurations guide. It shows every combination by installation height, and this article explains how to read it.
What Is a Door Configuration?
A door configuration is the combination of door and drawer front sizes that fills one cabinet. A 600mm base unit might have one 715mm door, or a 140mm drawer front above a 570mm door, or three drawer fronts stacked together. All of these fill the same cabinet, but each uses different sizes, and the sizes available depend on your installation height.
Door sizes are listed as height by width. A 715 x 496mm door is 715mm high and 496mm wide. Doors are made slightly smaller than the cabinet opening so they sit with an even gap around them, so a door listed as 596mm wide suits a 600mm cabinet.
Step 1: Find Your Installation Height
Everything starts with your installation height, which is the overall height from the floor to the top of your tallest run of cabinets. Our guide uses four standard heights:
Studio (1250mm): Compact kitchens with a single tall run and no wall cabinets.
Low (1825mm): Wall cabinets that are 575mm high.
Medium (1970mm): Wall cabinets that are 720mm high. This is the most common choice.
Tall (2150mm): Wall cabinets that are 900mm high, which gives the most storage.
All four heights use a 150mm plinth and a 720mm base cabinet, and the three heights with wall cabinets leave a 490mm gap above the worktop. The wall cabinet height is what changes, and that changes the wall door sizes you need. If you are not sure which height you have, measure from the floor to the top of your wall cabinets and choose the closest.
Step 2: Choose Your Base Unit Door Configuration
Base units are where you have the most choice. The common options are:
Drawer stacks: Four or five equal drawer fronts, such as 140mm or 175mm high, for pan and utensil storage.
Mixed drawers: A 140mm drawer front above a 283mm or 355mm front, or two 283mm fronts. This gives a shallow top drawer and deeper drawers below.
Drawer over door: A 140mm drawer front above a 570mm door, which works well for cupboards with a top drawer.
Single door: One 715mm door that covers the whole unit.
Sink units: A 450mm or 490mm door under a Belfast sink, in a 596mm width.
Under-oven units: A 110mm oven filler panel under a 600mm built-under oven.
Available widths depend on the configuration. Drawer stacks come in a wide range of widths, from 296mm up to 996mm, while sink and oven units are limited to 596mm. Check the chart for your installation height, because some widths are only offered at certain heights.
Step 3: Choose Your Wall Unit Door Sizes
Wall door sizes follow your installation height. At a low height, wall doors are typically 570mm high. At medium height they are 715mm, and at tall height they are 895mm. You can also choose shorter doors, such as 355mm, 450mm, 490mm and 283mm, to build glass-fronted or open-shelf designs and to fit above hobs and extractors.
Glazed and frame doors are available for display cabinets. A tall dresser unit can combine a 1060mm glazed door with drawer fronts below, in a 496mm width.
Step 4: Plan Full-Height Doors and Appliances
Full-height units hold larders, fridge freezers and built-in ovens. At studio height, a larder door is 1245mm high and comes in widths from 256mm to 596mm. At medium height, a full-length door is 1965mm, or you can split the unit into a 1245mm and a 715mm door, or into two 980mm doors, for a fridge freezer.
Appliance doors need more care, because the oven or microwave sets the door sizes above and below it. Typical combinations are:
Single oven: A 600mm oven with a 490mm or 645mm door above and one or two doors below, such as 490mm or 355mm.
Double oven: A 900mm double oven with a 490mm door above and a 570mm door below.
Single oven and microwave or coffee maker: A 460mm appliance above a 600mm oven, with 450mm doors above and below.
Always check your appliance height and specification before you order, because appliance heights vary and can change the oven filler and door sizes you need.
Step 5: Allow for Corner Units
Corner units use their own rules, because the door sits at an angle or beside a corner post.
Corner base units: An 800mm corner cabinet takes a 396mm door, a 900mm cabinet takes a 446mm door, and a 1000mm cabinet takes a 496mm door, all 715mm high. A 500mm blanking panel fills the gap and can be cut to size. The space behind the door is covered by the worktop.
L-shaped base units: A 930 x 930mm cabinet takes two 296mm doors, hinged separately, with a corner post between them.
Corner wall units: An L-shaped 630 x 630mm unit takes two 296mm doors, a 600 x 600mm splay unit takes one 396mm door, and a conventional 600 x 300mm corner takes one 296mm door.
Corner post sizes vary between ranges, which changes the distance needed from the wall to the end of the corner cabinet. Slimmer J-pull corner posts, for example, shorten that distance by 10mm. Check the post size for your range before you finalise the layout.
Step 6: Don’t Forget Curved Units
Curved units take their own doors, usually in 715mm, 895mm and 1245mm heights for base, wall and tall units. See our curved units collection for the full range.
Common Door Configuration Mistakes
Measuring the cabinet instead of the door. Measure the door you want to replace, then check the sizes available. Doors are made slightly smaller than the opening.
Mixing installation heights. Choose the chart for your height, because a 715mm wall door will not suit a low installation.
Ignoring appliance sizes. Check your oven, microwave and fridge dimensions first.
Forgetting finishing pieces. Plinths, cornice and end panels complete the look. Our finishing components guide explains what you need.
Next Steps
Once you know your configuration, you can compare door styles and colours in our kitchen doors collection. If you are still planning the layout, our guides to standard kitchen cabinet sizes, tall units vs base units and planning a cabinet layout will help. To compare ranges, read replacement kitchen doors UK.
If you would like help choosing sizes, call us on 0161 465 4007.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the standard kitchen door sizes in the UK?
There is no single standard, but common heights include 140mm, 175mm, 283mm, 355mm, 450mm, 490mm, 570mm, 715mm, 895mm and 1245mm, in widths from 296mm to 996mm. The sizes available depend on your range and installation height.
2. How do I measure for new kitchen doors?
Measure the height and width of each existing door, then compare with the listed sizes. Doors sit slightly smaller than the opening, so a 596mm wide door suits a 600mm cabinet.
3. What is installation height?
It is the overall height from the floor to the top of your tallest cabinets. Our guide uses four heights: studio 1250mm, low 1825mm, medium 1970mm and tall 2150mm.
4. Can I replace drawer fronts with a single door?
Yes, if the cabinet itself is a door unit. If it contains drawer boxes, you need drawer fronts. Check how the unit is built before you order.
5. Do oven doors need different sizes?
Yes. The oven height decides the door or oven filler above and below it, so check your appliance dimensions first.
6. How wide is a corner unit door?
It depends on the unit. An 800mm corner base takes a 396mm door, a 900mm takes 446mm and a 1000mm takes 496mm. L-shaped corners take two 296mm doors.
7. Where can I see all the configurations?
Our Door Configurations guide shows every layout by installation height.
