Getting cabinet sizing right is the single most practical piece of knowledge you need before planning, ordering, or replacing any part of a kitchen. UK kitchen cabinets follow a set of shared standard measurements across nearly every major manufacturer, which means a layout planned around these sizes will fit standard worktops, appliances, and fillers without needing anything custom-made. This guide is a genuine full reference, every standard height, depth, and width for base, wall, and tall units, in millimetres, along with the practical detail that actually matters when you're using these numbers to plan a real kitchen.
Why UK Cabinet Sizes Are Standardised in the First Place
Nearly every UK kitchen manufacturer, from major national brands through to independent joiners, builds around the same core set of dimensions. This isn't a coincidence, it exists so that worktops, appliances, splashbacks, and filler panels from different suppliers can all be combined into one working kitchen without needing bespoke joinery for every gap. Knowing these standard sizes means you can plan a layout with confidence before you've chosen every individual product, and swap or add units later without discovering they don't actually fit together.
Base Unit Sizes
Base units are the cabinets that sit on the floor and carry the worktop, and their dimensions are the most consistent across the whole industry.
Height: The standard UK base unit carcass is 720mm high, measured from the floor to the top of the cabinet box, before the worktop is added. Once a 150mm plinth and a 20-40mm worktop are factored in, the finished working height typically lands between 870mm and 910mm, with 900mm being the most commonly quoted overall figure.
Depth: Base units are generally 560mm to 570mm deep for the cabinet box itself, excluding the door. Once the worktop is added, with its front overhang, the total depth at countertop level usually reaches 600mm to 650mm.
Widths: Base units are built in standard increments to let you build a run matching almost any wall length: 150mm, 300mm, 400mm, 450mm, 500mm, 600mm, 800mm, 900mm, and 1000mm are all common, with 150mm and 300mm typically used as narrow filler or utensil-drawer cabinets, and 600mm being the most frequently used general-purpose width. Our own Single Base Kitchen Unit covers the narrower end of this range from 150mm to 600mm, while the Double Base Kitchen Unit extends from 700mm through to a full 1000mm for wider drawer or corner configurations.
Plinth height: The kickboard or plinth beneath a base unit is typically 150mm, though this can vary slightly by manufacturer and is sometimes adjustable to accommodate uneven flooring.
If you're choosing specific base units for your kitchen rather than just planning the sizing, our guide to choosing base units for your kitchen covers build quality and configuration options in more detail, and our full Base Cabinets collection lets you browse every width and colour directly.
Wall Unit Sizes
Wall units are shallower and lighter than base units by design, mounted to the wall rather than resting on the floor, and their sizing reflects that different job.
Height: UK wall cabinets are generally available in three standard heights: 575mm (short), 720mm (standard), and 900mm (tall). The 720mm option is the most widely used across UK kitchens, offering a practical balance between storage and reach, our Single & Double Wall Unit (720mm) covers this standard height directly. For kitchens with the ceiling height to accommodate more storage in the same footprint, our Tall Single & Double Wall Unit (900mm) gives noticeably more capacity.
Depth: Wall unit depth is standardised at 300mm, deliberately shallower than a base unit so the cabinet doesn't project too far into the room or crowd the worktop below.
Widths: Wall units share the same width logic as base units, commonly available from 150mm through to 1200mm, in the same standard increments, so a wall cabinet can be matched directly above a base unit of the same width for a clean, aligned run.
Worktop clearance: The gap between the worktop and the underside of the wall units matters just as much as the cabinet sizes themselves. A standard clearance of around 450mm to 470mm keeps the space usable for food preparation and for taller countertop appliances to sit underneath without catching on the cabinet above.
Browse the full Wall Units collection to compare every height and width side by side.
Tall Unit Sizes
Tall units, sometimes called larder units, run from the floor to roughly the height of a wall cabinet run, and are used for full-height storage, built-in ovens, or integrated fridge freezers.
Height: Tall units typically come in three standard heights, 1820mm to 1825mm (short), 1950mm to 1975mm (standard, sometimes called medium), and 2150mm (full height, occasionally listed up to 2300mm). The 1950mm-2150mm range is the most commonly specified, since it aligns well with a standard wall-unit run at the top. Our own Larder Unit (1970mm) sits at the standard height, while the Extra Tall Larder Unit (2150mm) matches the full-height option.
Depth: Tall unit depth generally matches base units, 560mm to 600mm, giving consistent alignment across the whole kitchen when a tall unit sits at the end of a base run.
Widths: Tall units are typically available in 300mm, 400mm, 450mm, 500mm, and 600mm widths, narrower on average than the base unit range, since a full-height cabinet doesn't usually need to be as wide to hold a genuinely useful amount of storage.
Standard Sizes Chart
| Cabinet Type | Height | Depth | Common Widths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Unit | 720mm (870-910mm with worktop) | 560-570mm (600-650mm with worktop) | 150, 300, 400, 450, 500, 600, 800, 900, 1000mm |
| Wall Unit | 575, 720, or 900mm | 300mm | 150, 300, 400, 500, 600, 800, 900, 1000, 1200mm |
| Tall Unit | 1820-1825, 1950-1975, or 2150mm | 560-600mm | 300, 400, 450, 500, 600mm |
Worktop Thickness and Its Effect on Finished Height
Worktop thickness genuinely changes your kitchen's finished working height, and it's worth accounting for during planning rather than assuming a fixed number. Standard worktops run 20mm to 40mm thick depending on the material and finish chosen, a thicker stone or solid wood worktop will push your finished countertop height toward the top of the 870-910mm range, while a slimmer laminate worktop sits closer to the bottom. Our Worktops collection lists the exact thickness for every finish available.
Corner Unit Sizes: The Exception to Standard Widths
Corner base units don't follow the same width increments as standard cabinets, since they're built to manage the specific geometry of a 90-degree corner rather than a straight run. Blind corner units and L-shaped corner units are commonly built around a 900mm nominal footprint, our L-Shaped Corner Base Unit (720mm) is built to exactly this kind of footprint, while diagonal corner units for larder or full-height storage, like our Diagonal Corner Larder Unit (1970mm), are sized to their own specific geometry rather than a simple width figure. It's worth treating corner units as their own category when planning a layout, rather than trying to fit them into the same width-increment logic as the rest of your run.
How to Use These Sizes When Planning Your Own Layout
Start by measuring your available wall length and working out how many standard-width base units fit, using filler panels for any small remaining gap rather than a single oversized custom cabinet. Match your wall unit widths to your base units directly below wherever possible, for a genuinely aligned, considered-looking run. If a tall unit is part of your plan, decide on its height early, since it affects where the top of your wall unit run should sit to line up cleanly. Our guide on how to plan a kitchen cabinet layout step by step walks through this full process in more detail, from initial measurements through to final unit positioning.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the standard height of a UK kitchen base cabinet?
720mm for the cabinet carcass itself, before the worktop is added, once a 150mm plinth and worktop are included, the finished working height typically lands between 870mm and 910mm.
2. How deep are standard UK wall units?
300mm is the standard depth for UK wall cabinets, deliberately shallower than base units so they don't crowd the worktop or appliances below.
3. What widths do UK base cabinets come in?
Common standard widths are 150mm, 300mm, 400mm, 450mm, 500mm, 600mm, 800mm, 900mm, and 1000mm, letting you build a run to match almost any wall length using these as building blocks.
4. Should I choose a 1950mm or 2150mm tall unit for my kitchen?
1950mm suits most standard kitchen ceiling heights, while 2150mm is a full-height option worth choosing if you want your tall unit to line up with other floor-to-ceiling cabinetry or a taller wall unit run.
5. What's the standard gap between a worktop and the wall units above it?
Around 450mm to 470mm is the typical clearance, enough space for comfortable food preparation and for countertop appliances to sit underneath without catching on the cabinet above.
6. Are UK kitchen cabinet sizes the same across every manufacturer?
Broadly yes, the core dimensions, 720mm base height, 300mm wall depth, and the standard width increments, are shared across nearly every major UK manufacturer, which is exactly what makes it possible to plan a layout confidently before choosing every individual product.
