Guide · Measurements and space
Standard kitchen unit dimensions
The KÜINA team · Updated October 11, 2026
The short answer
A base unit is 60 cm deep and the worktop sits 85–95 cm off the floor. Module widths run in 15 cm steps, from 15 to 120. A wall unit is 30–40 cm deep and starts 140–150 cm off the floor. Between worktop and wall unit there are 50–60 cm.
Module widths
A kitchen unit is not made to any size: it is made in a set of standard widths, and the leftover centimetres are closed with filler pieces. Knowing this is what lets you draw your kitchen on paper before setting foot in a showroom.
| Width | What it is used for |
|---|---|
| 15 cm | Wine rack, pull-out spice unit, or filler between two units |
| 20 cm | Narrow pull-out for bottles or trays |
| 30 cm | Narrow door unit, three-drawer stack |
| 40 cm | Narrow door, bin unit, microwave in a tall unit |
| 45 cm | Slimline dishwasher, door unit |
| 50 cm | Door unit, uncommon |
| 60 cm | The workhorse: sink, dishwasher, oven, fridge, drawer stack |
| 80 cm | Two doors, wide drawer stack, 80 cm hob |
| 90 cm | Corner unit, two-door unit, large hob |
| 100 / 120 cm | Two wide doors, double drawer stack, L-shaped corner unit |
Working height
A standard worktop sits 85 to 95 cm off the floor. Those ten centimetres are not a detail: they are the difference between finishing with a sore back or not.
| Your height | Recommended worktop height |
|---|---|
| Up to 1.60 m | 85 – 88 cm |
| 1.60 – 1.70 m | 88 – 91 cm |
| 1.70 – 1.80 m | 91 – 94 cm |
| Over 1.80 m | 94 – 98 cm |
The total height is made of three parts: the plinth (10–15 cm), the carcase (usually 72 cm, sometimes 76 or 80) and the worktop thickness (1.2 to 6 cm). You adjust it by raising the plinth or choosing a taller carcase, and German-made units are normally adjustable.
If two people of very different heights cook in the house, the answer is not a compromise that suits neither: raise the sink area a little, since that is where you stand longest, and keep the chopping area at the shorter person’s height.
Depths and heights, part by part
| Part | Standard | Variants |
|---|---|---|
| Base unit depth | 56 – 58 cm carcase | The worktop overhangs 2–3 cm: 60 cm total |
| Base carcase height | 72 cm | 76 or 80 in ranges chasing capacity |
| Plinth | 10 – 15 cm | Adjustable; it is what sets the final height |
| Worktop thickness | 1.2 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 6 cm | A mitred edge fakes 4 or 6 from 1.2 cm material |
| Wall unit depth | 30 – 40 cm | 35 is the most common; 40 with a plate rack |
| Wall unit height | 70 / 90 / 96 / 120 cm | Combined to reach the ceiling |
| Wall unit start height | 140 – 150 cm off the floor | That is, 50–60 cm above the worktop |
| Tall unit depth | 56 – 60 cm | Same as the base, so the fronts line up |
| Tall unit height | 200 / 210 / 220 / 240 cm | Depending on ceiling height and whether you go to the top |
The gap between worktop and wall unit is the most argued-over dimension. Under 50 cm a food processor will not fit; over 60 you cannot reach the top shelf without a stool. With a hob underneath, the extractor governs: it wants 65–75 cm depending on the maker, and that overrides everything else.
Appliance apertures
This is the table that prevents the expensive mistake: buying the appliance and finding it does not fit.
| Appliance | Aperture (width × height × depth) |
|---|---|
| Built-in oven | 56 – 57 × 59 – 60 × 55 cm |
| Built-in microwave | 56 × 36 – 45 × 50 cm |
| 60 cm hob | 56 × 49 cm cut-out in the worktop |
| 80 cm hob | 75 × 49 cm cut-out |
| 60 cm dishwasher | 60 × 82 – 87 × 55 cm |
| 45 cm dishwasher | 45 × 82 – 87 × 55 cm |
| Washing machine under the counter | 60 × 82 – 85 × 60 cm |
| Integrated single-door fridge | 56 – 57 × 177 × 55 cm |
| Integrated fridge-freezer | 56 – 57 × 177 – 194 × 55 cm |
| Wall-mounted chimney hood | 60 / 80 / 90 cm wide |
The clearances that appear in no catalogue
The dimensions above are the units. These are the space the units need in order to work, and they are the ones people forget.
- An open door: it takes its own width outwards. A 60 cm door opened to 90° eats 60 cm of walkway.
- An open drawer: almost its whole depth comes out, around 50 cm.
- An open dishwasher: the dropped door takes 50–55 cm forwards, and you need to stand in front of it.
- An open oven: 45–50 cm, plus room to take the tray out sideways.
- A corner unit: it eats 90 × 90 cm of floor plan even if the front is only 60.
- The room door: if it swings into the kitchen, it removes its whole arc.
How to draw your kitchen before going to the showroom
- Measure each wall corner to corner, at worktop height and again 10 cm off the floor. If the two differ, the wall is out of plumb: write down both.
- Mark where the window, the door, the waste, the water valves, the consumer unit and the flue are, with the distance to the nearest corner.
- Measure the ceiling height, and if there is a beam or a dropped ceiling, how far down it comes.
- Lay out modules in 15 cm steps until you approach the wall measurement. Whatever is left over becomes a filler.
- Check the clearances: no door should collide, and leave 100 cm of walkway if runs face each other.
With that piece of paper, the showroom visit stops being an introduction and becomes a working session. It is the difference between leaving with an idea and leaving with a quote.
Questions we get asked
What is the standard kitchen worktop height?
85 to 95 cm off the floor, with 90 cm the most common in Spain. The comfortable height for you is 10 to 15 cm below your elbow with the arm bent.
How deep is a kitchen unit?
A base unit has a 56–58 cm carcase and the worktop overhangs a couple of centimetres, so the total depth is 60 cm. A wall unit is usually 35 cm, sometimes 30 or 40.
How high do wall units go?
They start 140 to 150 cm off the floor, that is, 50–60 cm above the worktop. If the hob is underneath, the extractor governs: it wants 65 to 75 cm depending on the model.
Can I have 70 cm deep kitchen units?
Deeper carcases exist in some ranges, but built-in appliances are made for 55–60 cm. Increasing the depth forces bespoke solutions and usually creates more problems than it solves.
Shall we look at it with your kitchen on screen?
An hour in the showroom, your kitchen on screen and the price fixed the same day. No commitment, and no follow-up calls unless you want them.
