How to Measure Your Kitchen for New Units

What do you need to measure a kitchen?

You need a few simple tools and some squared paper. A laser measure is quicker on long walls, but a good tape measure is fine if you take your time.

• A tape measure at least 5 metres long, or a laser measure
• A pencil and squared paper, or a printed floor plan
• A spirit level, to check floors and the line of the old worktop
• A torch, for the back of cupboards and under the sink
• A second person, to hold the end of the tape on long walls
• Your phone camera, to photograph pipes, sockets and the boiler

How do you measure kitchen walls?

Measure each wall from corner to corner at three heights, and use the smallest figure on your plan. Old walls are rarely straight, so a wall can be several millimetres shorter at worktop height than at the floor.

1. Start at one corner and work round the room clockwise, numbering each wall.
2. Measure each wall at three heights: just above the skirting, at worktop height (around 900mm from the floor) and near the ceiling.
3. Write all three figures down, then circle the smallest. That's the one units must fit.
4. Keep the tape level and straight. A tape or laser held at an angle reads longer than the real distance.
5. Measure the ceiling height in two or three places, because floors and ceilings in older homes are rarely level.
6. Repeat any measurement that looks odd. A second reading costs a minute; a wrong unit costs weeks.

How do you check if your walls are square?

Use the 3-4-5 method, which checks whether a corner is a true right angle. It matters because a corner that isn't square leaves a tapering gap behind the worktop.

1. Measure 300mm along one wall from the corner and make a mark.
2. Measure 400mm along the other wall from the same corner and make a second mark.
3. Measure between the two marks. If the distance is exactly 500mm, the corner is square.
4. Scale it up for accuracy: 600, 800 and 1,000mm works better on a longer wall.

If the diagonal is more or less than it should be, note it on your plan. A fitter can scribe worktops and end panels to the real shape of the wall, but only if they know about it before the worktops are ordered.

What else should you measure?

The wall lengths are only half the job. Every fixed item in the room affects where units can go, so record each one as a distance from the nearest corner.

Photograph each item next to your tape measure. The photos help your fitter or designer as much as the numbers do.

How do you draw a kitchen plan?

Draw the room from above, as if you were looking down from the ceiling. It doesn't need to be to scale; the measurements are what matter.

1. Sketch the outline of the room and number each wall.
2. Add every window, door and fixed item from your table, with its distance from the nearest corner.
3. Write the smallest wall measurement along each wall.
4. Draw elevations for the important walls, showing heights of the sill, sockets and boiler.
5. Mark the services: water, waste, gas and the cooker switch.
6. Add your wish list: where you'd like the sink, hob, oven and fridge-freezer to go.

What measurements do appliances need?

Most standard UK built-in appliances are designed for 600mm-wide spaces, with slimline dishwashers at 450mm. But always check the installation instructions for the exact models you've chosen, because housing sizes, ventilation gaps and door hinges vary.

What are the most common measuring mistakes?

Most measuring mistakes are small, but they cause missing parts and delays on fitting day. These come up again and again:

• Using the longest measurement instead of the smallest, so a run of units won't fit
• Forgetting fillers where units meet a wall, so doors and drawers hit the handles next to them
• Missing end panels on cabinet sides that will be on show
• Ordering too little worktop to allow for joints, cut-outs and any overhang
• Ignoring the door swing, so a dishwasher door clashes with the room door
• Not checking appliance sizes before choosing the units around them
• Forgetting the boiler or gas meter, which must stay accessible

How do you check rigid units will fit into your home?

If you're buying rigid, ready-built units, measure the route into the room as well as the room itself. DIY Kitchens' own advice is to check doorways are wide enough for tall and corner units. In a Glasgow tenement, that means measuring:

• The close entrance and any internal doors in the close
• Every turn of the stair, including the landing depth
• Your flat's front door and hall, including any tight turns
• The kitchen doorway itself

Compare these with the size of your tallest and widest units, allowing for their packaging. If anything is close, choose a smaller unit size or flat-pack for that part of the kitchen. Our guide to flat-pack vs rigid kitchen units explains the trade-offs.

Should your fitter measure instead?

Measure yourself to plan and get prices, but have your fitter check the measurements before you order anything. We measure every room at a free home survey, then check your retailer's plan against our own figures and flag anything that won't fit or is missing. It's part of our fit-only kitchen fitting service, and it's the cheapest insurance against a wrong order.