Kitchen Planning Guide, Guideline 6, Wall Cabinet Frontage

Guideline 6 For Small Kitchens

Small Kitchens - under 150 sq. ft. - allow at least 144" of wall cabinet frontage, with cabinets at least 12" deep, and a minimum of 30" high (or equivalent) which feature adjustable shelving. Difficult to reach cabinets above the hood, oven or refrigerator do not count unless devices are installed within the case to improve accessibility. (Fig. 1)

Guideline 6 For Large Kitchens

Large Kitchens - over 150 sq. ft. - allow at least 186" of wall cabinet frontage, with cabinets at least 12" deep, and a minimum of 30" high (or equivalent) which feature adjustable shelving. Difficult to reach cabinets above the hood, oven or refrigerator do not count unless devices are installed within the case to improve accessibility. (Fig. 2)

Guideline 6 Clarification 1

Diagonal Corner Wall

Square or Pie Cut Corner Wall

In small and large kitchens, diagonal or pie cut wall cabinets count as a total of 24". (Fig. 3 & 4)

Guideline 6 Clarification 2

Tall cabinets 72" or taller can count as either base or wall cabinets, but not both. (Fig 5) The calculation is as follows:

• 12" deep tall units = 1 x the base lineal footage, 2 x the wall lineal footage.
• 18" deep tall units = 1.5 x the base lineal footage, 3 x the wall lineal footage.
• 21" to 24" deep tall units = 2 x the base lineal footage, 4 x the wall lineal footage.

Guidelines used by permission from the National Kitchen & Bath Association