When you're gearing up to measure your kitchen for new cabinet doors, it's essential to get familiar with the three primary cabinet overlay styles: partial overlay, full overlay, and inset.

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Partial Overlay Cabinet Measurement

Partial overlay cabinets feature doors and drawer fronts that partially conceal the cabinet's face frame, leaving a portion of the frame exposed. Typically, the degree of overlay is around ½ inch, which is the industry standard. This style is commonly seen in traditional kitchens.

Measuring Single Door Partial Overlay Cabinets

To measure a single door partial overlay cabinet, you can use the following formula:

	Opening width + overlay for both sides = width of cabinet door

	Opening height + overlay for both sides = height of cabinet door

Let’s do an example!

Suppose your cabinet box opening dimensions are 16 inches wide and 29 inches high, and you prefer a 1/2" overlay. Here's how you apply the formula:

	16 + 1/2 + 1/2 = 17"W

	29 + 1/2 +1/2 = 30"H

This means your cabinet door will actually be 17"Wx30"H.

Measuring for Split Door Partial Overlay Formula:

For cabinets with openings wider than 24 inches, use the Split Door Formula:

	(Opening width + overlay for both sides) / 2 - .0625 = width of both doors

	Opening height + overlay for both sides = door height

Let’s do an example!

If your opening is 28 inches wide and 34 inches high, with a 1/2" overlay, it would look like this in the formula:

	(28 +1) / 2 -.0625 = 14.4375"

	34 + 1= 35"

This means your doors will be 14.4375"W x 35"H for both doors.

Full Overlay Cabinet Measurement

Full overlay cabinets are designed so that doors and drawer fronts entirely cover the face frame of the cabinet, leaving no portion of the frame exposed. This style imparts a modern, seamless appearance, ideal for minimalist designs and slab cabinet doors.

Measuring For Single Door Full Overlay Formula:

For cabinets with openings less than 24 inches, use the following formula:

	Width of cabinet -.25 = width of door

	Height of cabinet - - .25 = height of door

Let’s do an example!

If you have a 20-inch wide cabinet and 36-inch high cabinet with a 4-inch toe kick, and you need a full overlay:

	20 - .25 = 19.75"W

	36 - 4 - .25 =31.75"H

So your cabinet door would end up being 19.75"W x 31.75"H.

Measuring For Split Door Full Overlay Formula:

For cabinets with openings wider than 24 inches, use the Split Door Formula:

	(Width of cabinet -.25) / 2 - .0625 = width of both doors

	Height of cabinet -.25 = height of doors

Let’s do an example!

Now let's say you have a cabinet box that has the dimensions 36"W x 46"H so the way that will plug into our formula is as follows. Let's assume the toe kick is 4 " tall (which is standard on our base cabinet boxes) so our usable height for the door is 42"H.

	(36 -.25 )/ 2 - .0625 = width of door

	35.75 / 2 - .0625 = width of door

	17.875 - .0625= width of door

	=17.8125" Wide

	The height would be 42-.25 = 41.75"H.

So this means the full dimensions of both doors are 17.8125"W x 41.75"H.

Keep in mind that this allows for an 1/8" on both sides and is our standard calculation for full overlay split doors.

Inset Cabinet Doors

Inset cabinets feature doors and drawer fronts that sit within the cabinet's face frame, creating a flush and sleek look. This design is commonly employed in frameless cabinets.

Measuring For a Single Inset Door Formula:

To measure a single inset door, subtract 1/4 inch from the width and height of the cabinet box opening, allowing for 1/8-inch clearance around each side of the cabinet.

	Opening width - .25 = width of cabinet doors

	Opening height - .25 = height of cabinet doors

Let’s do an example!

Let’s say your cabinet box opening is 10”W x 10”H.

	10 - .25= 9.75 width

	10 - .25 = 9.75 height

So your cabinet door dimensions are 9.75”W x 9.75”H.

Measuring For Split Inset Cabinet Doors Formula:

To measure split inset cabinet doors, first, add the overlay to both sides of the opening, then subtract 1/16 inch. The height is calculated as for a single door cabinet.

	(Opening width - .25) / 2 -.0625 = width of both cabinet doors

Now the height is calculated exactly as it was for the single door cabinet which is:

	Opening height -.25 = height of both cabinet doors

Let’s do an example!

Let’s say your cabinet box opening is 36”W x 16”H.

	(36 - .25)/2 - .0625 = 17.8125 cabinet door width

	16 - .25 = 15.75 cabinet door height

So, both of your cabinet doors will be 17.8125”W x 15.75”H.

Remember the Rule: Measure Twice, Order Once!

Remember, the key rule is to measure twice, order once! To avoid costly mistakes, consult with a professional cabinet designer or contact us for any quick questions in your measurement process. Each design choice is unique and ultimately depends on personal preference and the style of the kitchen or bathroom where the cabinets will be installed.