How High Are Kitchen Cabinets Supposed to Be? A Quick Guide for Homeowners

When you’re renovating or designing a kitchen from scratch, cabinet layout is about making your space functional, efficient, and comfortable. One of the first questions homeowners ask is simple but important: how high are kitchen cabinets supposed to be?

The answer depends on your ceiling height, cabinet style, and how you use your kitchen. But there are general guidelines that help create a kitchen layout that feels right and works better. Here’s what you need to know:

Standard Cabinet Heights Explained

In most modern homes, upper kitchen cabinets are installed 18 inches above the countertop, with the bottom edge sitting around 54 inches from the floor. That gives enough clearance for common countertop appliances like toasters, mixers, or a microwave.

As for the top of the cabinets, it usually depends on the ceiling height. In homes with standard 8-foot ceilings, cabinets often stop around 84–90 inches. If you have higher ceilings, you can go taller or add crown moulding or stacked cabinets to fill the gap.

Understanding how high kitchen cabinets are supposed to be makes planning easier, especially if you’re installing a backsplash or aligning with existing windows.

Why These Measurements Matter

It’s not just about aesthetics. The wrong cabinet height can make a kitchen feel cramped or make storage hard to reach. Too high, and you’ll need a step stool every time you grab a mug. Too low, and you might be bumping your head or cramping your workspace.

The goal is to strike a balance between accessibility and design. These standard heights evolved over time to suit average user needs, and unless you have a reason to adjust, they’re a smart starting point.

What to Do with Tall Ceilings

If your home has 9- or 10-foot ceilings, stopping cabinets at 7 feet might make the room feel empty. That’s where custom cabinetry comes in. You can add an extra row of cabinets above your standard uppers for seasonal storage, or run your cabinets higher with a built-in step stool stored discreetly inside a base cabinet.

At Premiere Custom Millwork & Fireplaces Ltd, we work with clients to design solutions that take full advantage of their space without making the kitchen feel overbuilt. Whether you’re dealing with beams, sloped ceilings, or awkward corners, there’s always a smart way to use the height you’ve got.

What About Base Cabinets?

While this blog focuses on how high upper cabinets should be, it’s worth mentioning that base cabinets typically stand at 34.5 inches, and with countertops added, the working surface usually lands at 36 inches. These measurements work well for food prep and cleaning.

Knowing these dimensions helps you plan the full kitchen layout, aligning cabinetry, backsplash, appliances, and lighting without costly do-overs.

Final Note

So, how high are kitchen cabinets supposed to be? Most start 18 inches above the counter, but there’s room to adjust based on ceiling height, style preferences, and your lifestyle. The key is designing around function, not just tradition.

At Premiere Custom Millwork & Fireplaces Ltd., we create custom kitchen cabinetry that works with your space and your habits. Whether you’re remodelling a downtown condo or building a new home in the GTA, we’ll help you get every inch right, from floor to ceiling.