Planning10 min read

How to Measure Your Kitchen for IKEA Cabinets: Step-by-Step Guide

Kitchen Fitters Team·May 9, 2025

Why Accurate Measurements Are Non-Negotiable

Measuring your kitchen correctly is the single most important step in any IKEA kitchen renovation. Every cabinet, filler strip, and countertop dimension depends on the numbers you record. Getting measurements wrong by even half an inch can mean cabinets that do not fit, gaps that look unprofessional, or expensive returns and reorders.

We have installed IKEA kitchens in homes throughout the mid-Atlantic region — from 1920s rowhomes in Philadelphia to modern townhouses in Columbia, Maryland — and measurement errors are the number one cause of installation delays. This guide walks you through the exact process we use when we measure a kitchen for IKEA cabinets.

Tools You Will Need

Before you start, gather these tools. Do not substitute — each one serves a specific purpose:

Steel tape measure (25 feet minimum) — Cloth and retractable tapes stretch and give inaccurate readings
4-foot level — Essential for checking walls and floors
Pencil and graph paper — For sketching your floor plan
Step stool or ladder — For reaching upper wall measurements
Painter's tape — For marking reference points on walls
Digital camera or smartphone — For photographing plumbing, electrical, and any anomalies
Flashlight — For seeing behind existing cabinets and appliances

Optional but Helpful

Laser distance measurer (saves time on long walls)
Digital angle finder (for rooms with non-90-degree corners)
Small mirror (for seeing behind tight spaces)

Step 1: Create a Rough Floor Plan Sketch

Start by drawing a bird's-eye-view sketch of your kitchen on graph paper. It does not need to be to scale yet. Just capture:

The basic shape of the room
Every wall, including partial walls and half-walls
All doorways and their swing direction
All windows, including trim
Any architectural features like columns, soffits, or chimney bumps

Label each wall with a letter (Wall A, Wall B, etc.) so you can reference them easily. Mark which direction is north if you can — this helps when discussing your layout with installers or the IKEA kitchen department.

Step 2: Measure All Walls

This is where precision matters most. For each wall, you will take three horizontal measurements: one at floor level, one at 36 inches (counter height), and one at 54 inches (wall cabinet height).

Why Three Heights?

Walls are rarely perfectly straight or plumb, especially in older homes across Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland. Measuring at three heights catches any bowing, tapering, or irregularity. Always use the smallest of the three measurements for your planning — this ensures cabinets will fit.

Measuring process for each wall:

Place one end of the tape measure firmly in the corner where the wall meets the adjacent wall
Extend to the opposite corner
Record the measurement to the nearest 1/16 of an inch
Repeat at all three heights
Write the smallest measurement on your sketch, but note all three

Handling Corners

Measure into each corner carefully. Tape measures can buckle in corners, giving false readings. For the most accurate corner-to-corner measurement:

Press the tape measure body into the corner (use the tape body's width, which is usually printed on the case, and add it to your reading)
Or better yet, measure from a fixed point 12 inches from the corner, record that number, then measure the remaining 12-inch gap separately and add them together

Step 3: Measure Ceiling Height

Ceiling height determines which wall cabinets you can use and how they will be mounted. IKEA wall cabinets range from 15 to 40 inches tall, and the standard mounting height puts the bottom of wall cabinets at 54 inches from the floor.

Measure ceiling height in at least four locations:

Each corner of the room
The center of each wall where cabinets will be installed
The center of the room

Record the lowest measurement. If there is more than a 1/2-inch variation, note all measurements — your installer will need to know about significant unevenness.

Check for Soffits and Bulkheads

Many mid-Atlantic kitchens, especially in homes built before 1980, have soffits (also called bulkheads) above the existing cabinets. Measure:

The distance from the floor to the bottom of the soffit
The depth of the soffit from the wall
The full length of the soffit

Decide now whether you plan to keep or remove the soffit. Removing it opens up space for taller wall cabinets that go to the ceiling, but may require drywall and possibly electrical work if the soffit conceals wiring or ductwork.

Step 4: Measure Windows and Doors

Windows and doors create fixed boundaries that your cabinet layout must work around.

For Each Window, Record:

Width of the window opening (inside the trim)
Width including the trim (outside edge to outside edge)
Height of the window sill from the floor
Height of the window top from the floor (including trim)
Distance from the nearest corner to the edge of the window trim
Depth of the window sill (how far it protrudes from the wall)

For Each Door, Record:

Width of the door opening (inside the trim)
Width including the trim
Distance from the nearest corner to the edge of the door trim
Which direction the door swings (into the kitchen or out)
Whether the door can be rehung or removed if it conflicts with your planned layout

Step 5: Locate and Measure All Plumbing

Plumbing locations heavily influence your kitchen layout, because moving plumbing is one of the most expensive changes you can make during a renovation.

Sink Plumbing

Remove the panel or open the cabinet below your current sink and measure:

Hot and cold water supply lines: Distance from the nearest corner wall and height from the floor
Drain pipe: Distance from the nearest corner wall, height from the floor, and diameter
Distance from the wall the pipes come out of to the center of the pipes

Take photos of everything behind the sink. In many older homes in our service area, you may find galvanized steel pipes, copper pipes, or a combination. Note the material — your plumber will want to know.

Dishwasher Connection

Measure the location of the dishwasher water supply and drain connection. Note whether it connects to the sink's plumbing or has its own dedicated connections.

Gas Line (If Applicable)

If you have a gas range, measure the location of the gas supply line — distance from the nearest corner and height from the floor. Gas line relocation requires a licensed plumber and permits in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and DC.

Step 6: Locate and Measure All Electrical

Electrical locations are just as important as plumbing. Map every outlet, switch, and dedicated circuit in the kitchen.

For Each Outlet and Switch, Record:

Distance from the nearest corner
Height from the floor
Whether it is a standard outlet, GFCI outlet, or 240V outlet (for electric ranges)

Dedicated Circuits to Note:

Refrigerator — usually a standard 120V outlet behind the fridge
Dishwasher — often hardwired under the counter
Range/oven — 240V outlet or gas with 120V for ignition
Microwave — dedicated 120V circuit, often above the range
Garbage disposal — switched outlet under the sink

For more details on electrical planning, see our electrical requirements guide.

Step 7: Check for Level and Plumb

This step separates amateur measurements from professional ones.

Checking the Floor

Place your 4-foot level on the floor along each wall where base cabinets will go. Also check diagonally across the room. Mark the highest point of the floor with painter's tape — this is where your installer will start leveling base cabinets.

Record how much variation you find. Common findings in mid-Atlantic homes:

Less than 1/4 inch over 8 feet: Normal, easily adjusted with shims
1/4 to 1/2 inch over 8 feet: Noticeable, requires careful shimming
More than 1/2 inch over 8 feet: Significant, may require floor leveling before installation

Checking the Walls

Hold your level vertically against each wall where cabinets will mount. Check at several points along the wall. Walls that lean in or out will affect how tightly cabinets sit against the wall and may require shimming or scribing.

Step 8: Note Obstructions and Utilities

Walk around the room and record anything that could interfere with cabinet installation:

Heating vents — floor registers, baseboard heaters, radiators
Plumbing vent pipes in the wall (you can sometimes hear them)
Structural elements — load-bearing columns, beam locations
Exterior venting — range hood vent location, dryer vent if nearby
Water shut-off valves — mark their locations so they remain accessible

Step 9: Photograph Everything

Take photos systematically. You will reference these when working in the IKEA Kitchen Planner at home:

Each wall straight-on from the opposite wall
Each corner up close
Behind and under existing cabinets where plumbing and electrical are visible
The ceiling above the cabinet area, especially near soffits
The floor at the base of walls
Every outlet, switch, and plumbing connection with a tape measure in the frame for reference

Step 10: Transfer to a Clean Drawing

Once all measurements are recorded, create a clean version of your floor plan. Use graph paper with a scale (1/4 inch = 1 foot works well for most kitchens). Include:

All wall dimensions (use the smallest of your three measurements)
Window and door locations with all their measurements
Plumbing and electrical locations with exact positions
Ceiling height at each point measured
Floor level variations
Any obstructions

This clean drawing is what you will input into the IKEA Kitchen Planner. Keep the original rough notes too — you may need to reference specific measurements that did not make it onto the clean version.

Common Measurement Mistakes to Avoid

Measuring over existing cabinets instead of removing them or measuring behind them
Forgetting to account for drywall thickness if you plan to replace drywall
Not measuring the distance between walls at the entry point where cabinets will be carried in
Assuming opposite walls are the same length (they rarely are)
Rounding measurements to the nearest inch (always measure to 1/16 inch)

Double-Checking Your Work

Before entering your measurements into the IKEA Kitchen Planner, run through this verification process:

Add up opposing walls. In a rectangular room, Wall A plus Wall C should roughly equal Wall B plus Wall D (accounting for wall thickness). If the numbers do not add up, re-measure.
Check diagonals. Measure diagonally from corner to corner in both directions. If the two diagonal measurements are equal, your room is square. If they differ by more than 1 inch, note this — your room is not rectangular and you will need to account for this in the planner.
Verify plumbing positions from two reference points. Measure the drain location from the left wall and then from the right wall. The two measurements plus the pipe diameter should roughly equal the total wall length.
Have someone else verify at least two critical measurements. A second person measuring independently catches errors your own repetition might miss.
Compare your graph paper drawing to your photos. Walk through your photos and make sure every feature you can see in the photos appears on your drawing.

When to Call a Professional

If your kitchen has any of these characteristics, consider having a professional take measurements:

Walls that are significantly out of plumb (more than 3/4 inch over 8 feet)
Multiple angles or non-rectangular shapes
Unknown plumbing or electrical behind walls
Previous renovations that may have altered the original layout
Load-bearing walls that might be affected by the renovation

Kitchen Fitters offers professional measurement services as part of our IKEA kitchen installation packages. We bring laser measurers, digital tools, and years of experience reading the quirks of mid-Atlantic homes. We serve homeowners throughout Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and the DC metro area. Contact Kitchen Fitters to schedule a measurement visit and take the guesswork out of your IKEA kitchen project.