How to measure replacement cabinet doors

Finished size and opening size are different

Finished size means the overall width and height of the front you intend to order. Opening size describes the cabinet space behind it. DoorQuoteKit prices finished sizes; it does not convert cabinet openings into doors or calculate overlay, reveals or hinge positions.

An overlay door extends beyond the opening, while an inset front fits within it. Hinges and surrounding clearances influence the final dimensions. CabinetDoors.com explains why replacement projects should check the opening and intended overlay rather than depend only on an older door, which may have changed shape. See its supplier measuring guide.

1. Give every front a location

Make a simple room sketch and assign a label to each door and drawer front: “sink left,” “sink right” or “island top drawer,” for example. Keep photographs or hardware notes under those same labels. You can then match the quote, delivered pieces and installation locations without relying on row order.

Prepare a tape measure or suitable measuring tool and a worksheet. Ask your workshop what precision it requires. Write width first and height second everywhere, and make the selected unit visible at the top of the sheet.

2. Record sizes for workshop review

If the workshop requests opening measurements, record them in a separate worksheet marked “opening sizes.” Also record any existing finished-door measurements it requests. Ask the workshop to resolve overlay, paired doors, inset reveals, neighboring fronts and hinge compatibility into the final sizes to order.

CabinetNow’s replacement-door guidance describes adding the intended overlay to opening measurements and accounting for both sides. That illustrates why copying an opening directly into a finished-size quote can give the wrong result. Its guidance concerns its products; confirm the calculation for your own cabinet construction and hardware.

Record drawer fronts separately from the drawer box. Treat corner, angled, glass-ready or other unusual fronts as items to review individually. DoorQuoteKit’s width-and-height area calculation does not establish whether a workshop can manufacture a particular front.

3. Choose inches or millimeters

The builder uses one unit for the door list. In inch mode, enter a decimal or a mixed fraction; in millimeter mode, enter a plain decimal. Type the number without inch marks or a unit suffix. Conversion helps transfer a measurement, but does not improve its original accuracy.

For spreadsheet import, use columns such as Description, Width, Height, Quantity and Style. Preview the imported rows before applying them. Do not mix inch and millimeter measurements in one list.

4. Check the list before requesting a quote

• Every row describes a finished size approved for quoting.
• Width and height have not been swapped, and all rows use the selected unit.
• Quantity counts individual fronts; two matching doors have a quantity of two.
• Style names match the workshop’s products, and the selected order finish is correct.
• Special hardware, boring patterns, thickness and material requirements are recorded separately.
• The workshop has checked fit, manufacturing limits, final price and delivery details before production.

Recheck each entry against the labeled worksheet. If two supposedly matching pieces differ, resolve that difference before grouping them into one quantity. Keep unknown sizes out of the estimate until they are confirmed.

5. Keep the handoff readable

Use the free quote builder to make the item list, then export CSV or print to PDF. Include your cabinet labels when asking a workshop to review it. Save a quote file if you want to reopen the measurements later; reopening recalculates them with the current rates. See the pricing guide to understand area charges, per-piece fees and order minimums.

For workshop owners: learn how to add a cabinet-door quote calculator to your website, using your approved prices.