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The Ultimate DIY Guide (Measure Twice. Order Once.)

Replacing your kitchen doors is the fastest, most cost-effective way to transform your kitchen — if the measurements are right.

This guide is designed to eliminate mistakes, reduce delays, and ensure your new doors fit perfectly the first time.

If you follow this step by step, you’ll be fine. If you skip steps, you won’t.

🛠 What You’ll Need

  • Tape measure (must show millimetres)
  • Pen & paper (or our printable measuring worksheet)
  • Existing doors left on the cabinets while you measure

💡 The 3 Golden Rules (Do Not Skip These)

1. Measure the DOOR, not the CABINET

Kitchen doors are deliberately smaller than the cabinet opening (usually by around 4 mm) to allow clearance.

If you measure the cabinet, your new doors will not open properly.

2. Measure the BACK of the door

The front of most doors has bevels, curves, or profiles. The back is flat.

Only the back gives a true edge-to-edge measurement.

3. Use millimetres (mm) only

In kitchens, 1 mm matters.
Do not use cm or inches.

Quick tip: cm → mm = multiply by 10
(e.g. 71.5 cm = 715 mm)

📋 Step 1: Draw a Simple Plan

Before measuring anything:

  • Draw a rough bird’s-eye sketch of your kitchen
  • Number every door and drawer front (Door 1, Door 2, etc.)

This prevents missed doors and duplicate orders.

Do not forget:
Plinths (kickboards), end panels, filler panels, corner posts.

📏 Step 2: Measure Height, Width & Thickness

Measure every door individually

Even identical doors can differ slightly. Cabinets move. Floors aren’t level. Walls aren’t square.

Height

  • Measure from top to bottom on the back of the door
  • Measure both left and right sides
  • If measurements differ, use the larger one

Width

  • Measure from left to right
  • Measure at the top and bottom
  • Again, use the larger measurement if different
Tape measure running horizontally across the door

Thickness

Most doors are 18 mm or 22 mm.
This matters for hinge compatibility — do not guess. If its outside of this range, then contact us before placing your order.

🔄 Step 3: Determine Door Handing (Left or Right)

Stand facing the cabinet:

  • Left-hand (LH): Hinges on the left, door opens left
  • Right-hand (RH): Hinges on the right, door opens right

Important:
Drawer fronts do not have handing.

Left Hand Hinged
Right Hand Hinged

🛠 Step 4: Measuring Hinge Hole Positions (Critical)

If you want your doors pre-drilled, these measurements must be exact.

What we measure

  • All hinge positions are measured to the centre of the 35 mm hinge hole

How to measure

  • Top hinge: Measure from the top edge of the door down to the centre of the hinge hole
  • Bottom hinge: Measure from the bottom edge of the door up to the centre of the hinge hole
  • Measure from the back of the door

Standard edge distance

In most UK kitchens, the hinge hole centre is 22 mm from the side edge.
If yours is different (common with older IKEA or DIY-brand kitchens), contact us before ordering.

Pro tip:
Lightly mark the centre of the hinge hole with a pencil on the back of the door. Then measure from the top of the door down to the line that you have drawn. Repeat the process for the bottom hinge.

⚠️ Special & High-Risk Cases

Tall doors (over 1500 mm)

These usually have 3 or 4 hinges.
Measure to the centre of each hinge hole. Measure the top two hinge holes down from the top edge, and measure the bottom hinge hole(s) up from the bottom edge to ensure accurate alignment.

Integrated appliances

DishIntegrated dishwashers, fridges, and fridge-freezers may use split doors (e.g. 70/30) and either sliding or fixed door fixing systems. Hinge hole positions are determined by the appliance fixing system, so always check the appliance model or installation guide before orderingwashers, fridges, and fridge-freezers often use:

Corner units

Bi-fold corner doors are two separate doors.
Measure and record each part individually and clearly label them.

❗ Important – Made-to-Order Notice

Pre-drilled doors are made to your exact measurements and cannot be returned if measurements are incorrect.
If you are unsure about hinge positions, choose undrilled doors or contact us before ordering.

✅ Final Checklist (Do This Before Ordering)

  • ⬜ All measurements are in mm
  • ⬜ Measured the back of every door
  • ⬜ Every door measured individually
  • ⬜ Handing (LH / RH) recorded
  • ⬜ Hinge hole positions checked
  • ⬜ Plinths and panels included

Final check:
Re-measure the first door you measured.
If the numbers match, you’re ready to order.

👉 Next step

Download the printable measuring worksheet or contact us if anything is unclear before placing your order.