You don’t need to be a pro to get measurements good enough to start. Follow these steps, send them to us, and we’ll turn them into a free 3D design.
What you’ll need
A 25-foot tape measure, a pencil, and a sheet of paper (or your phone’s notes). Sketch your kitchen roughly from above — it doesn’t have to be pretty, just clear.
Step by step
- Draw the outline. Sketch each wall of the kitchen from a bird’s-eye view, going around the room in order.
- Measure wall to wall. Measure the full length of each wall, corner to corner, in inches. Write the number on that wall in your sketch.
- Mark the ceiling height. Measure floor to ceiling — important for tall cabinets and crown molding.
- Note every opening and fixture. Windows, doors, and where they sit along the wall. Also mark the sink, stove/range, refrigerator, and dishwasher locations.
- Mark utilities. Rough locations of outlets, plumbing, gas, and vents. These affect where cabinets can go.
- Measure to the center of the sink window (if you have one) — sinks are usually centered under it.
The golden rule: measure twice, write it down once. And always measure the actual wall — don’t assume a room is a perfect rectangle. Older homes rarely are.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Rounding off. Measure to the nearest 1/8 inch. Small errors compound across a run of cabinets.
- Forgetting the height. People measure the walls’ length and forget ceiling height — you need both.
- Ignoring obstructions. Radiators, soffits, bulkheads, and trim all matter. Note anything that sticks out.
- Skipping appliance sizes. Jot down the width of your range and fridge so cabinets fit around them.
You’re done — now let us take it from here
That’s all we need to start. Send your sketch and measurements through our contact form (you can even snap a photo of your hand-drawn plan and attach it), and we’ll design your kitchen in 3D, catch anything that needs a second look, and price it out — free. You don’t have to get it perfect; that’s our job.