Renovation guides

How to measure appliance openings before you order yourself: step by step

Appliances come in fixed widths and the opening in your kitchen does not. Measure it before you buy: a fridge that is an inch too wide is a return, a delivery fee and a week without a fridge.

Difficulty 1 of 5 · about half a day · you can do this

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Photo of your room, the look you pick, then this guide with the materials counted for your room.

Tools

  • Tape measure, 25 ft
  • Level, 2 ft

Step by step

  1. Step 1 of 5

    Empty the opening and note what is already there

    Pull the old appliance out where you safely can (a plug-in fridge or microwave). Do not pull a gas range or a plumbed dishwasher — measure around them instead. Write down what is behind each opening: a power outlet, a water line, a gas shutoff, a duct.

  2. Step 2 of 5

    Width, height and depth of every opening

    Measure the width at three heights (floor, middle, top) and take the smallest; walls and cabinets are rarely square. Measure height from the finished floor to the underside of the counter or the cabinet above, and depth from the back wall to the front edge of the counter. Write the three smallest numbers down for the fridge, the range, the dishwasher and the over-range microwave.

  3. Step 3 of 5

    Check the swing and the clearances

    Open the fridge and the oven door fully: nothing should hit a wall, an island or a handle. A dishwasher door drops about 21 in into the room. A fridge needs air behind and above it per its manual, usually about 1 in at the back and 1/2 in at the top and sides.

  4. Step 4 of 5

    Write down what each opening is connected to

    Range: a 120 V plug (gas), a 240 V receptacle (electric or induction), or a gas shutoff behind the appliance. Dishwasher: hot water shutoff under the sink, a drain connection and a receptacle or a junction box. Fridge: a receptacle and, for ice and water, a 1/4 in water line. Over-range microwave: a receptacle in the cabinet above and either a duct to the outside or a recirculating filter. If what the new appliance needs is not there, that is electrical or plumbing work, not appliance work.

    Before you order

    • I have the smallest width, the height and the depth of each opening written down
    • I checked the door swing for the fridge, the oven and the dishwasher
    • I know what power, water, gas or duct is behind each opening
    • I will check the manufacturer's installation sheet for the exact opening it needs

  5. Step 5 of 5

    Measure the way in

    Walk the path the delivery will take and measure the narrowest point: the entry door with its stop, the hallway turn, the stair width and the landing. Compare it with the appliance's boxed depth, not its finished depth. If it is tight, ask whether the doors come off the fridge — most french-door models allow it.

Common mistakes

  • A "30-inch" range is not 30 inches of opening. Appliance widths are nominal. A 30 in range is usually 29 7/8 in wide and needs about 30 1/8 in of clear opening; a 36 in fridge often needs 36 1/4 in plus air gaps. Order by the manufacturer's installation sheet, never by the marketing width.
  • It fits the hole but the door cannot open. A fridge door needs to swing past the handle of the cabinet or wall next to it, and a dishwasher door drops down into the walkway. Check the swing, not only the box.
  • The box does not fit through the front door. Measure the narrowest point on the way in: entry door, hallway turn, stair landing. Delivery crews will not remove a door frame, and a fridge that cannot get in goes back on the truck.

Draft guide written from standard practice, not yet reviewed by a licensed pro. Follow product labels where they differ.

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