How much overhang should cabinet doors have?

Author: Kevin Hudson Sr.  |  Last update: Friday, November 7, 2025

Partial overlays are the most common overlay size which means your cabinet doors and drawer fronts extend 1/2" over the cabinet's opening or face frame. Full overlays, on the other hand, extend 1 1/4" over the opening/frame and 1 1/4" overlay hinges.

Is 2 inch overhang too much?

Although a standard overhang is usually 1 to 1.5 inches, a 2-inch overhang can work as long as it aesthetically fits within your design.

How much overhang for cabinets?

For food prep, you will want to use the standard measure of around one inch and a half. This will provide enough of an overhang so that your base cabinets are protected from spills and other damage, while not creating an obstruction that takes up more space than needed.

How much space should be left between cabinet doors?

When you have a pair of doors covering one opening, you are going to plan for a 1/8" gap between them. So on our 1/2" overlay plan, the top and bottom of each doors will still have a 1/2" overlay, and the hinge side of each door will have a 1/2" overlay.

What is cabinet door overhang?

When referring to an overlay door, it means the entire door lays on top of the cabinet frame. Overlays can come in a variety of sizes but in common applications we most often see a 1/2" overlay or 1/4" overlay. Although, where European Hinges are used there is a broader range of overlay sizes.

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How much should cabinet doors overhang?

Partial overlays are the most common overlay size which means your cabinet doors and drawer fronts extend 1/2" over the cabinet's opening or face frame. Full overlays, on the other hand, extend 1 1/4" over the opening/frame and 1 1/4" overlay hinges.

How big should a door overhang be?

An example formula for determining the correct overhang (in many climates) is: D (Depth) = 1/2H (Height). For example, if the measurement from the base of the door to the bottom of the overhang is 10 feet, then the overhang should extend at least 5 feet.

What is the gap between doors and cabinets?

Doors have a recommended gap of 2 mm on each side and 2.5mm on the top and the bottom. The gap between two panels (door and drawer or two drawers) is usually 5mm. All our standard doors and drawers are 4mm less than the standard carcass widths.

How much overhang should a drawer face have?

Here are some key points to consider: Top Overhang: Typically, the top overhang of the face frame should be around 1/8 to 1/4 inch for a clean and polished appearance. Side Overhang: The side overhang of the face frame is usually around 1/4 to 1/2 inch to provide a seamless transition between cabinets.

How much bigger should a cabinet door be than the opening?

In the most common cabinet design, the doors are slightly larger than the opening. This is called the overlay, and the most common overlay is ½ inch. ½ inch overlay means the door is larger, or overlays the cabinet box's opening at the top, bottom, left, and right, by ½ inch.

What is the standard overhang?

Standard countertop overhang is 1 ½ inches.

Keep in mind that this is 1 ½ inches over the front edge of the base cabinet. While some countertops may have different overhang measurements, this is the number that is seen as standard for homes. While 1 ½ inches is the most common, it's far from mandatory.

Is 8 inch overhang enough?

An 8-inch overhang is usually not enough for comfortable seating. While it might work in a pinch, most people will find it too shallow. With an 8-inch overhang, there is not enough legroom, and people's knees are likely to hit the cabinets underneath, making it uncomfortable to sit for any length of time.

How much overhang on the side of a cabinet?

The standard countertop overhang is 1-1.25 inches long, this is the standard length for a countertop overhang on the front side of the counter. For a countertop overhang on the side, the length is typically 0.125 to 0.25 inches.

How big should my overhang be?

For the eaves, which are the lower edges of the roof, the overhang should be between 12 and 18 inches. This means the roof should stick out 1 to 1.5 feet past the walls. For the rakes, which are the sloped edges of the roof at the gable ends, the overhang should be about 8 inches.

How much overhang is allowed?

California allows cargo to overhang a vehicle by 4 feet beyond the rear, 3 feet beyond the front and 4 inches beyond the side of the vehicle. You must use markings if the load extends 1 foot or more to the left or over 4 feet to the rear of any vehicle.

How much reveal on full overlay cabinet doors?

A Standard Overlay door will lay on top of (overlay) this 1.5” face frame 3/8”, leaving 1-1/8” revealed on all rails and stiles. A Full Overlay door will overlay that same 1.5” face frame 1.25”, leaving a ¼” reveal on the sides (stiles) and bottom (rail).

Should face frame be flush with cabinets?

A face frame does a better job of this if it overlaps the box edges a bit. Making the face frame run past all the plywood edges provides a little wiggle room and hides not-so-perfect saw cuts on the plywood. Face frames on sides of kitchen cabinets should overlap 1/4 in.

What is a lip on a cabinet?

The lip is the outer edge profile of the door. On a framed inset cabinet, the lip will be right next to the frame. On overlay or frameless cabinets, the lip is on the edge of the door which sits above the frame or outer wall of the cabinet.

What is the standard gap for cabinets?

The standard space between a cabinet and countertop is typically 1/8 inch.

What is the piece of wood between two cabinet doors called?

Mullion. "The vertical strip that divides frames, such as with cabinets with more than one door." Mullion Doors. "Also referred to as a divided light door. The solid center panel is omitted and replaced with horizontal and vertical mullions dividing the open panel into smaller panels.

How much gap should there be between door and frame?

There should be a 2mm or 3mm gap between the door and the frame on both sides and the top. If you do need to cut the door down to size, keep in mind that you need to cut all four sides of the door equally whenever possible to retain an accurate shape or pattern if the door is panelled.

What is the standard overhang dimensions?

In certain instances, a larger or smaller overhang may be desired. This is more common with custom countertops. Still, while some countertops can have different overhang measurements, 1.5 inches is considered standard for residential homes. The standard countertop overhang for kitchen islands is 12 inches.

What is the overhang over a door called?

Terminology. The canopy over a door is usually called an “awning” or “door canopy.” Other names for it are “overhang,” “door hood,” and “portico.” While people sometimes use these names interchangeably, they can also refer to different types of structures with unique features.

How do you measure overhang on a door?

You can calculate how much overhang you need by following a simple formula : Y=1/2 x ( in most cases). For example, if the measurement from the base of your door to the bottom of your overhang is ten feet, then the overhang should be a minimum of five feet deep.

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