Cabinet Door Calculator

Cabinet Door Calculator — How It Works

This calculator determines the exact dimensions for 5-piece cabinet doors (2 stiles, 2 rails, 1 panel) based on your cabinet opening and door style. It supports four common door styles: inset, partial overlay, full overlay, and lipped doors.

Door Styles Explained

• Inset Doors: Doors sit flush with the cabinet face frame. Requires 1/8" gap (reveal) around all edges for proper clearance.
• Partial Overlay: Doors overlap the cabinet face frame by 1/2" on each side. Most common for traditional cabinets.
• Full Overlay: Doors cover almost the entire face frame with a 1/8" reveal between doors and edges. Modern frameless cabinet style.
• Lipped Doors: Doors have a rabbeted edge that sits partially recessed, overlapping the frame by 3/8".

How to Use This Calculator

• Cabinet opening: Measure the inside width and height of the cabinet opening in inches
• Door style: Select inset, partial overlay, full overlay, or lipped based on your cabinet construction
• Number of doors: Choose 1 for a single door cabinet, or 2 for a double-door cabinet (automatically adds center gap)
• Stile width: Enter the width of your stiles and rails (common: 2¼" for traditional, 1½"-2" for modern)
• Groove depth: The depth of the groove that holds the panel (typically ⅜")
• Expansion gap: Allowance for wood movement (typically 1/16")

Understanding the Cut List

• Stiles: Vertical pieces on left and right of the door. Length equals door height.
• Rails: Horizontal pieces at top and bottom. Length = door width - (2 × stile width) + (2 × groove depth)
• Panel: Center panel that floats in the grooves. Slightly smaller than the opening for expansion.

Cabinet Door Formulas

• Door Width: Opening width + (overlay × 2) for overlay styles; opening width - (reveal × 2) for inset
• Rail Length: Door width - (2 × stile width) + (2 × groove depth)
• Panel Width: Rail length - (2 × expansion gap)

Material Estimation

• Linear feet of stile/rail material = (2 × door height) + (2 × rail length) ÷ 12
• Panel material = panel width × panel height (for each door)
• Add 10-15% waste for cutting and defects

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the standard overlay for cabinet doors? — Partial overlay is 1/2", full overlay typically has 1/8" reveal, inset requires 1/8" gap.
• How do I measure for double cabinet doors? — Measure the full opening, then subtract the center gap (typically 1/8") and divide by 2.
• What is a 5-piece cabinet door? — A door constructed from 2 stiles (vertical), 2 rails (horizontal), and a center panel that floats in grooves.
• How much gap between double cabinet doors? — Standard gap is 1/8" (0.125") to allow doors to open without rubbing.