How to Measure Your Space
Our specialty services are design-only and fully remote, so we design from the measurements you send us. Twenty careful minutes here saves a revision round later and, if you are having something built, saves a great deal more than that.
Before anything is built
Your contractor or cabinetmaker must field-verify every dimension on site before cutting, ordering or fabricating anything. Our drawings are design documents. They are not engineered, stamped or permit-ready construction documents, and we never visit the site.
What you'll need
- A tape measure (a laser measure is better if you have one)
- Your phone, for photos
- Paper and pen, or the notes app
Four rules that matter
- 1 Measure in inches or centimetres and stick to one, then tell your designer which.
- 2 Measure each wall at floor level, at counter height, and near the ceiling. Old walls are rarely square, and the smallest number is the one that matters.
- 3 Write down what you measured, not what you think it should be. Round down, never up.
- 4 Note anything sticking out or cut into the wall: outlets, switches, vents, radiators, pipes, baseboards, crown moulding, window and door casings.
Measuring for Custom Cabinetry
Do this once for each wall you are having built in.
Wall width
Corner to corner, at the floor and again near the ceiling. If the two differ, send both numbers.
Ceiling height
Floor to ceiling at both ends of the wall. Note if the ceiling slopes or has a bulkhead.
Obstructions
For every outlet, switch, vent, radiator, pipe or thermostat on that wall: its size, and its distance from the left corner and from the floor.
Openings
Width and height of any window or door on the wall, plus the distance from the nearest corner and from the floor. Include the trim.
Trim depth
How far the baseboard and any crown moulding stick out from the wall.
Room depth
How far you can project into the room before the built-in blocks a walkway, door swing or window.
Measuring for Kitchen & Bath Design
Plumbing positions are the ones people forget, and the ones that cost the most to get wrong.
Full room plan
The length of every wall, corner to corner, plus ceiling height. Sketch it as a rough overhead box and label each wall.
Windows and doors
Width, height, distance from the nearest corner and from the floor. Note which way each door swings.
Plumbing
Where the sink drain, water supply lines, toilet flange and any shower or tub drain sit today: distance from the nearest corner and from the floor.
Electrical and venting
Outlets, switches, light fixtures, the range hood vent and any HVAC registers, with their positions.
Appliances and fixtures
If anything is already bought or staying, send the model numbers and dimensions: range, fridge, dishwasher, tub, vanity.
Immovables
Anything that cannot move: a structural column, a soffit, a radiator, a chimney breast, a low beam.
The photo checklist
- One straight-on photo of each wall, taken from as far back as you can stand.
- One photo into each corner, so your designer can see how the walls meet.
- One photo of the ceiling junction on the main wall.
- One close-up of every outlet, switch, vent or pipe.
- One photo with a tape measure held across the wall, extended and readable.
- For kitchens and baths: one photo under the sink showing the plumbing.
Send it to your designer
WhatsApp or email everything to your designer in one go. If something is awkward to measure, send a photo and say so. They would much rather ask than guess.
See our design services