How to measure a kitchen drawer

What you need

• A tape measure or folding ruler in millimetres or centimetres
• A pen and paper, or the My space page to save the numbers
• The drawer emptied, or at least cleared along the edges

1. Inside width

Measure from the inside of the left wall to the inside of the right wall, at the narrowest point. Many drawers are narrower at the front lip or near the runners, so measure at the front, middle and back and write down the smallest number.

2. Inside depth

Measure from the inside of the front panel to the inside of the back panel along the floor of the drawer. If the drawer does not pull all the way out, measure as far as it opens and note that the back part is harder to reach.

3. Usable height

Measure from the drawer floor up to the lowest thing above it when the drawer is closed: the worktop, a frame rail or the drawer above. This is often lower than the drawer sides, so check it with the drawer pushed in.

Common mistakes

• Measuring the outside of the drawer box instead of the inside
• Forgetting the front lip or handle fixings that stick into the drawer
• Measuring height from the top of the sides, not to the lowest thing above
• Mixing up centimetres and inches