How to use the cabinet run filler calculator
- Enter the wall length and choose inches or centimeters.
- List the cabinet widths you can use, separated by spaces.
- Choose how many finished end panels you have and their thickness, and set the allowed filler in More options.
- Read the layouts with the least filler, from the fewest cabinets up.
Formula
Space for cabinets = wall length - number of end panels x panel thickness
Filler = space - sum of the cabinet widths
A layout fits when the filler is between your smallest and largest allowed
Layouts are ranked by smallest filler, then fewest cabinets
Every combination of your widths with repeats is tried, working in hundredths of a unit so the sums are exact. The order along the wall does not change the count.
A 12 foot wall
A wall 144 inches long with cabinets 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 30, 33 and 36 inches wide and up to 3 inches of filler allowed has 2,663 combinations that fit, and 1,406 of them leave no filler at all. The shortest is four 36 inch cabinets, then combinations such as 36 + 30 + 30 + 24 + 24.
With two 3/4 inch end panels on a 126 inch wall the space is 124.5 inches. With widths 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 30 and 36 and up to 2 inches of filler, 129 combinations fit, none exact, and the least filler is 1.5 inches, for example 36 + 36 + 30 + 21. A 360 cm wall with widths from 30 to 100 cm has 431 combinations and 285 with no filler, led by 100 + 100 + 100 + 60.
Using the layouts
The page shows which sets of widths work, not where each cabinet goes. Once you have chosen a set, arrange the cabinets to suit sinks, appliances and corners, then split the filler so it sits at the ends or between cabinets where it is least noticeable. Fillers are usually cut from a strip of the same material as the doors.
For door and panel sizes see the cabinet door size calculator, for cutting boards with little waste the cutting stock board optimizer, and for trim lengths the baseboard trim calculator.
Choosing the filler limits
A thin filler of an inch or two is a normal way to absorb small differences. A wide filler looks odd and wastes space. Allowing more filler gives many more layouts, and allowing none finds only exact fits. The default limit is only an example, so set what you and your cabinet maker accept.
Assumptions and limits
- Cabinets run in a single straight line between two walls, with no corner units or appliances.
- Each width can be used any number of times, and the order does not matter.
- The search stops after a few million steps and warns if it did, so use fewer widths for long walls.
- Widths must be at least half a unit, and the run must need no more than 60 cabinets.
Frequently asked questions
How do I fit cabinets to a wall length?
Subtract any end panels from the wall length, then find a set of cabinet widths whose total is slightly less. The leftover is the filler. This page tries every combination for you and ranks them.
How much filler is acceptable?
Many designers keep fillers to a few inches in total. It depends on the cabinet style, how the doors swing and your taste, so enter the limit you want. The page lists only layouts within it.
Why are there so many exact layouts?
With several widths that share common factors, many different sets add up to the same total. Choose among them by cost, the number of cabinets and where appliances sit.
Does this include corners?
No. Corner cabinets and appliance gaps are not modeled. Run the tool for each straight stretch of wall and subtract fixed items from the wall length first.