Drawer Construction Calculator

Calculate drawer box dimensions, slide sizing, cut list, and material needs from your cabinet opening measurements and joint type.

Inputs

Cabinet opening width (in)

Cabinet opening height (in)

Cabinet depth (in)

Joint

Slide

Side material thickness (in)

Number of drawers

Tab to move between fields

Results

Drawer box width (in)

How the result changes with Cabinet opening width (in)

Cabinet opening width (in)	Drawer box width (in)	Recommended slide length (in)
10	9	20
21	20	20
33	32	20
44	43	20

What each input means

Cabinet opening width (in): Interior width of the cabinet opening the drawer fits into.
Cabinet opening height (in): Height of the opening for this drawer.
Cabinet depth (in): Internal front-to-back depth of the cabinet.
Joint: Corner joint type. Dovetail and box joints are strongest.
Slide: Slide type affects clearance. Side-mount needs 1/2 inch per side.
Side material thickness (in): Thickness of drawer side stock. 1/2" is standard; 3/4" for heavy-duty.
Number of drawers: Number of identical drawers to calculate material totals for.

What each result means

Drawer box width (in): Outer width of the drawer box after slide clearance.
Drawer box height (in): Outer height of the drawer box after top clearance.
Drawer depth (in): Front-to-back depth of the drawer box.
Recommended slide length (in): Nearest standard slide length that fits your cabinet depth.
Side piece cut length (in): Cut length for each drawer side.
Front/back cut length (in): Cut length for sub-front and back pieces.
Bottom panel width (in): Width of the 1/4" plywood bottom panel.
Bottom panel depth (in): Depth of the 1/4" plywood bottom panel.
Total box board feet: Board feet of hardwood needed for all drawer sides, fronts, and backs.
Total bottom plywood (sq ft): Square feet of 1/4" plywood for all drawer bottoms.
Interior volume (cu in): Usable interior storage volume of each drawer.
Slide weight capacity (lbs): Approximate weight capacity per pair of slides.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

Identify Input Parameters
4 parameters
Cabinet opening width (in) = 18, Cabinet opening height (in) = 6, Cabinet depth (in) = 22, Joint = 2 = 7 input(s) provided
Calculate Drawer box width
Drawer box width = openingWidth - totalSlideClearance
17 = 17
Calculate Recommended slide length
Recommended slide length
20 = 20
Calculate Drawer box height
Drawer box height = openingHeight - topClearance
5.5 = 5.5
Calculate Drawer depth
Drawer depth = cabinetDepth - 1
21 = 21

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Drawer Slide Calculator

Calculate drawer box dimensions for your cabinet opening and slide type. Get exact width, height, and depth including clearances for full-extension, undermount, or center-mount slides.

Woodworking