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How to Build a Kitchen Island

Updated · 2 min read

To build a kitchen island, plan the size and the aisles, screw cleats to the floor in the island's outline, set base cabinets over them and join them into one block, then add finished panels on the ends and the back, a toe kick, supports for any seating overhang, and the countertop. Building it from standard base cabinets is the easiest way: the boxes are plain rectangles, and the island ends up the same height as the rest of the kitchen.

Plan the island

  • Size: about 6 × 3 ft (180 × 90 cm) for storage on one side and three stools on the other; at least 4 × 2 ft. See kitchen island dimensions.
  • Aisles: 42 in (107 cm) where you cook, 36 in at least elsewhere.
  • Height: 36 in counter height, or a 42 in raised bar on the seating side: see counter vs bar height.
  • Services: an outlet is generally required by code; a sink or cooktop needs plumbing or gas run through the floor first.

Step by step

  1. Mark the outline on the floor and check the aisles with tape before anything is fixed.
  2. Screw cleats to the floor: 2x4s or plywood strips inside the outline of the cabinets, set back by the thickness of the cabinet sides.
  3. Set the base cabinets over the cleats: back to back for storage on both sides, or in a row with a finished back panel. Level them with shims, from the highest point of the floor.
  4. Join the cabinets: clamp neighbours flush at the front and screw them together through the sides.
  5. Screw the cabinets to the cleats through the sides or bottoms.
  6. Cover the ends and the back with finished panels, 3/4 in plywood or MDF, painted or veneered to match the doors, and fit the toe kick all round.
  7. Support the overhang: up to about 10 in needs nothing special; more needs steel brackets, corbels or a plywood sub-top tied into the cabinets.
  8. Fit the countertop and screw it on from below through the cabinet rails.

Building the cabinets yourself

If you build the island cabinets too, size them like any base cabinet, 34 1/2 in tall and 24 in deep, or deeper for an island that is open on the seating side. Our island plan works out the cabinets, the back panel and the shelves from the size you type:

Frequently asked questions

How do you build a kitchen island with cabinets?

Fix cleats to the floor in the island's outline, set base cabinets over them, level and clamp them together, screw them to each other and to the cleats, then add finished end and back panels, a toe kick and the countertop.

How do you anchor a kitchen island to the floor?

Screw 2x4 or plywood cleats to the floor, inside the outline of the cabinets, then screw through the cabinet sides or bottoms into the cleats. The island cannot move when people lean on the overhang.

How big should a kitchen island be?

At least 4 × 2 ft, usually around 6 × 3 ft, 36 in tall, with 36–42 in of clear aisle all round. See the kitchen island dimensions guide.

Does a kitchen island need an outlet?

In the US, electrical codes generally require a receptacle, or a provision for one, at a kitchen island. Plan the wiring with an electrician before you fix the cabinets.

More guides

Cabinet Parts Names ExplainedNames of kitchen cabinet parts explained with sizes: sides (gables), bottom, stretchers, toe kick, back, shelves, doors and drawer parts. With a free cut list.Dado and Rabbet JointsWhat dado and rabbet joints are, how they differ, how deep to cut them in plywood, and how to cut them with a table saw, a router or a circular saw.How to Build a CabinetHow to build a cabinet from plywood, MDF or melamine, step by step: size it, make the cut list, cut and edge band, drill, assemble the box and fit the doors.