Cabinet Cut List Calculator
Every part of a cabinet carcass dimensioned for the material you are actually using, with the pocket-hole schedule, the dado sizes, the doors and the shelves.
- Cabinet
- 30" wide × 34 1/2" high × 24" deep, base, face frame
- Material
- 3/4" plywood (domestic) at 23/32", back 1/4" plywood (5.2 mm) at ≈7/32"
- Joinery
- dados 1/4" deep, back rabbeted 3/8"
- Doors and shelves
- double frame, 1 adjustable shelf
Cut dados to the actual panel thickness (23/32"), not 3/4".
The cabinet
30 wide × 34 1/2 high × 24 deepCut list
finished sizes, no kerf or cleanup allowanceCarcass
| Part | Qty | Length | Width | Thick | Sketch and notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Side3/4" plywood (domestic)grain along height · 5 pocket holes | 2 | 34 1/2" | 23 1/4" | 23/32" | |
| Bottom3/4" plywood (domestic)grain along width · 5 pocket holes | 1 | 29 1/16" | ≈23 1/32" | 23/32" | Includes 1/4" at each end for the dados. |
| Top stretcher3/4" plywood (domestic)grain along length · 9 pocket holes | 2 | 28 9/16" | 4" | 23/32" | One at the front, one at the back, flush with the top of the sides. Pocket holes on the top face.Holes along the front edge go into the top rail — front stretcher only. |
| Back1/4" plywood (5.2 mm)grain along height | 1 | 29 5/16" | 30" | ≈7/32" | Sits in the 3/8" deep rabbets; glue and pin every 6". |
| Toe kick3/4" plywood (domestic)grain along length · 4 pocket holes | 1 | 28 9/16" | 4 1/2" | 23/32" | Set back 3" from the front of the sides, under the bottom panel. Holes on the back face. |
Face frame
| Part | Qty | Length | Width | Thick | Sketch and notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stile3/4" solid hardwoodgrain along length | 2 | 30" | 1 1/2" | 3/4" | |
| Rail3/4" solid hardwoodgrain along length · 4 pocket holes | 2 | 27" | 1 1/2" | 3/4" | Top and bottom rails. Pocket holes on the back face. |
Shelves
| Part | Qty | Length | Width | Thick | Sketch and notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adjustable shelf3/4" plywood (domestic)grain along width | 1 | 28 7/16" | ≈22 25/32" | 23/32" | 1/16" clearance each side; set back 1/4" from the front. |
Doors
| Part | Qty | Length | Width | Thick | Sketch and notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Door stileDoor stockgrain along length | 4 | 29 1/2" | 2 1/4" | 3/4" | |
| Door railDoor stockgrain along length | 4 | 10 15/16" | 2 1/4" | 3/4" | Length includes a 3/8" stub tenon at each end (shoulder to shoulder 10 3/16"). |
| Door panelPanel stockgrain along height | 2 | 25 5/8" | 10 13/16" | 1/4" | 1/16" expansion gap per side inside the groove. |
Pocket holes
one row per joint, not per hole| Joint | Drilled in | Screws | Screw | Jig | Positions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stretchers → sidesAlways pocket-screwed, even in a dado build. | Stretcher, top face, each endinto Side | 4 × 2 | 1 1/4" coarse | 3/4" | 1 1/4 · 2 3/4 |
| Toe kick → sides | Toe kick, back face, each endinto Side | 2 × 2 | 1 1/4" coarse | 3/4" | 1 1/2 · 3 |
| Rails → stilesClamp the joint flat while driving; use a face clamp. | Rail, back face, each endinto Stile | 4 × 2 | 1 1/4" fine | 3/4" | 3/8 · 1 1/8 |
| Face frame → sidesHoles point forward into the stiles. Measured from the top of the toe kick notch. Thread chosen for the stile material. | Side, inside face, along the front edgeinto Stile | 2 × 5 | 1 1/4" fine | 3/4" | 2 · 8 1/2 · 15 · 21 1/2 · 28 |
| Bottom → bottom railMeasure from the left end. | Bottom, underside, along the front edgeinto Rail | 1 × 5 | 1 1/4" fine | 3/4" | 2 · ≈8 9/32 · 14 17/32 · ≈20 13/16 · 27 1/16 |
| Front stretcher → top railMeasure from the left end. | Front stretcher, top face, along the front edgeinto Rail | 1 × 5 | 1 1/4" fine | 3/4" | 2 · ≈8 5/32 · 14 9/32 · ≈20 7/16 · 26 9/16 |
Dados, rabbets and grooves
width is across the cut, depth is into the face| Part | Cut | Width | Depth | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Side (×2) | Dado for bottom panel4 1/2" from the bottom end to the lower wall of the dado (the bottom panel sits on the toe kick) | 23/32" | 1/4" | 23 1/4" |
| Side (×2) | Rabbet for backBack edge, inside face, full length | ≈7/32" | 3/8" | 34 1/2" |
| Door stiles and rails | Panel grooveCentered on the inside edge; full length on the stiles, between the tenons on the rails | 1/4" | 3/8" | — |
How this is worked out
A carcass is a box: two sides, a bottom, a back, and either a full top or a pair of stretchers. Every part is sized from the outside dimensions you give, less the thickness of the material it meets. That thickness is the measured one, not the name on the label: sheet goods sold as 3/4" usually measure 23/32", and a dado cut to 3/4" leaves a joint you can see daylight through.
Depth is measured over the face frame, so a face-framed box is shallower than the depth you enter by the thickness of the frame. Height is the box alone, without a countertop. A base cabinet's bottom panel sits on top of the toe kick, so the back stops at the underside of the bottom.
Pocket-hole screws are chosen twice over: the length comes from how thick the piece being drilled is, and the thread from what the screw bites into. Coarse threads hold in plywood and softwood, fine threads in hardwood, so a plywood side screwed into a maple face frame takes a 1 1/4" fine screw. Holes sit 2" in from each end and then no more than about 7" apart; a narrow piece takes two across its width, up to 4 1/2" wide.
How to use it
- Enter the outside width, height and depth of the cabinet.
- Choose the material and, if you have it to hand, measure a piece and correct the actual thickness. Everything else follows from it.
- Pick how the box goes together: dados, pocket screws, or both, and how the back fits.
- Set the face frame, shelves and doors, or turn them off.
- Read the cut list, then the pocket-hole and dado schedules. Print it for the shop.
What it assumes
- Sizes are finished: no kerf, no cleanup allowance.
- Depth is measured over the face frame, so a face-framed box is shallower than the depth given.
- Dados are cut to the measured thickness of the panel going into them, not to the nominal size.
- Sheet estimate adds a fifth for offcuts and assumes 48 × 96 sheets, with no nesting.
Sources
- How to select the right pocket-hole screw — Kreg (checked 2026-09-24)
- Pocket hole screw chart — Workshop Calc (checked 2026-09-24)
- Pocket hole screws: sizes, types and when to use them — Pine and Poplar (checked 2026-09-24)
The example on this page is a 22-piece 30" face-framed base cabinet.