Kitchen Spacing Rules and Distances

Understanding the Kitchen Triangle Work Area

The umbrella recommendation for implementing a kitchen design is the kitchen triangle. The kitchen triangle is a design concept recommending the position of the three most important work areas—the sink, refrigerator, and stove. The recommendation is to position the three items in a triangular fashion to minimize the distance you would have to travel to reach each “zone.” The triangle is designed for efficiency and comfort. For example, moving between the sink, refrigerator, and stove to the prep area can be tiresome and inefficient if the distances are too far apart or too crowded.

The kitchen triangle has many variations, as long as the three “legs” of the triangle are kept in check and add up to the recommended total. Leg measurements are not set in stone nor are they part of a building code, they are simply recommendations to keep the distances well-balanced. Here are kitchen work triangle guidelines:

• All three legs of the triangle should ideally total 26 feet or less.
• No individual leg should be more than 9 feet (too far apart).
• No individual leg should be shorter than 4 feet (too restrictive).

Distance Between Kitchen Island and Counter

Within the confines of the work triangle are other distances to consider, such as how far apart the island and counters against the walls should be. Kitchen island clearance is important because some kitchens may not be large enough to have an island. The recommendation is to have a distance of 42 inches to 48 inches between the perimeter countertops and the kitchen island. If your oven opens into the work aisle, you will usually need 48 inches of clearance space.

Kitchen Walkway Spaces

There is also the walkway to consider, where passersby go through the kitchen. A walkway is not part of the kitchen triangle because it is not part of the kitchen’s working and prep area. The recommended minimum width for a walkway is 36 inches, but a walkway can be as wide as you wish.

Kitchen Seating Clearance Recommendations

Kitchen seating clearance recommendations are also flexible and can be adapted to your needs. If you have a breakfast bar or an in-kitchen eating table, make sure your chairs have a minimum of 32 inches (not ideal for foot traffic) to 44 inches (better for foot traffic) from the chair back to the wall or counter. Wheelchair access requires at least 60 inches of clearance space.

Dishwasher Spacing and Placement Recommendations

​Dishwashers and sinks can easily get crowded since they need to be close in proximity to take advantage of their shared drainage and water supply.

• Dishwasher to sink distance: The distance between the dishwasher to an adjacent sink should be a maximum of 36 inches. This allows easy transport of dishes from the sink to the dishwasher and keeps the under-counter water hookups close.
• Dishwasher to base cabinets distance: The dishwasher should have a minimum of 21 inches of space between it and the nearest base cabinets or other obstructions to give the door plenty of room to open freely without hitting handles or other objects.

Adding a Kitchen Countertop Landing Area

A kitchen landing area is a countertop space next to the sink, refrigerator, cooking surface, or oven that lets you safely place items. For example, if you do not have a landing area near a stove or oven, you may be tempted to place a hot pot or pan in a close but unsafe spot. Here are some rough kitchen countertop landing ideas and guidelines:

• Sink landing area: 18 inches to 24 inches on each side for placing dishes to dry or that need to be washed
• Refrigerator landing area: 15 inches on the side of the fridge that has the handle (for a single-door model) so you can easily place items that need to go into or out of the fridge
• Cooking surface landing area: 12 inches to 15 inches on each side for hot items and ingredients used for cooking
• Oven landing area: 15 inches adjacent to one side, both sides, or on the counter above the oven for hot items and ingredients used for cooking