Hinge count and position calculator
Quick answer: two hinges up to 900mm high, three to 1,500mm, four to 2,000mm, five above that, with the end hinges centred 100mm from the top and bottom edges and the rest spaced evenly between. Heavy or wide doors get one more.
Put in your door and the calculator gives the count, the position of every cup from the top edge, and the drilling distance. If you are replacing a door, measure the old one and give us those positions instead; the calculator is for new doors or doors with no hinges to copy.
The rule of thumb
| Door height | Hinges (to 600mm wide) | Hinges (over 600mm wide or heavy) |
|---|---|---|
| up to 900mm | 2 | 3 |
| 900–1,500mm | 3 | 4 |
| 1,500–2,000mm | 4 | 5 |
| 2,000–2,400mm | 5 | 6 |
Hinge makers publish charts by door weight; this table is the version for 18mm board doors in a domestic kitchen, which is what nearly everyone has. A 600 × 2,000mm 2-pac pantry door weighs about 18kg and wants five hinges.
Positions
The top and bottom cups are usually centred 100mm from the edge. Anywhere from 70 to 120mm is normal, and IKEA uses its own fixed positions, so if the cabinet already has hinge mounting plates you must match them, not the rule. Extra hinges are spread evenly between the two end hinges, which also keeps them clear of shelves at the standard shelf-pin spacing.
One thing to avoid: a hinge directly behind a fixed shelf or a drawer runner. Check the carcass before choosing positions on a new door, or tell us where the mounting plates are and we will work around them.
Questions people ask
How many hinges does a kitchen cabinet door need?
Two hinges up to 900mm high, three from 900 to 1500mm, four from 1500 to 2000mm and five above 2000mm. Add one hinge for doors over 600mm wide or heavy finishes like 2-pac and PET on tall doors. The usual rule is a hinge every 400 to 500mm of door height.
Where are the hinge holes drilled on a cabinet door?
The 35mm hinge cup is usually centred 100mm from the top and bottom edges of the door (anywhere from 70 to 120mm is normal) and bored 21.5mm from the door edge to the cup centre, which gives a 4mm drilling distance for 18mm doors. Extra hinges go evenly between the two end hinges. Measure your old door and we drill to match.
Will new doors fit my existing hinges?
Yes if the new door is drilled at the same positions. Almost all Australian kitchens since the 1990s use 35mm cup concealed hinges (Blum, Hettich, Grass, IKEA and Kaboodle all use the same cup), so the old hinges unclip from the old door and screw straight into the new one.