Pick your kitchen’s layout and measure it. You get the ADA’s kitchen dimensions for that layout and a check of yours: the floor between the counters, the counter and sink height, the knee space and what a wheelchair user can reach.
The ADA’s kitchen
A galley: 40″ between the counters, a work surface 34″ highyours: 42″ between them, OK · counters 36″: 2″ too high · upper cabinets at 54″: out of reach
Quick answer: the 2010 ADA Standards want 40″ of clear floor between opposing counters in a kitchen open at both ends, and 60″ in a U-shaped kitchen, a galley closed at one end included (§804.2). At least one 30″-wide work surface and the sink sit 34″ high at most, with knee space under them 27″ high and 30″ wide (§804.3, §606, §306). Each appliance gets a 30″ × 48″ clear floor space, and half the shelf space must be within reach: 46″ from the side over a 24″-deep counter.
How to use the ADA kitchen calculator
- Pick the layout: a galley (counters on two facing sides), one wall of counters facing a wall, an L or a U.
- Galley or one wall? Say whether it is open at both ends; closed at one end, it counts as a U.
- Measure the floor between the counters, face to face: base cabinets, counters, appliances or walls, never the handles.
- Measure the counter, its height and depth, and the bottom of the upper cabinets if you have them.
- You get the ADA’s dimensions for that layout and a check of yours, drawn as a section across the kitchen.
The rules behind the numbers
The floor between the counters
“Clearances are measured from the furthest projecting face of all opposing base cabinets, counter tops, appliances, or walls, excluding hardware” (§804.2). In a pass-through kitchen, with counters on two opposing sides or opposite a parallel wall, the clearance “shall be 40 inches (1015 mm) minimum. Pass through kitchens shall have two entries” (§804.2.1). “In U-shaped kitchens enclosed on three contiguous sides” it is “60 inches (1525 mm) minimum” (§804.2.2), so a galley with one end closed is held to 60″. A kitchen with no cooktop or range is exempt from both, and the Standards set no clearance for an L.
The work surface and the sink
In homes built to the Standards, “at least one 30 inches (760 mm) wide minimum section of counter” is a work surface, “34 inches (865 mm) maximum above the finish floor”, or adjustable from 29″ to 36″ (§804.3). Sinks are “installed with the front of the higher of the rim or counter surface 34 inches (865 mm) maximum” (§606.3). Both have a forward approach with knee and toe space; in a home, cabinets may stay under them if they come out without removing the counter or the sink, the floor runs under them and the walls behind are finished (§804.3.1, §606.2). Pipes under the sink are insulated (§606.5).
Knee and toe space
Toe clearance is the space up to 9″ above the floor, at least 17″ and at most 25″ deep; knee clearance runs from 9″ to 27″ above the floor, at least 11″ deep at 9″ and 8″ at 27″, and “30 inches (760 mm) wide minimum” (§306). A 34″ counter leaves 7″ for its top and apron above the 27″.
Appliances and storage
Every appliance gets a clear floor space of “30 inches (760 mm) minimum by 48 inches (1220 mm) minimum” (§305.3, §804.6.1); they may overlap. An oven has the work surface beside its latch side, and its controls on the front (§804.6.5); the dishwasher’s open door must not block its own or the sink’s floor space (§804.6.3); a fridge-freezer keeps “at least 50 percent of the freezer space 54 inches (1370 mm) maximum” above the floor (§804.6.6). “At least 50 percent of shelf space” must be within a reach range (§804.5, §811): 15–48″ with nothing in the way, and from the side over a counter up to 34″ high and 24″ deep, 48″ for a reach of 10″ and “46 inches (1170 mm) maximum for a reach depth of 24 inches” (§308.3.2).
ADA kitchen dimensions at a glance
| What | The ADA | Section |
|---|---|---|
| Floor between counters, open at both ends | 40″ at least, two entries | §804.2.1 |
| Floor between counters, a U (or a galley closed at one end) | 60″ at least | §804.2.2 |
| Work surface | 34″ high at most (adjustable 29–36″), 30″ wide at least | §804.3 |
| Sink rim or counter | 34″ high at most (adjustable 29–36″ in a home) | §606.3 |
| Knee space | 27″ high, 30″ wide, 8–11″ deep at least | §306.3 |
| Toe space | 9″ high, 17–25″ deep | §306.2 |
| Floor at each appliance | 30″ × 48″ | §804.6.1 |
| Shelves within reach (half of them) | 15–48″; over a 24″ counter, 46″ | §804.5, §308 |
| Freezer | half of it 54″ high at most | §804.6.6 |
Four worked examples
A galley with standard counters. 42″ between the counters passes the 40″. The 36″ counters are 2″ too high: lower a 30″ section to 34″ for the work surface and the sink. Uppers at 54″ are out of reach: over a 36″ counter the Standards allow no side reach at all, so count base cabinets, drawers and a pantry toward half the shelves.
The same galley with one end closed. Enclosed on three sides, it is a U: 60″ between the counters, so 48″ is 12″ short.
A U kitchen built to the Standards. 60″ between the counters, 34″ counters, and uppers whose bottom shelf sits at 46″, the side reach over a 24″-deep counter: every check passes.
An L kitchen. The Standards set no clearance between counters for an L; it still needs its 34″ work surface and sink, knee space, and a 30″ × 48″ clear floor space at each appliance.
Common ADA kitchen mistakes
- Measuring to the handles. The clearance is from face to face of the cabinets, counters, appliances or walls, “excluding hardware”.
- A galley closed at one end treated as a galley. Enclosed on three sides, it needs the U’s 60″, not 40″.
- Uppers at 48″ over a counter. 48″ is the reach with nothing in the way; over a 24″-deep counter it is 46″, and over a counter higher than 34″ there is none.
- A 28″ rule for sinks. 28–34″ is the range for dining and work surfaces (§902.3); a sink’s rule is 34″ at most, and an adjustable one 29–36″ in a home.
- Cabinets that cannot come out. In a home, cabinets may sit under the sink and work surface only if they come out without touching the counter, and the floor and walls are finished behind them.
The ADA Standards bind public places and the accessible homes they require; in your own home they are a measure to build to, and your local code has the last word. Plan the bathroom with the ADA bathroom dimensions calculator, the doors with the wheelchair door and hallway width calculator, and lay the kitchen out in the kitchen layout planner or the free 2D planner.
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ADA kitchen questions
What are the ADA kitchen requirements?
40″ of floor between opposing counters in a kitchen open at both ends, 60″ in a U (§804.2); a 30″-wide work surface and the sink at 34″ high at most with knee space under them (§804.3, §606); a 30″ × 48″ clear floor space at each appliance (§804.6.1); half the shelves within reach (§804.5); half the freezer 54″ high at most (§804.6.6).
What is the ADA sink height?
The front of the rim or counter, whichever is higher, 34″ above the floor at most (§606.3), with knee space under it 27″ high; in a home’s kitchen, a sink adjustable from 29″ to 36″ is allowed.
What is the ADA counter height?
34″ at most for the kitchen work surface, at least one section 30″ wide, or a counter adjustable from 29″ to 36″ (§804.3.2). Dining and work surfaces elsewhere are 28–34″ (§902.3).
How much clearance does an ADA kitchen need?
40″ between opposing counters, appliances or walls in a pass-through kitchen with two entries, and 60″ in a U-shaped kitchen enclosed on three sides (§804.2). A kitchen with no cooktop or range is exempt.
What are ADA compliant kitchen cabinets?
Half the shelf space within reach (§804.5): 15–48″ with nothing in the way, 46″ from the side over a 24″-deep counter no higher than 34″ (§308.3.2). Under the sink and work surface, knee and toe space, or in a home, cabinets that come out without removing the counter.
What is an ADA kitchenette?
A small kitchen held to the same §804: the floor between its counters only applies if it has a cooktop or range; its sink is 34″ high at most with knee space; each appliance has a 30″ × 48″ clear floor space.
What is the ADA knee clearance under a sink?
27″ high at least, 30″ wide, and at least 8″ deep at the top, 11″ at 9″ above the floor; toe space below 9″ runs 17″ to 25″ deep (§306).