Cabinet Plywood Calculator
How many sheets do you actually need? Enter the cabinets and drawer boxes, get the area, the sheet count, the packs and the weight — split by thickness, with the two formats drawn to scale so you can see which one cuts your parts better.
1 — The job
15% is a normal allowance for cabinet work. Raise it for lots of small parts, lower it if you nest carefully.
2 — Which part is which thickness
- 18 mm
- Sides, top, bottom, shelves, exposed ends
- 12 mm
- Drawer sides, front and back
- 6 mm
- Backs and drawer bottoms, captured in a groove
3 — What to order
| Thickness | Part area, m² | Sheets | Packs | Weight, kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 mm | 22.16 | 11 | 0.50 | 313 |
| 12 mm | 2.66 | 2 | 0.06 | 38 |
| 6 mm | 10.37 | 6 | 0.09 | 57 |
| Total | 35.20 | 19 | 0.65 | 408 |
Check the format. A pantry side at 24" × 84" does not fit on a 5 x 5 ft panel in one piece, so the sheet count above is arithmetic rather than a cutting plan. Tall components need the 4x8; most shops buy both and cut base and wall parts from the 5x5.
This is below our minimum, and we would rather say so. We supply from five packs — roughly 110 sheets of 18 mm — so a single kitchen is not our order. A local hardwood dealer will serve you faster and cheaper. Take the thicknesses and sheet counts above with you; that is the specification to ask for. Come back when you are running the equivalent of eight kitchens or more.
4 — Which format cuts your parts better
Drawn to scale: your largest part, the pantry side at 24" × 84", laid on each sheet in a plain grid without mixed rotation. Real nesting does a little better; this is the floor, not the ceiling.
part is longer than the panel
1.488 m² of sheet per part
For these parts 4 x 8 ft is the only panel the part fits on, at 1.488 m² of sheet per part. That flips with part size — long cabinet sides favour the 4x8, drawer sides and small components favour the 5x5.
Frameless (European) construction on standard American sizes: base cabinets 34½" high and 24" deep, wall cabinets 30" high and 12" deep, pantry 84" high. Runs entirely in your browser; nothing you type is sent anywhere.
Plywood per cabinet, by type
The figures the calculator runs on. Frameless carcases at standard American sizes, before any offcut allowance.
| Unit | Size | 18 mm | 12 mm | 6 mm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base cabinets | 24" wide · 34½" H × 24" D | 1.87 m² / 20.1 ft² | — | 0.53 m² / 5.7 ft² |
| Wall cabinets | 30" wide · 30" H × 12" D | 1.11 m² / 11.9 ft² | — | 0.58 m² / 6.3 ft² |
| Tall / pantry | 24" wide · 84" H × 24" D | 4.30 m² / 46.3 ft² | — | 1.30 m² / 14.0 ft² |
| Drawer boxes | 22" wide · 21" D × 6" H | — | 0.33 m² / 3.6 ft² | 0.30 m² / 3.2 ft² |
A 5x5 sheet is 2.3256 m² and a 4x8 is 2.9768 m², so a 24-inch base cabinet takes roughly 0.8 of a 5x5 sheet in 18 mm. Pack quantities and volumes are in the unit and weight calculator, and the reason 18 mm is not 3/4 inch is in the thickness guide.
How much plywood for a kitchen
- How many sheets of plywood do I need for a kitchen?
- A typical 10x10 kitchen — six base cabinets, six wall cabinets, one pantry and eight drawer boxes — works out at about 22 m² of 18 mm, 10 m² of 6 mm and 3 m² of 12 mm. With a 15% offcut allowance that is roughly 11 sheets of 18 mm, 6 of 6 mm and 2 of 12 mm in the 5x5 format.
- What thickness plywood for kitchen cabinets?
- 18 mm for carcase sides, tops, bottoms, shelves and exposed ends. 12 mm for drawer sides, fronts and backs. 6 mm for cabinet backs and drawer bottoms captured in a groove. Go to 15 mm on shelves only if the span is short and the load light.
- How much plywood is in one base cabinet?
- A 24-inch frameless base cabinet uses about 1.87 m² (20.1 ft²) of 18 mm for the sides, bottom, stretchers and one shelf, plus 0.53 m² (5.7 ft²) of 6 mm for the back. A 30-inch wall cabinet is about 1.11 m² of 18 mm and 0.58 m² of 6 mm.
- Is 4x8 or 5x5 better for cabinet parts?
- It depends on the part, and the honest answer is not always the one a supplier gives. A 24" x 34.5" cabinet side yields four per 4x8 sheet and only two per 5x5, so the long sheet wins. Drawer sides and small components go the other way. The calculator draws both to scale for your largest part.
- How much waste should I allow when cutting cabinet parts?
- Fifteen percent is a normal allowance for cabinet work. Raise it toward 20-25% for lots of small parts or awkward widths, and lower it to around 10% if you nest carefully and can use offcuts on the next job.
- Can I buy plywood for a single kitchen from ANTPLY?
- No, and we would rather say so up front. We supply the trade from five packs up — around 110 sheets of 18 mm — so one kitchen is not our order. Use the figures here as the specification and buy from a local hardwood dealer. When you are running the equivalent of eight kitchens or more, come back.
Running this monthly
If the calculator puts you over five packs, send the numbers and we will price them against current stock in Houston and Baltimore. Tell us the monthly cycle too — for shops running weekly, a standing truck usually beats buying as you go.