Tool
Counter Space Planner
| Inputs | Run length, upper cabinets, outlets, appliances |
|---|---|
| Appliance types available | 8 |
| Unit | Inches, along one uninterrupted run |
| Requests made | None. Everything runs in your browser |
| Clearance figures | Not published here; they come from your manual |
Set the free run you measured, choose what you want on it, and the plan below draws the appliances along that run to scale. The arithmetic is printed underneath, along with what it deliberately does not account for.
Free counter run
36 in
One uninterrupted stretch, measured wall to obstruction. A run broken by a sink is two runs.
Upper cabinets above this run
Outlets on this run
Appliances you want on this run
The run, drawn to scale
Fits, with 1 in to spare
- Bodies
- 31 in
- Working gaps
- 4 in
- Required
- 35 in
- Your run
- 36 in
Put away between uses
Toaster. Storing these leaves 17 in occupied by the 1 machine that stay out, which fits your run.
Cabinet above
You have upper cabinets over this run, so height decides as much as width. Check the assembled height and the clearance the manufacturer publishes for each model before committing to a spot.
Exact dimensions and the required clearance come from the manual for the specific model you buy. This plan uses the upper end of the published width range for each appliance type and a 2 in working gap so you can reach between machines. A working gap is not a manufacturer clearance figure; if your model requires more, add the difference.
The formula
required = sum of body widths + (2 in working gap x number of appliances)
remaining = free run − required
What it does not account for
- Manufacturer clearance for your model, which is additional and is published in the manual.
- Height, cabinet depth, and whether a lid or door can open in place.
- Cord length and where the receptacle actually sits on the run.
- The width of the specific model you buy, which may differ from the upper end of the range used here.
01
Where the run length comes from
The planner is only as good as the number you type into it. Free run means one uninterrupted stretch with nothing permanent on it, measured at counter height from one obstruction to the next. A run interrupted by a sink is two runs, and adding them together is the most common way to get an answer that does not survive contact with the kitchen.
The full measuring procedure, including the vertical measurement that decides more than width does, is on Footprint and Clearance: How Much Counter an Appliance Actually Takes.
02
Why there is a gap between the machines
The plan leaves a working gap around each appliance so you can reach the controls, lift a lid, and pull a basket without moving the machine next to it. That gap is a reach allowance, not a manufacturer clearance figure. Clearance is model specific, it is published in the manual, and where your model asks for more than the working gap used here, the difference is yours to add.
03
Fitting is only half the question
Two appliances can fit the counter perfectly and still be unusable together, because they share one circuit. The planner flags when your selection outnumbers the outlets on the run, but the load arithmetic lives in its own tool: Circuit Load Checker.
Before you act on any of this
- The dimensions used here describe common models in each type. The model you buy publishes its own, and those are the ones that count.
- Manufacturer clearance is additional to the working gap in this plan and is published in the manual for your model.
- Plug high-wattage appliances directly into a wall outlet. Never use an extension cord, power strip, or outlet adapter to make an appliance reach.
- Do not place a heat-producing appliance in a nook, under a cabinet, or against a wall in a way the manufacturer does not permit.