Kitchen island clearance, and how big a kitchen needs to be
Updated 10 October 2026
Leave 36 in (90 cm) around an island as the minimum, 42 in (107 cm) on the side where you cook, and 48 in (122 cm) where two people cook or where an oven or dishwasher door opens towards it. With counters on both sides that means a kitchen at least 13 ft (4 m) wide for a 36 in (90 cm) deep island, and 14 ft (4.3 m) to be comfortable. Narrower than that, a peninsula or a table does the job.
The clearance rule
| Between the island and… | Leave | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A wall or counter nobody works at | 36 in · 90 cm | One person walking |
| The counter with the sink or hob | 42 in · 107 cm | One cook bending at the oven, drawers open |
| An oven, dishwasher or fridge door that opens towards it | 48 in · 122 cm | The door open and a person standing past it |
| Anything, with two cooks | 48 in · 122 cm | Two people passing back to back |
| The seating side, behind the stools | 36 in · 90 cm with nobody passing; 44 in · 112 cm with a walkway behind | A stool pushed back, someone getting past |
Island sizes
| Island | Size | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Smallest worth having | 24 × 40 in · 60 × 100 cm | Prep space; no seating, no sink |
| Typical | 36–42 × 72–84 in · 90–107 × 180–215 cm | Prep, a sink or hob, two or three stools |
| Large | 48 × 96 in · 122 × 244 cm | A hob and a sink, four stools, storage underneath |
| Height, counter | 36 in · 91 cm | Working; stools 24–26 in · 61–66 cm high |
| Height, bar | 42 in · 107 cm | Hides the mess; stools 28–30 in · 71–76 cm high |
Seating: allow 24 in (60 cm) of island edge per stool, and an overhang of 15 in (38 cm) at counter height or 12 in (30 cm) at bar height for knees. Three stools need a 72 in (180 cm) island; four need 96 in (240 cm).
The kitchen an island needs
Counters are 25 in (64 cm) deep. Add the island and the aisles on both sides:
| Layout | Kitchen width |
|---|---|
| Counters both sides, 36 in island, 36 in aisles (minimum) | 13 ft 2 in · 4.0 m |
| Counters both sides, 36 in island, 42 in aisles (comfortable) | 14 ft 2 in · 4.3 m |
| Counters both sides, 42 in island with seating, 42 in aisles | 14 ft 8 in · 4.5 m |
| Counters one side only, 36 in island, 42 in aisle, 36 in behind the stools | 11 ft 7 in · 3.5 m |
| Galley, no island, two counters and a 42 in aisle | 7 ft 8 in · 2.3 m |
Length matters too: an island should stop short of the kitchen's ends by 36 in (90 cm) at least, so people can walk round it rather than through the work zone.
See it with your counters in. Open Won't Fit with a kitchen already drawn — galley plus island — set the walls to your measurements and move the island until every door opens and both aisles clear. Free for two rooms, no account.
Open a kitchen