What Should the Height of My Countertops Be?

What Should the Height of My Countertops Be

The kitchen is the hub of your home. You cook your family’s meals there. You gather there on a daily basis. So it stands to reason that your kitchen should be a comfortable place to be, starting with your counters. Your counters control the design and flow of the entire space, but they need to function well for you. When building or remodeling your kitchen, you have the opportunity to ask, “What should the height of my countertops be?” Let’s look at the factors that might influence your decision.

Industry Standards

If you bought counters and tops from a wholesaler without any consideration, they would probably be 36 inches from the floor to the finished countertop. Thirty-six inches is the industry standard for counter height, and the vast majority of prefabricated counters will conform to it.

Breaking the standards down a little further, the cabinets typically come in at 34.5 inches. The countertop itself will be 1.5 inches. Put them together, and you get 36 inches from floor to top. If you consider that the standard home ceiling is 9 feet, the countertops are exactly one-third of the way from the floor to the ceiling. That’s the original basis of the idea. The bottom third of the wall space is committed to the floor cabinets and counter.

There is a second standard worth mentioning. The industry typically sets bar-height countertops at 42 inches. That height will give you plenty of room for a normal barstool under the countertop.

Reasons to Deviate

Those might be the industry standards, but customizations do exist, and it’s worth looking into reasons you might want to get away from the 36-inch norm.

Accommodating Mobility

If someone in the house has mobility issues and might frequently use a wheelchair, it makes sense to lower the counters. It will make life much easier for them. In this case, aiming between 28 and 34 inches is usually ideal, but it’s absolutely worth measuring the heights with the person in question to make sure the height will be comfortable. Any custom cabinet installer or seller can help you with this.

Accommodating Height

People come in different shapes and sizes. It’s as simple as that. Some are taller. Some are shorter, and it’s a little silly to assume that everyone is served adequately by a 36-inch countertop. If 36 inches is high enough to create discomfort and issues with the counter, lower the counters. If the reverse is true, raise the counters to prevent back pain related to bending over so much.

Also, when we’re talking height, keep in mind that many of today’s homes are taller than the traditional 9-foot high ceilings that the standard was based on. In a kitchen with very tall ceilings, a 36-inch counter may look out of proportion to the room.

Accommodating Your Desires

Here’s the bottom line. These are your counters. You don’t actually need a reason to justify picking a custom height. You can do it because you want to do it. Most industry experts would recommend you test your counter height to make sure it is comfortable before you commit to a purchase, but aside from that, this is your home and your choice. Do what makes you happy.

Customizing Your Counters

If you have decided you don’t want 36-inch counters, you’ll just need to work with your cabinet maker to determine the right height. Some cabinet shops will have multiple sizes they prefabricate on a regular basis. They can also create the cabinets to your specifications. The cost varies depending on the material you choose, the amount of material involved, and what their processes are. 

Also, many finish carpenters make fully-customized cabinets. Your prices increase with anything custom, but you get exactly what you want for your space. When the counters are in, you’ll want the best countertops you can find in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. At Wholesale Granite Direct, we have a massive showroom in Arlington with every kind of stone countertop. Our friendly associates will help you choose materials and designs that coordinate perfectly with your home. Once we install your gorgeous granite, quartz, or other stone countertops, your kitchen will be the family’s favorite gathering place. Contact Wholesale Granite Direct online or call us at 817-962-2616 today!