Base Cabinet Cut List (3/4 Inch Plywood)
A worked cut list for a standard frameless base cabinet box, with the reasoning behind each dimension so you can adapt it.
Open the free cut list optimizer
The cabinet
This example is a 24 inch wide, 24 inch deep box, 30 inches tall, intended to sit on a separate 4 1/2 inch toe-kick base. That gives 34 1/2 inches, and a 1 1/2 inch countertop brings the finished height to the common 36 inches. The box has two sides, a bottom, and two top stretchers. A 1/4 inch back panel is applied to the rear edges, so the sides and bottom are 1/4 inch shallower (23 3/4 inches) to keep the overall depth at 24 inches.
Cut list
| Part | Qty | Length (grain) | Width | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Side | 2 | 30 | 23 3/4 | Full height; depth 24 minus the 1/4 back |
| Bottom | 1 | 22 1/2 | 23 3/4 | 24 wide minus two 3/4 sides |
| Stretcher | 2 | 22 1/2 | 4 | Front and back, between the sides |
| Back (1/4 inch ply) | 1 | 30 | 24 | Separate, thinner sheet |
All sizes are in inches. The 22 1/2 inch width assumes true 3/4 inch material. Plywood sold as 3/4 inch is often a little thinner (around 23/32 inch), so measure your sheet and adjust the bottom and stretchers by the difference for a snug fit.
How much material is that?
The 3/4 inch parts add up to: sides 2 × 30 × 23.75 = 1,425 sq in; bottom 22.5 × 23.75 = 534 sq in; stretchers 2 × 22.5 × 4 = 180 sq in. The total is about 2,139 sq in, or 14.9 square feet, which is 46 percent of a 4,608 sq in sheet.
By area, two boxes (4,279 sq in, 93 percent of the sheet) are just possible, so the question is whether they fit once kerf is counted. With a 1/8 inch kerf, the optimizer finds a layout: the four sides sit in a 2 × 2 block (30 + 30 + 1/8 = 60 1/8 inches long, 23 3/4 + 23 3/4 + 1/8 = 47 5/8 inches wide, just inside the 48 inch width), and the bottoms and stretchers fill the 35 3/4 inch strip beside them. The waste is about 7 percent. Three boxes need two sheets.
Grain direction
Run the grain vertically on the sides so that visible edges and finished ends look consistent. Lock the sides' grain in the tool. In the two-box layout above, the bottoms and stretchers are free to rotate, which is what lets everything fit. Stretchers and bottoms are hidden structure, so rotation is usually harmless.
Adapting the list
- For a 30 inch wide cabinet, only the bottom and stretcher lengths change, to 28 1/2 inches.
- If you build with rabbets or dados for the sides, add the joint depth to the part widths or lengths that enter the joint.
- Doors and drawer fronts depend on your hardware and reveals; add them as extra parts once you know their sizes.
- Add the toe-kick base as additional parts if you cut it from the same sheet.
Cut order at the saw
Break the sheet into manageable pieces first, then cut those to size. The cut table in the tool shows each part's position from the sheet corner. Measure from one reference edge and mark the first part, then allow for the kerf before the next.