Overlay Calculator

Overlay Calculator - Door and Drawer Overlay Dimensions

Overlay determines how much a cabinet door or drawer front covers the face frame or cabinet opening around it, and getting it wrong means doors that gap, bind, or collide with each other. This calculator converts your opening size and overlay style into exact door dimensions.

How to Use the Overlay Calculator

1. Cabinet Opening Width and Height: Enter the rough opening dimensions, in inches
2. Overlay Amount: Full overlay, partial overlay, or inset
3. Hinge Gap: The reveal between adjacent doors - 1/8" is standard

Overlay Styles Explained

• Full overlay: The door covers almost the entire face frame or cabinet box, leaving only a thin reveal between doors - standard on modern, frameless (European-style) cabinets
• Partial overlay: The door covers part of the face frame, leaving more frame visible - common on traditional face-frame cabinetry
• Inset: The door sits flush inside the opening rather than overlapping it, which demands the tightest tolerances of the three styles

For a full side-by-side comparison of how these styles look and perform, see our guide to inset versus overlay cabinets. Once you know your overlay amount, head to the Cabinet Door Hinge Calculator to match it with the correct concealed hinge and cup boring.

Related Tools

• Cabinet Door Hinge Calculator - Match hinge type to your overlay
• Raised Panel Door Calculator - Size the door itself
• Cabinet Layout Planner - Plan openings before sizing doors