The calculation, without hidden assumptions
Cabinet doors are easy to mis-size because opening dimensions, overlay, inset reveal and the center gap interact differently. MAXScanner keeps those allowances explicit. Overlay doors grow beyond the opening by the entered overlay; inset doors shrink inside the opening by the entered perimeter reveal. The calculator sizes one or two finished doors first, then provides an optional five-piece Shaker cut reference using the stile width and rail joinery allowance you enter rather than pretending every router-bit system uses the same geometry.
How to use this calculator
Measure the finished cabinet opening at several points and use the controlling dimensions appropriate to your installation.
Choose inset or overlay and single or paired doors. Enter overlay only for overlay doors; enter perimeter reveal only for inset doors; paired doors also use the center gap.
For a Shaker cut reference, enter the stile/rail face width and the rail joinery allowance specified by your tooling; verify panel groove and expansion details before production cutting.
Where people use it
- •Replacement cabinet doors
- •Face-frame or frameless overlay sizing
- •Preliminary Shaker rail-and-stile cut lists
Example: paired overlay doors
For a 30 in opening with 0.5 in overlay on both outside edges and a 0.125 in center gap, the available combined door width is 30.875 in. Divide by two and each finished door is 15.4375 in wide before any project-specific adjustment.
What the result does not assume
- •Hinge boring, door sag, cup setbacks, drawer fronts, arched rails and multi-panel doors are outside this sizing model. Follow the hinge and door-system specifications.
- •Panel expansion, groove depth and joinery geometry vary by tooling and material. The cut list uses your entered joinery allowance and should be checked against a test piece before production cutting.
Frequently asked questions
How do I size two cabinet doors over one opening?+
The calculator finds the combined finished width after overlay or reveal, subtracts the center gap once, then divides the remainder equally between the two doors.
Does full overlay mean I should enter zero reveal?+
Not necessarily. Full overlay describes the installation style, but the final reveal and overlay still depend on the face frame, cabinet side, hinge and neighboring doors. Enter the dimensions your hardware layout requires.
Is the Shaker cut list universal?+
No. Stile width and rail joinery allowance are editable because cope-and-stick cutters, loose-tenon methods and other construction systems use different geometry.
Semantic next steps
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Keep the result connected to the real job
MAXScanner keeps the formula and assumptions beside the result so you can verify the number before using it in a drawing, estimate, specification, worksheet or document. Where a supplier, manufacturer, drawing or applicable standard owns a requirement, that source remains authoritative.