You’ve made the exciting decision to upgrade your countertops and take your home’s kitchen to the next level – so what’s next? Before your kitchen becomes a hard hat zone, you’ll need to get some accurate countertop measurements in order to receive a precise quote and avoid any costly surprises when it comes time for installation. Here are some helpful tips for measuring your kitchen countertops with accuracy and ease.

A Guide to Countertop Measurements

Sketch it out

Taking countertop measurements isn’t quite as straightforward as it may seem, but with the right knowledge and tools, you’ll be a tape measure whiz in no time! So, first things first, you’ll need a tape measure and some paper, graph paper preferably. On your paper, flex your architectural skills and sketch out a drawing of your countertops and backsplash. Be sure to include any sinks, cooktops, or other appliances that interrupt counter space – this is important in getting an accurate quote, as spaces for sinks, cooktops, etc., are actually cut out of the entire countertop slab. Since countertop stone comes in large rectangular slabs, set your brain to thinking in rectangles, and take measurements with this in mind. For example, if you have some groovy curves in your countertops, you will need to take countertop measurements from the widest point in the shape and do calculations as if it were a rectangle.

Take measurements

Once you’ve got your preliminary sketch completed, it’s time to get measuring. Use your tape measure to measure your countertop area’s length from wall to wall in inches, or edge to edge if you are measuring for an island or other surface that is not against a wall. Take this measurement twice (at least) to ensure accuracy and write your measurements in your sketch. After you’ve gotten your length measurement, measure the depth of your countertops from the wall to the edge. The standard depth of kitchen countertops is 25.5in, but it never hurts to ensure this measurement is true to your kitchen’s space. Write these measurements into your sketch, whether they are the standard size or not. If you are also taking measurements for a new backsplash, make sure you measure the height of your current backsplash (or if you want to change the height, measure to your ideal height) and note this in your sketch as well.

Do the math

Now that you’ve taken all measurements and jotted them down onto your sketch, it’s time to do some calculations. You have measured in inches; however, countertops are typically sold in terms of square footage, so you’ll need to convert your measurements. Multiply the length of your countertops by the depth to get the total area in square inches. Once you’ve found this number, you will now divide the area by 144 (the number of square inches in a square foot) to find the square footage of countertops you will need. Make sure you do these calculations for the backsplash as well!

Now that you’ve got accurate countertop measurements, you’re ready to transform your kitchen into the space you’ve always dreamed of, and Special Additions is here to help! Contact Special Additions to get started on your project with a team of experienced designers. We’re here to help you create the kitchen of your dreams, whether you desire eco-friendly countertops, matching kitchen and bathroom countertops, or another stylish option.