Standard kitchen size and layout dimensions in Australia
The one dimension that decides whether a kitchen works is the walkway between opposing benches, plus bench depths, island clearances, and the sizes behind galley, L, U and island layouts.
Kitchen size is the wrong question. The number that decides whether a kitchen works is the clearance between opposing benches, and you can have a large kitchen that fails it.
The numbers
| Minimum width | 2,400mm |
| Minimum floor area | 8.0m² |
| Comfortable width | 3,400mm |
| Comfortable floor area | 12.0m² |
| Maximum proportions | 3:1 before it reads as a corridor |
Where the minimum comes from: two 600 benches either side of a 1200 walkway; AU average is about 4.2 × 3.4.
Source: AU kitchen trade guidance (AS/NZS 4386 covers cabinet performance, not layout) (last checked 4 August 2026). Convention. 1000–1200mm bench-to-bench is the consistent published figure; 1200 where a galley faces an island.
These are the figures Draftie's layout review measures your plan against, generated from the same table the checker uses, so this guide and the tool cannot disagree. Minimums are the point below which a room stops working, not a legal floor: outside ceiling heights, ventilation, sanitary facilities and egress, the NCC does not mandate most room dimensions.
The walkway, which is the whole thing
Between two opposing benches, or a bench and an island:
- 1,200mm: comfortable. Two people work at once, and appliance doors open without blocking the room.
- 1,000mm: workable for one person. Tight when two try.
- 900mm: a dishwasher or oven door blocks the walkway completely when open.
Two 600mm-deep benches with a 1,200mm walkway between them is 2,400mm, which is where the minimum room width comes from. That is a functioning galley and nothing more.
The island version of this rule is the one people get wrong: the clearance applies on every side of an island you intend to walk around, not just the main run. An island jammed 900mm from the bench and 900mm from the dining table is two bottlenecks, not a feature.
The dimensions everything else hangs off
| Element | Size |
|---|---|
| Base cabinet depth | 600mm |
| Benchtop depth | 600–650mm with overhang |
| Bench height | 900mm (850–950 depending on who cooks) |
| Overhead cupboard depth | 300–350mm |
| Splashback height | 600mm between bench and overheads |
| Island minimum useful size | 1,800 × 1,000mm |
| Island with seating | add 300mm overhang per seated side |
| Dishwasher, oven, fridge cavity | 600mm wide (fridge 900mm for French door) |
Layout by available width
- Single run: one wall. Needs 1,000mm+ of walkway. Works in an apartment or a galley kitchen off a living space.
- Galley: two opposing runs, 2,400mm minimum, 3,000mm comfortable. The most efficient layout per square metre and still the fastest to cook in.
- L-shaped: two adjacent walls, leaving the room open. Wants about 3,000 × 3,000mm.
- U-shaped: three walls, the most bench and storage for the footprint. Wants 3,000mm+ across the opening.
- Island: a run plus a free-standing bench. Needs the run, the island, and clearance on both sides: about 4,200mm across before an island is genuinely comfortable rather than nominally present.
The Australian average kitchen sits around 4.2 × 3.4m, which is what makes an island the default in new builds.
The pantry question
A reach-in pantry is a 900mm-wide cupboard. A walk-in wants a 600mm shelf plus a 900mm aisle, so about 1,600mm to be pleasant. A walk-in pantry that is 900mm wide is a cupboard you can stand inside, which is worse than a cupboard.
Where the kitchen goes
Near the front door on the path from the car, because groceries are the most frequent heavy thing you carry into a house, and adjacent to both the dining area and the outdoor living, because those are the two places food goes.
Checking your own plan
Draw the room, put the furniture in it, and see what is left. Draftie flags every room that falls under the figures above and tells you the shortfall in millimetres, so you find out on the drawing rather than after a builder prices it.
Related: standard room sizes across the whole house, and how to read a floor plan.
FAQ
What is a standard kitchen size in Australia?
Around 4.2 × 3.4m, or about 12m², is the Australian average and comfortably takes an island. The practical minimum is 2,400mm wide and about 8m², which is a galley with a 1,200mm walkway between two 600mm benches.
How much space do you need around a kitchen island?
1,200mm on every side you intend to walk around is comfortable, 1,000mm is workable, and 900mm means appliance doors block the space. The clearance applies on all sides, not just the main run, which is why an island needs about 4,200mm of room width to work properly.
What is the standard kitchen bench height and depth?
900mm high and 600mm deep for base cabinets, with the benchtop overhanging slightly. Bench height is worth adjusting to whoever cooks: 850mm to 950mm is all normal.
How wide should a walk-in pantry be?
About 1,600mm: a 600mm shelf plus a 900mm aisle. At 900mm total you have a cupboard with a door you stand in, which stores less than a reach-in pantry of the same width.
Related guides
Butler’s and walk-in pantry sizes in Australia
Standard study and home office size in Australia
Standard living room size in Australia
Check these numbers against your own plan
Draw your layout in Draftie and every room reports its real dimensions as you move a wall, so a room that is 200mm too narrow shows up before a builder finds it.
Check your plan, freeGeneral information for Australian residential projects, not professional advice. Product specifications and prices change, confirm current details with the manufacturer or supplier before you rely on them. Draftie produces concept plans, not construction documents.