Perhaps you’ve completed your cabinet refacing project, or added new stovetops and appliances. Now new countertops have taken center stage in your kitchen remodeling effort. Whether you intend to have the work done by a private remodeling contractor or home improvement store, you won’t get a solid estimate without presenting a measurement of your existing kitchen countertops.
Need sound advice in measuring kitchen countertops? First, know that you’ll need dimensions for the overall length–from wall to wall–as well as for the width from the attachment to the wall surface to the front lip of the existing countertop. Remember, your kitchen remodeling contractor will take precise dimensions. But for rounding up estimates, here’s a good guide:
Measuring Kitchen Countertops Accurately
Plot out your entire kitchen arrangement on graph paper or charting software.You can use a standard tape measure for collecting dimensions from one edge to the other. Account for any sinks, appliances, islands, or other cutouts that interrupt the length, and subtract their dimensions from the total wall-to-wall section.
Be sure to include all backsplash dimensions and any turns in the kitchen countertops. You’ll end up being charged for additional cuts on the angle if you don’t get them right the first time. To get a fix on a right-angle dimension, measure from the meeting point of the two surfaces outward across each section to the wall and add them together.
Remember to measure each length and width TWICE. Your home improvement store or kitchen remodeling contractor can convert your measurements into total square footage to build an estimate for materials and labor. Once you have measurements, you can then work in labor (including removal of your old countertops) and materials to the total bid.
