How to Measure Cabinet Handles

Aged Brass Albers Pull Handle, from our current range.

Why accurate measuring matters

Cabinet handles are one of the few pieces of ironmongery where a small measuring mistake results in a visible, permanent hole in the wrong place. A few minutes spent measuring correctly before ordering avoids re-drilling, filling and repainting a cabinet door.

Measuring an existing bar pull handle

1. Measure from the centre of one fixing screw to the centre of the other, not from edge to edge of the handle itself.
2. Use a tape measure or ruler placed flat along the back of the handle for the most accurate reading.
3. Round to the nearest common size, such as 96mm, 128mm or 160mm, as handles are generally manufactured to these standard hole centre measurements.

Measuring for a new installation, with no existing holes

If you are fitting handles to a new or unfitted cabinet, choose your hole centres based on the width of the door or drawer front, following the rule of thumb that a handle should generally be around a third to a half of that width. See our What Size Cabinet Handles? guide for more detail.

Measuring a cabinet knob

Knobs are measured by their diameter only, as they have a single central fixing point. Measure straight across the widest part of the knob face, and check this figure against the size listed on the product page before ordering.

Measuring cup pulls and edge pulls

Cup pulls and edge pulls are sized by their overall length and projection rather than hole centres. Check the product's stated dimensions against the depth of your drawer front or door edge, particularly the projection measurement, to make sure it clears any adjacent doors or drawers when open.

A few practical tips

• Always measure twice before drilling, particularly when ordering handles for a full kitchen at once
• Keep a note of your hole centres in case you need to reorder or replace a single handle in future
• If in doubt between two sizes, it is usually easier to fit a slightly smaller handle onto larger existing holes using a backplate than to fit a larger handle onto smaller holes

Related guides

See our What Size Cabinet Handles? and How to Choose Kitchen Handles guides, or browse our Cabinet & Furniture Hardware range.

Frequently asked questions

How do I measure hole centres on a cabinet handle?

Measure from the centre of one fixing screw hole to the centre of the other, not from the outer edges of the handle. Standard hole centres are usually 96mm, 128mm or 160mm.

How do I measure a cabinet knob?

Measure straight across the widest point of the knob face to get its diameter, then compare this to the size listed on the product page.

What if my existing hole centres don't match a standard size?

Older or custom cabinets sometimes have non-standard hole centres. In this case, either look for a handle available in that specific size, or fit a handle with a backplate that can cover slightly different existing holes.

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