Counter height is a body measurement
The standard 850–900 mm counter suits someone around 5 ft 6 in. For a shorter cook, 820–840 mm reduces shoulder strain; for a taller one, 920–950 mm saves the lower back. The rule of thumb is elbow height minus 100–150 mm. Adjusting it costs nothing at the design stage and cannot be changed afterwards without replacing the backsplash and the counter. In India this is almost never asked, and it is the single easiest improvement available.
Rates by configuration
| Configuration | Rate / running ft | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Doors and one internal shelf | ₹1,900–2,600 | Cheapest; worst to use |
| Two drawers plus a door | ₹2,400–3,000 | A sensible compromise |
| Three tandem drawers | ₹2,900–3,600 | Best access, highest cost |
| Sink unit with waste pull-out | ₹2,600–3,400 | WPC or BWP base panel, sealed cut-out |
| Corner unit with magic corner | ₹18,000–34,000 each | Recovers an otherwise dead corner |
The plinth, which is not decoration
The plinth is the recessed skirt at the floor, usually 100–150 mm high, set back 50–70 mm so your toes go under while you stand at the counter. It should be a removable panel clipped to adjustable legs, not a fixed ply box — because that is how you reach a leaking trap, level the run on an uneven Mumbai floor, and keep the carcass off a wet floor. A fixed timber plinth sitting on tiles is a design decision you will regret the first time a pipe drips.
Doors or drawers
Drawers, wherever the budget allows. A door-fronted base unit makes you crouch and reach into a dark box; drawers bring the contents out to you. The premium is around ₹900–1,000 per running foot, and in a 10 ft kitchen that is ₹9,000–10,000 for the biggest single improvement in daily use. See wall units for what goes above, and Mumbai kitchen costs for the whole build-up.
Frequently asked questions
What is the standard height of a kitchen base unit?+
720 mm of carcass on a 100–150 mm plinth, giving 820–870 mm before the counter, and 850–900 mm finished. It is a convention, not a rule — set it from the cook's elbow height instead.
How deep should a base unit be?+
580–600 mm of carcass, giving a 600–650 mm counter with a small overhang. Shallower than 550 mm and a standard sink or dishwasher will not fit; deeper than 650 mm and the back of the counter becomes unreachable.
Should the sink base unit be different?+
Yes. It takes the plumbing, so it has no drawers, a cut-out in the base panel, a waterproof base — WPC or sealed BWP — and ideally a waste pull-out. It is also the unit most likely to need access, so keep the plinth removable.
What is a magic corner and do I need one?+
A pull-out mechanism that brings the contents of a blind corner out into the room in two linked trays, at ₹18,000–34,000. In a kitchen with one blind corner it recovers roughly a whole base unit of usable storage.