Kitchen work triangle calculator
The NKBA kitchen work triangle connects the sink, cooktop and refrigerator. Each leg should be 4 to 9 feet, measured from the center front of each, and the three legs should total 26 feet or less. No leg should cut across an island or peninsula by more than 12 inches.
Updated · By the Interior Redesign AI editorial team · Sources cited on the page
Two runs on adjoining walls. Keep the fridge near the open end of the L.
Measure from the center front of each: the middle of the sink bowl, the middle of the cooktop, and the middle of the fridge door. NKBA (Guideline 3) asks for legs of 4 to 9 ft and a total of 26 ft or less. It is a planning guideline, not code.
Work triangle total
21 ft
Within the NKBA guideline (26 ft max, each leg 4 ft-9 ft).
- OKSink to cooktop: 6 ft (4-9 ft)
- OKCooktop to refrigerator: 7 ft (4-9 ft)
- OKRefrigerator to sink: 8 ft (4-9 ft)
- OKTotal 21 ft is within 26 ft
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Key numbers
- Each leg
- 4 ft minimum, 9 ft maximum (NKBA Guideline 3)
- Total of the three legs
- 26 ft or less
- Island or peninsula in the way
- No leg may cut it by more than 12 in
- Where to measure
- Center front of the sink, cooktop and refrigerator
- Work aisle
- 42 in for one cook, 48 in for two or more (Guideline 6)
- Traffic
- No major traffic path should cross the triangle (Guideline 5)
Worked example
An L-shaped kitchen with the sink under the window
Sink to cooktop 6 ft, cooktop to refrigerator 7 ft, refrigerator to sink 8 ft.
- Each leg is between 4 and 9 ft: 6, 7 and 8 all pass.
- Total: 6 + 7 + 8 = 21 ft, under the 26 ft limit.
- The same kitchen with a 10 ft sink-to-cooktop leg would fail: Sink to cooktop is 10 ft, over the 9 ft maximum: extra steps on every trip.
This L-shaped layout passes: 21 ft in total, every leg within 4-9 ft.
How we calculate
You enter the three distances: sink to cooktop, cooktop to refrigerator, and refrigerator back to the sink. Measure each from the center front of the appliance or sink, the way NKBA defines a leg. We check every leg against 4 to 9 feet and the sum against 26 feet, and for island layouts whether a leg cuts the island by more than 12 inches.
The drawing is built from your three numbers with simple geometry, so you can see whether the triangle is balanced or stretched. If the numbers cannot form a triangle (one leg longer than the other two combined), it is drawn flat, which is what a single-wall kitchen looks like.
The work triangle is a planning guideline from the National Kitchen & Bath Association, not a building code. Plenty of good kitchens, especially open plans with two cooks, use work zones instead. Use the check to spot long walks and crowded corners, not as a pass/fail grade.
Estimates, sources
Planning estimates and published guidelines, not quotes, designs or code rulings. Local prices, your home and your jurisdiction's adopted code decide the real answer: get local bids and check with your inspector.
- Kitchen Planning Guidelines with Access Standards (National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA), 2015): work triangle 26 ft max, legs 4-9 ft; aisles 42 in (one cook) / 48 in (two); walkways 36 in; seating clearance 32/36/44 in; knee space 24 in wide; landing areas; 150 cfm ventilation; storage frontage
Work triangle by kitchen layout
Layout decides how easy the triangle is to hit. L-shapes and U-shapes usually land inside the rule naturally. Galleys tend to run short legs, and large U-shapes and island kitchens tend to run long ones.
| Layout | Typical legs | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Galley | 4-7 ft | Legs under 4 ft across a narrow aisle; through-traffic down the galley |
| L-shape | 5-8 ft | Fridge placed deep in the corner, far from the sink |
| U-shape | 6-9 ft | Legs over 9 ft in a large U; tall pantry splitting two centers |
| Island | 5-9 ft | A leg cutting the island by more than 12 in |
| Single wall | 4-9 ft each, in a line | The longest leg equals the other two combined |
How to fix a triangle that fails
Most fixes move one appliance, not all three. A fridge moved to the end of a run, a cooktop moved to the island, or a prep sink added on the island will shorten the longest leg. If a leg is too short, the two centers crowd each other: add counter between them, ideally the 36 in prep area NKBA puts next to the sink.
- Too long: move the refrigerator toward the open end of the kitchen, or move the cooktop or sink to the island.
- Too short: slide one center down the run until the leg is 4 ft or more.
- Island in the way: shift the island, or move the work center onto it.
- Traffic through the triangle: put the fridge on the edge of the kitchen so others can reach it without crossing.
How to use this tool
Pick your layout
Galley, L, U, island or single wall. The hint shows what to watch for.
Measure three legs
Center front of the sink, cooktop and refrigerator, in feet or meters.
Read the checks
Each leg against 4-9 ft, the total against 26 ft, and island intrusion.
See the new kitchen
Keep the layout and try new finishes on a photo of your own kitchen.
Questions
What is the kitchen work triangle rule?
The NKBA guideline says the distances between the sink, cooktop and refrigerator should total no more than 26 feet, with no single leg shorter than 4 feet or longer than 9 feet, and no leg cutting an island or peninsula by more than 12 inches.
How do you measure a work triangle?
Measure from the center front of each work center: the middle of the sink, the middle of the cooktop or range, and the middle of the refrigerator door. Measure the straight line between each pair.
Is the kitchen work triangle outdated?
It is still in the NKBA guidelines, but it is a guideline, not code. Open plans and two-cook kitchens often plan work zones instead. The triangle remains a quick way to spot long walks and cramped corners.
Does an island break the work triangle?
Only if a leg cuts across the island or peninsula by more than 12 inches. Putting the sink or cooktop on the island often fixes a stretched triangle instead.
How wide should the aisle be inside the triangle?
NKBA recommends work aisles of at least 42 inches for one cook and 48 inches for several cooks, measured between counters, tall cabinets or appliances.
What about a single-wall kitchen?
The three centers sit on a line, so the triangle collapses. NKBA still applies the 4 to 9 foot rule to each leg. Put the sink between the cooktop and the refrigerator.
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