Appliances, sinks and fixtures in depthPlanning

Counter-Depth vs. Standard-Depth vs. Built-In Refrigerators

By the JDI Construction teamReviewed by Arthur Kulchitskiy, CEOUpdated October 20266 min read

Quick answer

A standard-depth refrigerator is deeper than the cabinets and stands several inches into the room. A counter-depth model has a shallower case that roughly lines up with the cabinet fronts, with the doors still projecting, and gives up some capacity. A built-in is made to sit flush in a purpose-built opening. Depths vary by model, so plan the surround from the installation sheet.

Depth is the dimension people forget when they shop for a refrigerator, and the one they notice every day afterward. A refrigerator that stands well proud of the cabinets narrows the aisle, blocks sightlines and makes a new kitchen look unplanned. This page explains the three depth categories and how to plan the cabinets around each. For the door and freezer configurations, see refrigerator types.

What the terms mean

Start with the cabinets. A standard base cabinet box is 24 inches deep, and the countertop overhangs it slightly at the front. That line is what "counter depth" refers to. The figures below are typical ranges, described here as general categories. No standard defines them, manufacturers use the terms loosely, and the installation sheet for the model you choose is the only number to plan from.

	Standard depth	Counter depth	Built-in or integrated
Typical case depth (without doors)	Clearly deeper than a base cabinet	Close to the depth of a base cabinet	Sized to sit inside a cabinet-depth opening
Typical overall depth with doors and handles	Often in the range of 30 to 36 inches	Often in the range of 27 to 31 inches	Door face at or near the plane of the cabinet doors
How far it stands past the cabinet fronts	Several inches of case, plus the doors	Roughly the thickness of the doors and handles	Flush, or flush with panels fitted
Capacity for the same width	Most	Less	Less per inch of width, offset by greater height or width
Typical height	Varies, usually leaves a gap or cabinet above	Varies, as standard depth	Tall, often filling the opening to the top
Installation	Rolls into an opening	Rolls into an opening	Anchored into a purpose-built opening
Relative cost	Lower	Mid	Higher to highest

How each sits against the cabinets

Standard depth

The sides of the refrigerator are exposed for several inches beyond the cabinets beside it, and the top is visible unless a deep cabinet is built above. In a kitchen where the refrigerator stands at the end of a run against a side wall, this may hardly matter. Beside a doorway or opposite an island, the extra projection comes straight out of the walkway. Check the aisle width that remains with the doors closed and with them open. The guideline clearances are on the kitchen layouts page.

Counter depth

The case stops near the front of the cabinets and only the doors stand forward, so the sides can be covered by a panel and the whole thing reads as part of the cabinetry. This is the common middle route in remodels: a freestanding price tier with most of the built-in look. It works only if the surround is planned for it, which is covered below.

Built-in and integrated

The refrigerator is fixed into an opening made to its cutout dimensions, breathes through the front, and sits flush with the cabinet faces. With an integrated model and cabinet panels, the refrigerator is hard to pick out from the pantry doors beside it. The cabinet work is exacting and the opening is committed to that model family, which matters when the appliance is eventually replaced.

The capacity trade-off

A shallower case holds less. Whether that matters depends on how you shop and what you store.

Shallow is easier to use. Food at the back of a deep shelf gets forgotten. Many people find a shallower refrigerator wastes less, because everything is visible.
Width can replace depth. Moving up a width class recovers volume, at the cost of base cabinet and counter length. Run that trade in your layout before deciding.
Height can replace depth. Built-ins are tall for this reason.
Overflow can live elsewhere. A second refrigerator or freezer outside the kitchen takes the bulk purchases. See kitchen storage and pantries.
Check the awkward items. Door bins on shallow models are sometimes narrower. Confirm that the bottles and cartons you buy will fit.

Planning the surround

How finished a refrigerator looks has more to do with the cabinetry around it than with the appliance. The usual parts are:

Side panels. Full-depth finished panels on one or both sides, running from floor to the cabinet above. They hide the sides of the case and give the upper cabinet something to fasten to. Their depth is set to the case depth of your model, so the doors clear them.
A deep cabinet above. A cabinet the full depth of the refrigerator surround, not a standard shallow wall cabinet set far back. A deep one is reachable and closes the gap above.
The opening width. Wide enough for the appliance and the air gap the manufacturer requires, and no wider. Too tight and the refrigerator cannot be rolled in or serviced. Too loose and the gaps show.
Height. Allow for the hinge, which usually stands above the case, and for the floor. If new flooring is going in, the finished floor height changes the opening.
The wall behind. A recessed box for the water valve and receptacle lets the refrigerator sit fully back. A surface-mounted valve or plug can hold it an inch or more forward.

Panels and trim kits

These are two different things. A panel-ready refrigerator is manufactured to carry cabinet panels on its doors. The panels are made by the cabinet shop to the dimensions, thickness and weight the appliance maker specifies. JDI's article on panel-ready refrigerators explains the process.

A trim kit is a manufacturer's accessory, usually a metal frame or filler strips, that closes the gap between a specific refrigerator and its opening so a freestanding or counter-depth model looks more built in. Trim kits are model-specific. Confirm that one exists for your model, and get its dimensions, before the opening is sized.

A stainless front left visible is also a legitimate choice. How it sits with painted and wood cabinetry is covered under appliance finishes.

What to check before you buy

Case depth, depth with doors, depth with handles and depth with the door open at 90 degrees.
Required clearance at the rear, top and sides.
Hinge-side clearance to a wall or tall panel so drawers can pull out.
Height to the top of the hinge.
Location of the water connection and the receptacle.
Whether a trim kit or panel kit exists for the model.
The width of every doorway and turn between the delivery truck and the kitchen.
Remaining aisle width with the doors open, especially opposite an island.

Who should choose which

Choose standard depth if capacity matters most, the budget is tight, the refrigerator stands against a side wall or in a recess, or the framing behind can be opened to set it back.
Choose counter depth if the refrigerator is on view from the living area, the aisle in front of it is modest, or you want a built-in look at a freestanding cost tier.
Choose built-in or integrated if you are replacing all the cabinetry, want the refrigerator to disappear, and accept the higher cost and the commitment to a specific opening.

Whichever you choose, the surround has to be drawn from the model's installation sheet before the cabinet order is placed. The page on choosing kitchen appliances explains that sequence. At JDI Construction the refrigerator surround is drawn into the 3D design layout, so you can see how far the doors will stand out before you commit. To get started, visit our Vancouver kitchen remodeling page.

Common questions

Why do counter-depth refrigerator doors still stick out?

The doors have to swing clear of the cabinets or panels beside them. If the door face were flush with the cabinet fronts, a standard hinge would bind against the neighboring cabinet as it opened. Built-in and integrated refrigerators solve this with hinges designed to open within the width of the opening.

Can I recess a standard-depth refrigerator into the wall to make it look built in?

Sometimes. If the wall behind is an interior partition with nothing important in it, the framing can be modified to create a recess a few inches deep. Plumbing, wiring, ductwork or a load-bearing wall can rule it out. It is a framing change, so raise it during design and not after cabinets are ordered.

Is counter-depth the same as built-in?

No. A counter-depth refrigerator is a freestanding appliance with a shallower case. It has finished sides, standard hinges and its own height. A built-in is taller, vents through a grille at the front, is anchored into a cabinet opening and is made to sit flush. The two are priced in different tiers.

How much capacity do I lose by going counter-depth?

It depends on the two models you are comparing, so look at their stated capacities side by side. In the same width class the shallower model holds less. Many households make up the difference with a wider width class, a taller model or a second refrigerator in the garage or pantry.