Undermount, Drop-In, Farmhouse and Workstation Sinks; Single vs. Double Bowl

Once you know what the sink is made of, three choices remain: how it meets the countertop, how many bowls it has, and how big it is. Each one affects the cabinet order or the countertop cutout, so they are settled early. Materials are compared on a separate page, kitchen sink materials.

Mounting styles compared

A workstation sink is not a mounting style. It is a bowl with one or two ledges formed into its walls, and it comes in undermount, drop-in and apron-front versions. It is covered below.

Undermount details

The sink is held by adhesive and by clips or a support rail fixed to the cabinet. Heavy sinks need a frame under them. Because the cutout edge is visible, the fabricator polishes it, and you choose the reveal (see the questions at the end of this page). With wood counters the exposed end grain around the cutout is the most vulnerable spot in the kitchen. Read butcher block and wood countertops before pairing the two.

Apron-front details

A farmhouse sink changes the cabinet. The sink base has a shortened front, doors that start lower, and a platform inside to carry the load. The sink should be on site before the cabinet is finally fitted and the countertop templated, because the countertop is cut to the real sink, not the catalog drawing. An exposed front also means the sink finish is part of the color scheme, and the front edge will take knocks from belt buckles and pans.

Single, double or low-divide

Two practical points. With a double bowl, decide which side takes the disposal, since that sets where the trap and the dishwasher drain connect. And with any layout, the usable bottom area matters more than the outside width, because wall thickness and corner radius vary between sinks.

Workstation sinks

A workstation sink has a ledge running along the front and back walls. A cutting board, colander, drying rack and roll-up mat slide along it, so prep and cleanup happen over the bowl instead of on the counter. In a small kitchen that adds real working surface. See small kitchen remodels.

• Length matters. The idea works when the sink is long enough to hold a board and still leave open bowl beside it. On a short sink the accessories cover the drain.
• Two tiers let a rack sit below a cutting board. They also make the sink deeper from front to back.
• Accessories are proprietary. They fit that manufacturer's ledge spacing, so check what is included and whether replacements are sold.
• Tell the fabricator. The cutout has to leave the ledge clear, and a negative reveal can block the accessories.
• Storage. The accessories need a home in a nearby cabinet when they are not in use.

Bowl depth

Deeper is not automatically better. A deep bowl hides dirty dishes and contains splashes. It also makes you bend further to reach the bottom, and an undermount adds the countertop thickness to that reach. Tall people and anyone with a sore back notice it quickly.

Depth also uses up the cabinet below. The sink bottom, the disposal body and the trap stack vertically, and a deep sink with a large disposal can leave the trap too low for the drain in the wall, or leave no room for a filter or pull-out. Check the stack-up on paper before ordering. If someone in the house cooks seated or uses a wheelchair, a shallower bowl with a rear drain is the usual answer. See aging-in-place and accessible kitchen design.

Sizing the sink to the cabinet

The sink base cabinet sets the upper limit. The sink's bowl has to fit between the cabinet sides with room for mounting clips or rails, so the sink is always narrower than the cabinet. A common rule of thumb is to allow about 3 inches, meaning a sink no wider overall than the cabinet's nominal width less 3 inches. It is only a rule of thumb. Every sink's spec sheet states a minimum cabinet size, and that figure is what governs.

• Apron-front sinks are sized to the cabinet differently, since the sink front spans the cabinet face. The cabinet is ordered for the specific sink.
• Front to back, check that the bowl leaves room behind it for the faucet, its handle swing and any backsplash ledge or window sill.
• Leave counter beside it. The National Kitchen & Bath Association's planning guidelines recommend a landing area at least 24 inches wide on one side of the main sink and at least 18 inches wide on the other. That is a design guideline, not code, but a sink crammed against a wall or a tall cabinet is awkward every day.
• Corner sinks use a difficult cabinet and put the user at an angle to the counters. They are a fallback for tight rooms, not a first choice.

Prep sinks and second sinks

A second, smaller sink earns its place when two people cook together or when the main sink sits far from the range. On an island it gives the cook water for washing produce and filling pots while cleanup carries on at the main sink.

It is also a second set of plumbing: supply lines, a drain, a vent and possibly a second disposal. On an island the vent needs a specific method, which our sinks, faucets and plumbing page explains. It also takes a base cabinet and a stretch of counter. In a kitchen without space to spare, a workstation sink at the main location often does the same job. Island planning is covered in kitchen islands.

What to check before you buy

1. The countertop material, and whether it allows the mounting style you want.
2. The minimum cabinet size on the sink's spec sheet against the sink base in your cabinet plan.
3. Bowl depth plus disposal height plus trap, against the height of the drain in the wall.
4. Drain position: center, rear or offset.
5. Faucet holes. An undermount sink has none, so they are drilled in the countertop. A drop-in sink may come pre-drilled, and the count has to match your faucet and accessories.
6. For apron-front: the apron height against the cabinet door design, and the support required.
7. For workstation: what accessories are included and where they will be stored.
8. That the actual sink will be on site for the countertop template.

Who should choose which

• Stone or quartz counters, dishwasher used daily: a large single-bowl undermount. It is the most flexible arrangement and the easiest to keep clean.
• Laminate counters or a tight budget: a drop-in, single or double. It can be replaced later without touching the countertop.
• You wash by hand or keep a drying rack out: a low-divide or offset double bowl.
• A small kitchen short on counter space: a workstation sink, as long as the sink base allows.
• A traditional or farmhouse design, with new cabinets: an apron-front, ordered together with its sink base.
• Two cooks and a large island: a main sink plus a prep sink, if the plumbing route is practical.

JDI Construction draws the sink into the cabinet plan from its spec sheet, checks the stack-up under the bowl, and has the sink on site before the fabricator templates. To work through the options for your kitchen, start at kitchen remodeling in Vancouver.