30-Inch Wall Cabinet Cut List (Frameless, 3/4" Plywood)
A standard 30"-wide, 30"-tall upper cabinet, 12" deep, built frameless (Euro style) with two full-overlay doors. The same box works for a kitchen, a laundry room or over a workbench. The layout below shows how the parts nest on a 4×8 sheet of 3/4" plywood.
- Finished size
- 30" W × 30" H × 12" D (with back)
- 3/4" plywood, 4×8 ft
- 1 sheet · 65% yield
- 1/4" plywood, 4×8 ft
- 1 sheet · 20% yield
Assumptions behind every number
- 3/4" plywood measures 23/32", which is typical for US sheet goods. Parts that fit between two others subtract the actual thickness. Measure your sheet; if it differs, edit the sizes in the optimizer.
- Every layout uses a 1/8" saw kerf on every cut, run through the same optimizer as the app.
Cut list
3/4" plywood, 4×8 ft
| Part | Qty | Width × Length | How it's sized |
|---|---|---|---|
| Side | 2 | 11 3/4" × 30"(grain locked) | full height |
| Top / bottom | 2 | 11 3/4" × 28 9/16" | 30 − 1-7/16 |
| Adjustable shelf | 2 | 11" × 28 7/16" | 28-9/16 − 1/8 |
| Hanging rail | 1 | 3" × 28 9/16" | 30 − 1-7/16 |
| Door | 2 | 14 7/8" × 29 7/8"(grain locked) | (30 − 1/4) ÷ 2 × (30 − 1/8) |
1/4" plywood, 4×8 ft
| Part | Qty | Width × Length | How it's sized |
|---|---|---|---|
| Back | 1 | 30" × 30" | full case size |
Width × length is in inches, with length along the face grain. Parts marked "grain locked" are kept with the grain running their length in the layout.
Sheet and board layouts
This is the optimizer's output for exactly this list: 1 sheet of 3/4" plywood, 4×8 ft, 1 sheet of 1/4" plywood, 4×8 ft.
3/4" plywood, 4×8 ft: 1 sheet, 65% yield
1/4" plywood, 4×8 ft: 1 sheet, 20% yield
Materials list
- 1 sheet of 3/4" plywood, 4×8 ft
- 1 sheet of 1/4" plywood, 4×8 ft
- Four 35 mm full-overlay cup hinges
- Two door pulls
- 8 shelf pins
- #8 × 1-5/8" screws for the case, and 3" cabinet screws through the rail into the studs
- Wood glue and 3/4" brads
How it goes together
The sides are 11-3/4" deep and run the full 30" height. The top and bottom sit between them at 30" − 1-7/16" = 28-9/16". The 1/4" back is glued and nailed over the back edges, which brings the depth to 12".
A 3"-tall hanging rail is screwed between the sides, tight under the top and against the back. You screw through it into wall studs. Never hang a cabinet by its 1/4" back alone.
The two adjustable shelves get 1/16" end clearance (28-7/16") and are 11" deep so they clear the doors.
Doors are full overlay with 1/16" reveals all round and a 1/8" centre gap: 14-7/8" × 29-7/8" each, hung on two 35 mm cup hinges.
Build order
- Rip an 11-3/4" strip for the sides, top and bottom, and an 11" strip for the shelves.
- Drill shelf-pin holes in the sides.
- Assemble the sides, top, bottom and hanging rail. Square the case and nail the back on.
- Hang the cabinet on a ledger board, screwing through the rail into the studs.
- Hang the doors and adjust the reveals.
FAQ
How much plywood does a 30" wall cabinet take?
Less than one 4×8 sheet of 3/4" plywood for the case, shelves and doors (see the layout for the exact yield), plus a 30" × 30" piece of 1/4" for the back. If you are building several, nest them together in the optimizer. The offcut from one cabinet covers most of the next one's shelves.
What depth should a wall cabinet be?
Kitchen uppers are commonly 12" deep overall, which is why this case is 11-3/4" plus a 1/4" back. For 13" or 15" deep cabinets (over a fridge, say), change the side, top and bottom widths in the optimizer. Every length stays the same.
Why do the sizes subtract 1-7/16" instead of 1-1/2"?
Plywood sold as 3/4" actually measures 23/32" (about 0.72"). Two sides are 1-7/16" thick, not 1-1/2", so every part that fits between two sides is cut 1-7/16" shorter than the outside width. Measure your own sheet with calipers before cutting: if it is a true 3/4", subtract 1-1/2" instead and re-run the list in the optimizer.
What saw kerf does the layout assume?
A 1/8" kerf on every cut, which is a standard full-kerf table saw or track saw blade. With a thin-kerf blade the parts still fit; you just get slightly bigger offcuts.
Change a size, add a part or use up offcuts. The optimizer re-nests it in seconds.
Open this plan in EZNESTING →