How to Measure Cabinet Handle Centres: A Complete Guide

Why Handle Centre Measurement Matters

Choosing the right cabinet handle is about more than style. If the fixing holes don’t align with your cabinet doors and drawers, even the most beautiful handle won’t work. Understanding how to measure handle centres correctly is the single most important step before you buy. Whether you call them fixing centres, hole centres, or bore spacing, they all refer to the same critical measurement: the distance between your screw holes.

What Are ‘Handle Centres’?

The centre-to-centre measurement (often written as ‘c/c’ or ‘centres’) is the distance between the two fixing holes on a bar handle or t-bar handle. It is measured from the middle of one hole to the middle of the other. You may also see this referred to as the hole spacing or pull spacing, and all these terms mean the same thing.

This is different from the overall length of the handle, which includes the projecting ends beyond the fixing holes. Always check the centres measurement, not the overall length, when matching a handle to existing holes.

Common Centre Measurements

Cabinet handles are made to standard centre spacings. The most common metric handle sizes you’ll encounter are:

• 96mm — common on smaller drawer fronts
• 128mm — the most widely used size for kitchen drawers and cupboard doors
• 160mm — popular on wider drawer fronts and larder doors
• 192mm — used on large pan drawers and wide cabinets
• 224mm and 256mm — for extra-wide drawers and appliance housings

If you are replacing existing handles, measure between the centres of your current fixing holes before ordering. If you are fitting handles to new cabinets with no pre-drilled holes, you have the freedom to choose any size. At 128mm, you have a safe, versatile starting point that works as a standard kitchen handle size across the majority of base units.

How to Measure Your Existing Holes

1. Open the cabinet door or drawer front so you can see the back of the fixing holes clearly.
2. Use a steel rule or tape measure.
3. Measure from the centre of the first hole to the centre of the second hole.
4. Note the measurement in millimetres. This is your centre-to-centre distance, also called the handle drilling centre or bore centre.

Tip: If your measurement falls between standard sizes (for example, 130mm), your holes may have been drilled slightly off-centre. In this case, choose the nearest standard size and use the handle’s fixing screws to pull the handle snug. Small discrepancies of 1–2mm are usually accommodated by the screw holes in the handle itself.

What About Knobs?

Cabinet knobs use a single fixing hole, so there is no centre-to-centre measurement to worry about. The key dimension for knobs is the fixing hole diameter (typically 4mm or 5mm) and the projection, which refers to how far the knob stands proud of the door. Our Calgary Cabinet Knob and Monmouth Cabinet Knob both use a standard 4mm fixing screw, making them straightforward to fit to any pre-drilled cabinet.

Choosing the Right Size for New Cabinets

If you are fitting handles to cabinets without pre-drilled holes, consider the proportions of the door or drawer front. These cabinet pull spacing guidelines are a reliable starting point:

• Small drawers (up to 300mm wide): 96mm or 128mm centres
• Standard drawers and doors (300–500mm wide): 128mm or 160mm centres
• Wide drawers and pan drawers (500mm+): 160mm, 192mm or larger

Our Lines Reeded T-Bar Cabinet Handles are available in multiple centre sizes, making them an excellent choice whether you are fitting a compact bathroom vanity or a full run of kitchen cabinetry.

A Note on Screw Length

Most handles are supplied with fixing screws. The standard screw length is designed for cabinet doors of around 18–20mm thickness. If your doors are thicker (for example, solid wood doors at 22mm+), you may need longer screws. Check the handle listing for the supplied screw length and measure your door thickness before ordering.

Summary

Measuring cabinet handle centres, whether you call them fixing centres, hole spacing, or bore centres, is straightforward once you know what to look for. Always measure centre-to-centre in millimetres, match to the nearest standard metric size, and check screw length against your door thickness. If you have any questions about which size is right for your project, our team is happy to help.