Standard dishwasher cutout size

Swapping a dishwasher or planning a new one? Start with the hole in the cabinets.

A family of four makes a salad at a marble island in a warm walnut kitchen with woven pendant lights, a stainless refrigerator and floor-to-ceiling windows facing the beach

A built-in dishwasher slides into an opening under the counter

A standard built-in dishwasher fits a cabinet opening about 24 in wide, 24 in deep and 34 to 36 in high (floor to the underside of the countertop).^{[3 4 · Oct 21, 2026]} A dishwasher sold as "24-inch" is sized to the opening, so the machine itself can be closer to 23½ in wide.^{[4 · Oct 21, 2026]}

Opening sizes from manufacturer documents

Source	Width	Height	Depth	Other clearances
Whirlpool undercounter dimension guide^{[1 · Oct 21, 2026]}	24 in min. at narrowest point	34 in min. (to lowest point of countertop underside)	24 in	2 in min. from a corner wall
GE installation instructions (PDW8200J)^{[2 · Oct 21, 2026]}	24 in min.	about 34½ in	24 in min.	2 in min. in a corner; 28⅜ in min. in front for the door
Maytag measuring guide^{[3 · Oct 21, 2026]}	24 in (most openings)	34–36 in	24 in	2 in to an adjacent cabinet
Whirlpool measuring guide^{[4 · Oct 21, 2026]}	24 in	34½–36 in (most models)	24 in	27 in min. in front to load/unload
Eurotech EDW242 manual^{[5 · Oct 21, 2026]}	24 in	32–35 in	23¹⁵⁄₁₆ in	Example of a model that fits shorter openings

Quick answers

How to measure: width cabinet-to-cabinet at both top and bottom; height from the floor to the lowest point of the countertop, on both sides; depth from the back wall to the front edge of the cabinets.^{[3 · Oct 21, 2026]} Use the smallest number of each.
New flooring raises the floor and shrinks the height of the opening; account for it before installing.^{[4 · Oct 21, 2026]}
Listed depth often includes the door, so a spec sheet depth can be slightly more than the 24 in opening.^{[3 · Oct 21, 2026]}
Too short an opening? Most dishwashers have adjustable feet, and some models are built for openings as low as 32 in.^{[3 5 · Oct 21, 2026]}
Oversized models keep the 34–36 in height and 24 in depth but need a wider opening.^{[3 · Oct 21, 2026]}

ENERGY STAR size classes

ENERGY STAR sorts dishwashers by capacity, not inches: a standard model holds 8 or more place settings plus 6 serving pieces; a compact model holds fewer than 8 place settings plus 6 serving pieces.^{[6 · Oct 21, 2026]}

Sources: 1. Whirlpool, Dimension Guide (undercounter dishwasher, PDF). 2. GE, PDW8200J installation instructions (PDF). 3. Maytag, How to measure a dishwasher. 4. Whirlpool, How to measure for standard dishwasher sizes. 5. Eurotech, EDW242 owner's manual (PDF). 6. ENERGY STAR, Dishwashers key product criteria. Checked Oct 21, 2026.