Kitchen Bench Height Australia (mm) — Overhead & Rangehood Clearance

The short answer

The numbers that matter.

A standard Australian kitchen bench is about 900mm high, and can range from 850mm to 1000mm to suit the cook. Benches are usually 600mm deep. Leave at least 600mm between the benchtop and overhead cupboards. Over a gas cooktop, new installations need at least 650mm from the top of the trivet to the rangehood.^[1]^[2]

These are common sizes and published guidance, not rules. Every cabinet can be sized to the room and the people using it. Confirm appliance and fixture sizes against the exact model you buy.

The sizes

Sizes in millimetres, with sources.

Each row links to the source it came from.

Bench height and depth

The two numbers every base cabinet is built around.

Element	Size	Source
Standard benchtop height	900mm	[1]
Height range to suit the user	850–1000mm	[1]
Standard benchtop depth	600mm	[1]
Cupboard depth under the bench (NSW social housing)	600mm	[4]
Kickboard height	90–150mm	[1]
Kickboard set back from the cabinet front	about 50mm	[1]

Space above the bench

From the benchtop up to the underside of the overhead cupboards.

Element	Size	Source
Benchtop to overhead cupboards	at least 600mm	[1]
Benchtop to overhead cupboards with a gas cooktop	at least 650mm	[1]

Over a gas cooktop

Victoria's gas regulator's summary of AS/NZS 5601.1:2022 for new installations. If the cooktop or rangehood instructions ask for more, the larger figure applies.

Element	Size	Source
Top of trivet to the lowest part of a rangehood	at least 650mm	[2]
Top of trivet to the lowest part of an exhaust fan	at least 750mm	[2]
Other combustible surfaces lower than 650mm	must be protected over the full cooking surface	[2]
Absolute minimum to any surface above	450mm	[2]
Rangehood, existing installations under the 2013 edition	600mm	[2]

Rangehood height (one maker)

From one Westinghouse integrated rangehood manual.

Element	Size	Source
Above an electric cooktop	at least 600mm	[3]
Above a gas cooktop	at least 650mm	[3]
Furthest from the cooktop	no more than 800mm	[3]

Room in front of the bench

From a voluntary Australian accessibility guideline.

Element	Size	Source
Clear space in front of benches and appliances (Gold / Platinum level)	1200mm / 1550mm	[5]

Worked example

Stack the heights.

Simple arithmetic on the figures above. Swap in your own measurements.

Bench: 900mm to the top of the benchtop.
Overheads: 900mm + 600mm = 1500mm to the underside of the overhead cupboards, or 900mm + 650mm = 1550mm in a kitchen with a gas cooktop.
Rangehood over gas: the 650mm is measured from the top of the trivet, which sits above the benchtop. Add your cooktop's trivet height (from its spec sheet) to 900mm + 650mm to find the lowest the rangehood can go.

How Carcasso draws it

The heights our drawings use.

Carcasso's kitchen drawings stack these heights from the floor up. The 900mm bench matches the standard height above, and both kick heights sit inside the 90 to 150mm range.

Kickboard: 125mm or 145mm
Base cabinet body: 735mm
Benchtop: 20mm, so the top of the bench sits at 880mm on a 125mm kick or 900mm on a 145mm kick
Gap from the bench to the overhead cupboards: 565mm or 585mm
Overhead cupboard: 905mm
Floor to the top of the overheads: 2370mm, plus a bulkhead of 260 to 320mm to the ceiling

What we could not verify

Limits of this guide.

The bench height, depth, kickboard and overhead figures are design guidance from one Sydney interior designer, not a Standard. We found no Australian Standard that fixes a kitchen bench height for ordinary homes.
The gas clearances come from AS/NZS 5601.1:2022 as summarised by Energy Safe Victoria. We did not read the Standard itself, which is sold by Standards Australia. Your gasfitter and your appliance manuals set the final figure.
For electric and induction cooktops we show one rangehood maker's figure only. Check the manuals for your own cooktop and rangehood.
Bench heights for wheelchair users are not covered here.

Questions

Common questions.

What is the standard kitchen bench height in Australia?

About 900mm to the top of the benchtop. A Sydney interior designer's guide puts the usual range at 850mm to 1000mm, depending on the height of the people using the kitchen.

How high should overhead cupboards be above the bench?

Leave at least 600mm between the benchtop and the underside of the overhead cupboards, and at least 650mm in a kitchen with a gas cooktop, then check the cooktop and rangehood manuals.

How high should a rangehood be above a gas cooktop?

For new installations, AS/NZS 5601.1:2022 as summarised by Energy Safe Victoria requires at least 650mm from the top of the trivet to the lowest part of the rangehood, or more if the cooktop or rangehood instructions ask for it.

How high should a rangehood be above an electric cooktop?

One Westinghouse integrated rangehood manual asks for at least 600mm above an electric cooktop and no more than 800mm. Check the manual for your own rangehood.

How deep is a standard kitchen bench?

About 600mm. NSW social housing requirements also specify standard 600mm deep cupboards under the benchtop.

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Sources

Where the numbers come from.

Standard sizes for every last detail: Kitchen dimensions Australia — The Interiors Addict (guide by Sydney interior designer Martina Hayes), accessed 27 September 2026.
Gas Information Sheet 25: Domestic gas cooking appliance overhead clearances (AS/NZS 5601.1:2022) — Energy Safe Victoria, accessed 27 September 2026.
Installation & user manual, WRI514BB / WRI814BB integrated rangehood — Westinghouse Australia, accessed 27 September 2026.
Dwelling Requirements (September 2020) — NSW Land and Housing Corporation, accessed 27 September 2026.
Livable Housing Design Guidelines, 4th edition (2017) — Livable Housing Australia (copy hosted by Universal Design Australia), accessed 27 September 2026.

Kitchen bench height and overhead clearances in Australia