How to measure a refrigerator opening for width, height and depth

To measure a refrigerator opening, take three numbers: the width between the side walls or cabinets, the height from the floor to whatever is above, and the depth from the back wall to the front edge of the opening. Your phone camera can take all three, and you can save a photo of each with the size drawn on it.

The three measurements you need

Width. Measure from one side to the other. Do it at the top, in the middle and near the floor. Walls and cabinet boxes are rarely perfectly straight, so the three readings can differ. Use the smallest one.

Height. Measure from the floor to the underside of the cabinet or shelf above the opening. If there is nothing above, measure to wherever the fridge top would stop, such as a ceiling or soffit. Measure at the front and at the back, because floors and cabinets can slope.

Depth. Measure from the back wall to the front edge of the cabinets on either side, or to the front of the opening if there are no cabinets. A fridge often sticks out past the counter edge, and that is normal, but you need to know how far.

Write down the numbers you get, then compare them with the dimensions on the fridge's spec sheet. The spec sheet from the manufacturer also lists how much clearance the fridge wants around the sides, back and top for air and for the doors to swing. That clearance is not something a phone can tell you, so read it from the sheet and add it to the fridge size before you compare.

How to measure it with AR Tape Measure

Use the Distance tool for all three. Pick the unit first (inches or feet if you are shopping from a US spec sheet, mm or cm if not).

1. Open the app and choose Distance. Move the phone slowly across the floor and the walls of the opening until the app has picked up the surfaces.
2. For width, stand a little back from the opening. Tap the left wall, then tap the right wall at the same height. The length shows on screen. Save it, then repeat near the top and near the floor.
3. For height, tap the floor at the front of the opening, then tap the underside of the cabinet above. There is no separate height mode, the Distance tool does it when your two points are one above the other.
4. For depth, tap the back wall where it meets the floor, then tap the floor at the front edge of the opening.
5. Open your measurement history. Each reading is saved as a photo with the dimensions drawn on it, so you can take it to the store or send it to whoever is delivering the fridge.

Corners snap on their own, which helps where the wall meets the floor or the cabinet. If the app refuses to place a point and asks you to scan that surface first, do what it says. It is telling you the reading would be wrong, for example because it picked up the floor behind the cabinet instead of the edge you aimed at.

Measure the way in, too

The opening is only part of the job. The fridge has to get there. Measure the width of the front door, the hallway and any turn it has to make, with the same Distance tool. For a quick check of how far it is to the back wall, the Rangefinder shows a live distance to whatever you aim at, with no tapping. Use it to get a rough idea, then tap the points for the number you write down.

If you are also comparing the fridge against a cabinet or a counter, you can keep tapping points with Distance to get a total along a path, such as the run of wall along the opening.

For measuring other things around the house without a tape, see How to measure without a tape measure.

Where the reading can go wrong

This is a quick everyday measurement, not a surveying or construction instrument. It is good for deciding whether a fridge fits the gap. It does not replace a laser distance meter or a steel tape when you are cutting a cabinet or ordering something built to fit.

Error depends on distance, light and texture, and the app does not promise a number. A few things make it worse:

• A dark gap. Turn on the lights, or open the fridge door space so light gets in.
• Blank white walls. With nothing to pick out, surface detection is slow. Keep floor texture or a cabinet edge in view.
• Glass, mirrors and water. These are hard for AR depth sensing in general. Tape over a glass panel or measure from the frame.
• Standing too far back. A nearby flat floor or wall is picked up far better than a point far away. Get close to each point.

If the fridge is tight in the space, measure twice, and measure again with a tape before you buy.

FAQ

How do I measure the opening for a refrigerator?

Take the width between the sides, the height from the floor to whatever is above, and the depth from the back wall to the front of the opening. Measure the width and height at more than one spot and use the smallest number. Compare them with the fridge's spec sheet, including the clearance the manufacturer asks for.

Can I measure a fridge space with my phone?

Yes. Open AR Tape Measure, choose Distance, tap one side of the opening and then the other. For height, tap the floor and then the underside of the cabinet above. Each reading is saved as a photo with the size on it.

Should I take the old fridge out first?

If you can, yes. A fridge in the way hides the back wall and the floor, and the app may refuse to place a point on a surface it cannot see. With the opening empty you can tap the real walls and the floor.

How much clearance does a fridge need?

It depends on the model. Check the manufacturer's spec sheet or installation guide for the clearance at the sides, back and top. Add that to the fridge's own size before you compare it with your measurements.