Most guides to calculating a cutting list stop at theory. This one doesn't — below are two full worked examples, in millimetres, with real numbers you can follow along with: a wall cabinet and a full kitchen carcass run. If you need the underlying concepts first — kerf, grain, sheet sizes — start with our cut list optimizer guide and come back here for the practical walkthrough.
What You Need Before You Start
Parts list or drawing
A full list of the parts you need, or a design you can take them from.
Sheet size
2440×1220mm, 2800×2070mm, or 2400×1200mm are the common options across English-speaking metric markets.
Your saw's kerf
In mm — check your blade spec, or measure a test cut.
Grain requirements
Which parts, if any, need grain matched.
Worked Example 1 — A 900mm Wall Cabinet
Let's calculate the cutting list for a simple 900mm wide × 700mm tall × 300mm deep wall cabinet, 18mm board, with two doors and one adjustable shelf.
| Part | Width (mm) | Height (mm) | Qty | Grain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Side panel | 300 | 700 | 2 | No |
| Top/bottom panel | 864 | 300 | 2 | No |
| Back panel (rebated) | 882 | 682 | 1 | No |
| Shelf | 864 | 280 | 1 | No |
| Door | 447 | 696 | 2 | Yes (vertical) |
Door width = (cabinet width − 6mm total gap) ÷ 2 doors = (900 − 6) ÷ 2 = 447mm
Total: 9 parts, roughly 1.9m² of material including waste — comfortably cut from a single 2440×1220mm sheet with room to spare for another small part.
Worked Example 2 — A Full Kitchen Carcass Run (3 Units)
Scaling up: three base cabinet carcasses, 600mm wide × 720mm tall × 560mm deep, 18mm board, no doors — carcasses only, with fronts ordered separately.
| Part | Width (mm) | Height (mm) | Qty per unit | Total qty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Side panel | 560 | 720 | 2 | 6 |
| Base panel | 564 | 560 | 1 | 3 |
| Back panel | 582 | 700 | 1 | 3 |
| Shelf | 564 | 540 | 1 | 3 |
| Rail (front stretcher) | 564 | 100 | 2 | 6 |
Total: 21 parts across 3 units, roughly 5.4m² of material — this is exactly the kind of run where hand-nesting on paper starts costing you a full extra sheet. Run it through an optimizer and you'll typically see 2 sheets (2440×1220mm) instead of the 3 you'd budget for by eye.
Accounting for Kerf in Your Calculations
Take the kitchen run above: 21 parts means roughly 30–35 individual cuts once you include cross-cuts and rip cuts. At a 3.2mm kerf, that's 96–112mm of material consumed by the saw blade alone — over a tenth of a metre, invisible until you're short a part at the end of the sheet.
Example: 32 cuts × 3.2mm ≈ 102mm lost
Always build kerf into your part spacing, not just your final dimensions.
Grain-Matching Rules for Doors and Panels
When grain matters — visible doors, end panels — keep these rules in mind:
Number doors and panels in the order they'll sit in the run, and cut them from adjacent positions on the sheet so the grain or pattern flows continuously.
Vertical grain is the default for cabinet doors unless the design specifically calls for horizontal.
Mark grain-locked parts clearly in your cut list before optimising — most software lets you flag a part as "no rotate" so it isn't turned 90° to save space.
Manual Calculation vs Using an Optimizer
| Manual (paper/spreadsheet) | Optimizer software | |
|---|---|---|
| Time for a 20-part job | 30–60 minutes | Under a minute |
| Typical material yield | 65–80% | 85–95% |
| Risk of grain/kerf errors | Higher — easy to miss | Built into the calculation |
| Best for | Very small, one-off jobs | 10+ parts or repeat runs |
Running It Through a Free Online Optimizer
Enter your sheet size
2440×1220mm, 2800×2070mm, or your local standard.
Enter your kerf in mm
Check your blade spec if you're not sure.
Add each part
Name, width, height, quantity, and grain lock.
Run the optimisation
Use the free online cut list optimizer and check the yield percentage — 85%+ is a good result.
Export the plan
Download the cutting plan as a PDF for the workshop.
Checking Your Yield % and What to Do If It's Low
If your yield comes back under 75%, try: allowing grain rotation on any part that doesn't strictly need it, checking whether a larger sheet size reduces the number of sheets needed, or splitting an awkward large part onto its own sheet so it doesn't force wasteful nesting around it.
Calculate your cutting list now
Enter the parts from your own project and get the optimised cutting plan instantly — free, no sign-up, works on mobile.
▶ Open the cutting list calculatorFAQ
How do I calculate a cutting list by hand?
List every part with width, height and quantity, add your kerf to each cut, then sketch the layout on your sheet size to scale — or skip the sketching and run it through a free online optimizer for an exact plan in seconds.
How much material does a kitchen run typically need?
A 3-unit base cabinet run (carcasses only, no doors) needs roughly 5–5.5m² of 18mm board — usually 2 sheets at 2440×1220mm with an optimised layout, versus 3 sheets cut by eye.
What's a good yield percentage for a cutting list?
85% or higher is considered a good result. Below 75%, it's worth adjusting grain restrictions or sheet size before cutting.