How to Determine the Dimensions of a Drawer

Measure the total distance from the back of the drawer chest to the very front. This distance is the total width of the drawer. Find the width of the wood used to build the drawer and subtract twice the thickness to make room for the back-end panel and the front face. Subtract an additional inch to ensure that the drawer does not hit the back panel of the chest. The final figure is the total side length dimension, also called the width of the drawer.

Place the tape measure horizontally in front of the chest of drawers to find the length of the drawer. Subtract at least 2 inches from this figure to make room for the sliding tracks that move the drawer in and out of the chest. This dimension is the length of the back-end panel for the drawer.

Line the tape measure up vertically to determine the full height of the drawer. Subtract at least half an inch from the total height so that the side and end panels do not grind against the drawer chest when you open and close the drawer. In addition, subtract the total width of the wood to make room for the bottom panel attached to the drawer frame.

Measure the total height and length of the opening frame of the drawer chest. The front panel, which is the front of the drawer, is both taller and longer than the actual drawer, so the front panel hides the drawer itself and the sliding tracks. Subtract one-tenth inch so that the front panel fits inside the open drawer frame.

Calculate the measurements required to build a full drawer using the dimensions gathered. The side panels measure the height and width dimensions, while the end panel measures the height and length dimensions, subtracting the thickness of the wood twice to make room for the two sides. The bottom panel uses the full width and length dimensions, while the front panel uses the height and length dimensions of the frame. The front panel is often 2 inches longer and half an inch taller than the original drawer dimensions.