The short answer
Measure the cut-out, not the grill's outside width. The cabinet is cut to the aperture the grill drops into — typically 780–1,050 mm wide and 500–560 mm deep on a full-size gas grill — while the outside width includes the lid and side shelves and is usually 200–400 mm larger. Also measure the lid clearance (about 550 mm above the counter when open) and note which side the gas enters from.
Why the outside width is the wrong number
A grill is wider than the hole it sits in. The lid overhangs, the control panel projects, and the side shelves or handle ends add more again. If you measure across the widest point of the grill and give that number to a fabricator, you will get a cabinet with an opening much larger than it needs — and an opening that is too large is far harder to fix than one that is too small.
Conversely, if you buy a cabinet sized to the outside width and the cut-out turns out larger than the aperture, the grill will not drop in at all. There is no adjusting a stainless aperture on site.
So the number that matters is the one printed on the line drawing in the grill's installation manual: the rectangular hole in the counter that the grill body drops through.
Where the tape actually goes
You can do this in ten minutes on a flat surface with the grill in front of you and one tape measure. Work in millimetres — every grill manual and every cabinet drawing is in millimetres, and inches invite conversion errors at exactly the moment they are expensive.
- Find the manual. Search your model number plus "installation manual PDF". Go to the page with the line drawing of the aperture — usually near the back, labelled something like "built-in dimensions" or "cut-out".
- Write down the cut-out width and depth. These are the two numbers that define the hole. They are inside dimensions, measured to the edge of the void, not to the grill body.
- Measure the grill body yourself to confirm. Turn it upside down if you can, and measure across the part that has to pass through the hole. If your measurement disagrees with the manual by more than about 5 mm, trust the manual and check you are measuring the right part.
- Note the gas entry side. Look at where the hose leaves the body — left or right. Write it down; it is not always obvious from the front and it is not reversible later.
- Check the lid clearance. Open the lid fully and measure from the counter line to the highest point of the open lid. On a typical full-size gas grill this lands near 550 mm.
The three numbers, and what each one controls
Cut-out width × depth — whether the grill drops into the cabinet at all.
Lid clearance — whether the grill can sit under a pergola, a window or a wall unit.
Gas entry side — where in the run the grill can sit, and on which side the cylinder cabinet goes.
The four grill cabinet apertures we cut
Grill cabinets are the one module in the range where the width is not a round number, because they are sized around real grills rather than around the grid. There are four, and the opening inside each is made to the drawing you approve.
| Cabinet | Body width | Carcass depth | Typical grill class |
|---|---|---|---|
| HW-06 · 800 | 800 mm | 656 mm | Most built-in gas grills and mid kamado |
| HW-03 · 1182 | 1182 mm | 643 mm | Wide 4–5 burner gas, or a bay plus a side burner |
| HW-04 · 1182 | 1182 mm | 643 mm | 5–6 burner, large built-in |
Note the 643 mm depth on grill cabinets against the standard 656 mm. The 13 mm is taken out of the front so the control panel and lid hinge sit flush with the neighbouring modules. It is the most common mistake when ordering — see the full dimension table.
Three things that go wrong
1 · Measuring to the lid, not the base
The lid overhangs the body on almost every grill. Measure it and you will order a cabinet roughly 200 mm wider than needed, with a gap between the grill body and the aperture edge that the drip tray cannot bridge.
2 · Assuming the counter thickness is free
The grill has a fixed drop from its lip to its base. A 30 mm stone counter and a 20 mm stainless counter change how far the body projects below the surface. Tell whoever cuts the top which counter you are using — it is part of the same decision.
3 · Forgetting the hose
A grill on a fixed gas line and a grill running to a cylinder under the counter need different lengths of hose and different access. On a run of castor-mounted modules, the hose also needs a service loop so a module can be rolled out for cleaning.
If you send us only one thing, send the installation manual page. A photograph of the page with the aperture drawing on it is enough for us to cut to, and it removes the entire question of whose measurement is right.
Questions we get about this
Do I measure the grill's outside width or the cut-out?
The cut-out. The cabinet has an aperture and the grill drops into it; the outside width includes the lid and the side shelves, neither of which goes into the hole. A grill that is 1,200 mm wide overall might have a 780 mm cut-out.
Where do I find the cut-out dimension?
In the grill's installation manual, usually on a page near the back with a line drawing of the aperture. Search the model number plus "installation manual PDF". If you cannot find it, email the manufacturer's support with the model and serial — they answer this question routinely.
What if the cut-out is between two standard sizes?
There are two appliance bays, and the opening inside either is cut to your drawing: HW-06 at 800 mm wide and 656 mm deep, HW-03 at 1182 mm wide and 643 mm deep. You do not round your grill up to a standard aperture — you pick the bay the firebox fits inside, and the cut-out is made to the maker's dimensions.
How much clearance does an open lid need?
Budget 550 mm above the counter line for a typical full-size gas grill with the lid fully open. Check your own model — a kamado or a grill with a high hood needs more. If the grill sits under a pergola, a window or a wall cabinet, this is the number that decides whether it can go there at all.
Why does the gas entry side matter?
The hose leaves the grill on one side. That side needs to be open to a gas cabinet or to the outside of the run, and it is not reversible once the carcass is cut and the modules are bolted in sequence. It also decides which side a cylinder cabinet should sit on.
Send the model and we will do the rest
If you have the grill make and model, that is enough — we keep a cut-out library and will confirm the aperture before anything is cut. If your model is not in it, we will ask for the manual page rather than guess.