Kitchen plinths, cornice and pelmet: sizes, fitting and replacing
The trims that finish a kitchen: what plinths, cornice and pelmet do, the sizes each brand uses, how they fix and come off, keeping water out, and what replacements cost.
Updated 30 October 2026 · The Kitchen Resprayer
The short answer
The plinth (or kickboard) is the board along the floor under the base units; the cornice runs along the top of the wall units, and the pelmet along their underside. Plinths usually clip onto adjustable legs and pull off forwards.
Most are 150 mm high, but not all: Howdens legs sit at 170 mm and IKEA's plinth is 8 cm. Measure before you buy, and seal any cut edge near water.
Sizes, by brand
| Brand | Plinth height | Length | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIY Kitchens | 150 mm (legs 140 to 170 mm) | 2.6, 2.75 or 3 m | £31.55 ex VAT for 3 m |
| B&Q GoodHome Alisma | 15 cm | 2.4 m | £46, fittings not included |
| Wickes | - | 2.6 m | £31 to £40 |
| IKEA UPPLÖV | 8 cm | 2.2 m | £24 |
| Howdens | Legs at 170 mm nominal, ±22.5 mm | - | - |
| Kitchen Warehouse | - | 2.35 to 2.8 m | - |
Each brand's own figures and listed prices, 30 October 2026.
Materials vary as much as sizes: B&Q's is chipboard, IKEA's is plastic, and Howdens makes 15 mm MFC plinths. A plinth from a different range will rarely match your door colour, so buy from the same range, or have the plinths resprayed with the doors.
How a plinth fixes, and how it comes off
Legs and clips
Taking it off
Putting it back
Corners
Cutting to fit
B&Q says measure the gap from the underside of the cabinet to the floor and trim the hidden bottom edge with a jigsaw to 2 to 3 mm less than the gap, leaving room for a seal strip if you're fitting one. Where end panels run to the floor, the plinth sits just inside them. If the floor isn't level, DIY Kitchens says cutting the plinth to follow it is the only option.
Any cut end that will show needs covering. Howdens irons pre-glued edge banding onto exposed ends, and DIY Kitchens uses edging tape on cut plinths.
To work out how much to order, DIY Kitchens adds 600 mm for every plinth return and 400 mm for every cornice or pelmet return to the total run, then divides by the length it sells and rounds up.
Keeping water out
The plinth sits on the floor right under the sink and the dishwasher, so it's right in the path of any leak. Howdens says every raw edge must be sealed with a moisture-resistant sealant such as waterproof varnish or silicone, and supplies a seal strip that pushes onto the bottom edge and can be mitred at corners with a sharp knife. Häfele's clear 3 m plinth seal is £4.74 at Builder Depot.
Under a dishwasher, Howdens says the plinth has to be cut so the door can open. If a plinth has already swollen, fix the leak first; a swollen board won't go back, so replace that length.
Fridges and freezers need a vent
An integrated fridge or freezer breathes through the plinth. AEG says it needs at least 200 cm² of ventilation at both the top and the bottom of the cabinetry, and that poor ventilation leads to condensation, an overworked compressor, and installation faults its warranty may not cover. Howdens says cut the plinth, fit a suitable grille, centre the vent on the cabinet that needs it, and never cover the appliance's own vents. Check your appliance's installation guide for its figure.
Cornice and pelmet
DIY Kitchens explains the difference: cornice sits on top of the wall units and is screwed through from above, while pelmet runs under them. Both are optional. If you have lights under the wall units, a lighting pelmet hides the lights and their wiring. A join between two lengths always shows slightly, so plan joins away from where your eye falls.
B&Q cuts cornice square (90 degrees) where it meets a wall or panel and at 45 degrees for a mitred corner, with a mitre saw, pre-drills it, and glues each mitre with mitre adhesive.
What replacements cost
| Part | Price |
|---|---|
| Plinth, 3 m (DIY Kitchens) | £31.55 ex VAT |
| Plinth, 2.6 m (Wickes) | £31 to £40 |
| Plinth, 2.4 m (B&Q GoodHome) | £46 |
| Plinth, 2.2 m (IKEA) | £24 |
| Curved plinth section (DIY Kitchens) | £60.09 ex VAT |
| Cornice or pelmet, 3 m (DIY Kitchens) | £26.20 ex VAT |
| Cornice, 2.6 m (Wickes) | £34 to £39 |
| Cornice or pelmet, 2.4 m (B&Q, clearance) | £21 (was £35) |
| Häfele plinth clips, 6 (Selco) | £3.60 |
| Häfele 150 mm leg set, 4 legs and 2 clips (Toolstation) | £3.79 |
| Häfele plinth seal, 3 m (Builder Depot) | £4.74 |
Listed prices, 30 October 2026.
For matching panels and plinths in one door range, see replacement kitchen doors. For the other cheap updates around them, see kitchen makeover on a budget.
Matching the colour
New plinths, cornice and pelmet only match if they come from the same range as your doors, and an old kitchen's range may no longer be made. On a respray the plinths, end panels, cornice and pelmet are sprayed in place to match the doors, so the whole kitchen comes out one colour. Send two photos for a free respray quote and include one of the plinth.
Where this comes from
- DIY Kitchens, adjusting legs and attaching a plinth
- DIY Kitchens, calculating plinth, cornice and pelmet
- DIY Kitchens, what is cornice, pelmet and plinth
- DIY Kitchens, cornice, pelmet and plinths
- Howdens, plinth installation
- Howdens, cabinet legs
- Howdens, built-under fridge installation
- B&Q, how to fit a plinth, cornice and pelmet
- B&Q, GoodHome Alisma plinth
- B&Q, GoodHome Alpinia cornice and pelmet
- Units Online, fitting a kitchen plinth
- Wickes, plinths and cornices
- Wickes, Ohio cornice and pelmet
- IKEA, UPPLÖV plinth
- Kitchen Warehouse, kitchen plinths
- AEG, integrated fridge ventilation
- Selco, Häfele plinth clips
- Toolstation, Häfele kitchen unit leg set
- Builder Depot, clear plinth seal
All read 30 October 2026. Firms change their prices and terms; check the current position with them.
Common questions
Commonly 150 mm: DIY Kitchens supplies its plinth at 150 mm and B&Q's GoodHome plinth is 15 cm. But it isn't universal. Howdens legs sit at 170 mm nominal, and IKEA's UPPLÖV plinth is 8 cm. Measure the gap from the bottom of the cabinet to the floor before you order.
Most plinths clip onto the cabinet legs. Wickes says gently pull it off with a flat-head screwdriver or a flat pry bar, after removing any clips or screws holding it.
Cornice sits on top of the wall units; pelmet runs along the bottom of them. DIY Kitchens says both are optional, and that a lighting pelmet is the one to use if you have under-cabinet lights, because it hides the lights and wiring.
No. Heights run from IKEA's 8 cm to the 150 mm most ranges use, with legs that adjust (DIY Kitchens' from 140 to 170 mm). Lengths vary too: 2.2 m at IKEA, 2.4 m at B&Q, 2.6 m at Wickes, and up to 3 m at DIY Kitchens. Buy from the same range as your kitchen if you want the colour to match.
Häfele plinth clips are £3.60 for six at Selco (screws not supplied), and Toolstation sells a Häfele set of four 150 mm legs with two clips for £3.79. Clips push onto the leg and fix to the plinth with a back plate.
If there's an integrated fridge or freezer behind it, yes. AEG says an integrated fridge needs at least 200 cm² of ventilation at both the top and bottom of the cabinetry, and Howdens says cut the plinth, fit a grille, and never cover the appliance's vents.
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