How much edge banding do I need?

Count the right edges, add a little for trimming, round up to a roll. Example in millimetres.

Edge banding is cheap, but running out halfway through a job is not. The amount is easy to work out once you know which edges to count. We use the kitchen base cabinet from our cabinet cut list guide as the example: 800 wide, 720 high, 560 deep, with a shelf and two doors.

1. Mark the edges you can see

Every rectangular part has four edges: two long ones and two short ones. Only edges that stay visible get banding; edges that sit against another panel, a wall or the floor do not. For a cabinet that usually means:

Sides, bottom, shelf: the front edge only.
Doors and drawer fronts: all four edges.
Rails, backs, hidden parts: none.

2. Add up the lengths

For each part: length of the banded edges × quantity. Then add all the parts together.

Part	Banded edges	Length (mm)
Side, 720 × 560 × 2	front edge (720)	1440
Bottom, 764 × 560	front edge (764)	764
Shelf, 762 × 520	front edge (762)	762
Door, 715 × 397 × 2	all four: 2 × (715 + 397) each	4448
Total	12 banded edges	7414

3. Add an allowance for trimming

Each strip is cut a little longer than the edge and trimmed flush afterwards. A simple rule:

About 3 cm per banded edge (1.5 cm overhang at each end). Here: 12 × 30 mm = 360 mm, so 7414 + 360 = 7.8 m.
Or, if you band by hand with an iron and expect a few mistakes, add 10–15 % to the total instead: about 8.5 m.

Edge banding is sold in rolls (often 5, 10, 25 or 50 m), so for this cabinet buy a 10 m roll. For a whole kitchen, add up all the cabinets first; one bigger roll is cheaper than several small ones.

4. Choose the width and the thickness

Width: a few millimetres wider than the board, so it can be trimmed flush on both faces. For 16 mm board take 19–20 mm banding, for 18–19 mm board take 22–23 mm.
Thickness: thin 0.4–0.5 mm (often iron-on melamine with hot-melt glue) is fine for carcass edges. Doors and edges that get knocks last longer with 1–2 mm ABS or PVC.
Thick banding changes the size. 2 mm banding on both long edges makes a part 4 mm wider. Subtract it from the cut size: a 397 mm door with 2 mm banding all round is cut at 393 × 711 mm.

Let the calculator count it. In CutRun, press the Edge button on a part and tick the sides that get banding. Next to the cutting plan you get the total length, and in the settings you can add a waste allowance in percent. The cabinet example below already has the edges marked.

Open the cabinet example Start with an empty list

Quick answers

Do I band the back edges? Not on a cabinet that stands against a wall. On open shelving that is seen from both sides, yes.
Which edge first? Band the short edges first and then the long ones. The long strips then cover the ends of the short ones, and the joints are less visible from the front.
Can I use one roll for different board thicknesses? Yes, if it is wide enough for the thickest board; you just trim off more on the thinner ones.