Cup Hole Drilling: Diameter, Depth, and Distances for Cabinet Hinges

December 25, 2025

The cup hole is the circular recess routed into a furniture door to accommodate the cup of a concealed hinge. The standard diameter is 35 mm, with a less common 26 mm used for smaller doors. The standard drilling depth is 11.5 mm to 13 mm. Essential for correct installation is the cup distance (dimension C) from the door edge.

What exactly is a cup hole?

Concealed hinges are typically used to attach modern furniture doors to a cabinet carcass. The cup of this fitting is recessed into the door. The blind hole required for this is referred to by specialists as the cup hole. It ensures that the hinge sits flush within the door and that the leverage forces during opening and closing are safely transferred into the board material (usually chipboard or MDF). A Forstner bit or a dedicated hinge cutter is used to create this recess, leaving a clean, flat bottom.

Diameter and depth of the cup hole

Drilling dimensions are largely standardised in the furniture industry to ensure compatibility across different fitting systems.

Diameter: The absolute industry standard for 35 mm concealed hinges is precisely 35 mm. For lightweight, compact doors (such as on slim mirror cabinets), a smaller 26 mm diameter variant is available.
Depth: The drilling depth varies slightly depending on the hinge manufacturer, but typically ranges between 11.5 mm and 13.0 mm. The door thickness must be sized accordingly (usually 15 mm to 22 mm) to prevent the bit from breaking through the front face.

The C-dimension (cup distance) and drilling pattern

In addition to diameter and depth, the distance from the edge of the hole to the side edge of the door is crucial. In technical terms, this is known as the cup distance or dimension C. It typically ranges between 3 mm and 7 mm. The exact C-dimension significantly influences the gap reveal and the door overlay on the cabinet carcass.

Alongside the main cup recess, the hinge requires two fixing screws. The centre-to-centre distance between these two screw holes (the drilling pattern) is usually 45 mm or 52 mm, depending on the system.

Dependence on door overlay and opening angle

The position of the cup hole on the door usually remains identical within a fitting system, regardless of the type of concealed hinges / cabinet hinges being installed. The hardware itself compensates for the door overlay via the geometry of the articulated hinge arm. The three standard application types are full overlay (the door completely covers the side panel of the carcass, see full overlay concealed hinges), half overlay / twin application (two doors share a central partition wall), and inset (the door sits flush inside the carcass, see inset concealed hinges).

Technical upgrades do not alter the door routing either. If concealed hinges / cabinet hinges with soft-close damping are fitted, the damper cylinder sits concealed within the hinge arm or directly in the cup, requiring no deeper hole. The same applies to various opening angles, such as the standard for 110-degree concealed hinges / cabinet hinges.

Tools and drilling procedure

A pillar drill or a router is ideal for achieving a precise cup hole. Freehand drilling with a cordless drill often results in an angled bottom. An improperly seated hinge cup transfers mechanical stress during closing, which over time leads to torn-out screws or mechanical failure – much like a poorly laid foundation that cannot support straight brickwork.

Related terms

System 32: The international standard in furniture manufacturing for 32 mm spaced hole lines, dictating the mounting plate positions inside the carcass.
Forstner bit: A specialised wood drill bit used for creating tear-free blind holes with a flat bottom.
Cruciform mounting plate: The mating part to the concealed hinge, screwed onto the inside of the cabinet.