Brett Field
A walk-in pantry needs about 1,320 mm of width inside for shelves on one wall, according to the planning site dimensions.com: 410 mm of shelving plus a 910 mm walkway. Australian design site Style Curator wants a wider walkway, at least 1,000 mm and ideally 1,100 to 1,200 mm.
No building code sets a size for a walk-in pantry. The figures below come from a planning reference, an Australian design guide and IKEA's kitchen planning guide, checked on 27 October 2026. They cover each layout, the walkway, shelves, doors, where the pantry goes, walk-in versus a cupboard, and the Queensland rules.
What is the smallest walk-in pantry that works?
About 1.3 m wide and 0.9 m long, with shelves on one wall. dimensions.com puts its smallest one-wall walk-in pantry at about 1.2 m2 of floor.
| Source | Width inside | Length | Floor area |
|---|---|---|---|
| dimensions.com, one-wall pantry (2026) | 1,320-1,930 mm | 910-3,050 mm | 1.2-5.9 m2 |
| Style Curator (2023), our sums | 1,300 mm minimum, 1,500 mm ideal | - | - |
Source: dimensions.com ("Pantry - Walk-In, Open (Single)", updated August 2026) and Style Curator ("How to design the perfect walk-in pantry", January 2023), checked 27 October 2026.
The two sources end up close. dimensions.com uses deeper shelves and a narrower walkway (410 + 910 mm). Style Curator allows 300 mm shelves and at least 1,000 mm to walk, or 1,200 mm ideally (our sums). The top of dimensions.com's range is a 1,520 mm walkway, which it gives for people using mobility aids.
How wide is a walk-in pantry with shelves on both sides?
About 1,600 to 2,340 mm across, depending on the shelf depth and the walkway. This is a galley: shelves on both long walls and the walkway down the middle.
| Layout | Width inside | How it adds up | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shelves on both sides | 1,730-2,340 mm | 410 mm shelves each side, and a 910 to 1,520 mm walkway (our sums) | dimensions.com |
| Shelves on both sides | 1,600-1,800 mm | 300 mm shelves each side, and a 1,000 to 1,200 mm walkway (our sums) | Style Curator |
| Bench on one side, shelves on the other | 1,900-2,100 mm | 600 mm bench, 1,000 to 1,200 mm walkway, 300 mm shelves (our sums) | Style Curator |
Source: dimensions.com ("Pantry - Walk-In, Open (Double)") and Style Curator, checked 27 October 2026.
Cupboards change the maths. IKEA's kitchen planning guide says the gap between opposite rows of cabinets should let the doors on both sides open at the same time. Open shelves avoid the problem.
How big is an L-shaped walk-in pantry?
About 1,320 to 1,930 mm across and 1,320 to 3,150 mm long, or 1.7 to 6.1 m2, on dimensions.com's figures. The shelves run along two walls that meet in a corner.
| Measurement | L-shaped pantry |
|---|---|
| Width inside | 1,320-1,930 mm |
| Length | 1,320-3,150 mm |
| Floor area | 1.7-6.1 m2 |
Source: dimensions.com ("Pantry - Walk-In, Open (L-Shape)"), checked 27 October 2026.
dimensions.com gives an L the same width as a one-wall pantry. The difference is the corner. Things on a corner shelf get lost at the back, so keep it for stock you rarely need, or stop one run of shelves short of the corner.
How big is a U-shaped walk-in pantry?
About 1,730 to 2,340 mm across and 1,320 to 3,150 mm long, on dimensions.com's figures, or about 2.3 to 7.4 m2. The U adds shelves on the back wall too.
| Layout | Width inside | Length | Floor area | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U-shape, open shelves | 1,730-2,340 mm | 1,320-3,150 mm | 2.3-7.4 m2 | dimensions.com |
| Shelf units on every wall | 2,340-2,640 mm | 1,730-3,560 mm | 4-9.4 m2 | dimensions.com |
| With a fridge, sink or microwave | About 2.4 x 3 m | Style Curator | ||
Source: dimensions.com ("Pantry - Walk-In, Open (U-Shape)" and "Pantry - Walk-In, Framed (Wrap-Around)") and Style Curator, checked 27 October 2026.
Once a pantry has a bench, a sink and appliances, it is really a butler's pantry. Our guide to the butler's pantry covers how the two differ, and its sizes.
How wide should the walkway in a walk-in pantry be?
At least 910 mm, and 1,000 to 1,200 mm if you can spare it. The sources do not quite agree.
| Walkway | Width | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Typical walk-in pantry | 910, 1,070 or 1,220 mm | dimensions.com |
| For people using mobility aids | 1,520 or 1,680 mm | dimensions.com |
| Minimum | 1,000 mm | Style Curator |
| Ideal, if space allows | 1,100-1,200 mm | Style Curator |
| Between a kitchen island and other cabinets | 1,200 mm, "to move around freely" | IKEA planning guide |
Source: each guide named, checked 27 October 2026.
Measure from the front of the shelves, not the wall. Aim for the wider end if two people will use it at once or you carry shopping in. With cupboard doors, leave room for them to open, as IKEA says.
How deep and how far apart should pantry shelves be?
Most pantry shelves are 300 to 410 mm deep: 300 mm in Style Curator's guide and 360 to 410 mm on dimensions.com. Here are the sizes in one place.
| Measurement | Size | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Shelf depth | 300 mm | Style Curator |
| Shelf depth | 360-410 mm | dimensions.com |
| High shelves | 250-300 mm deep | dimensions.com |
| Spice shelves | About 150 mm deep | dimensions.com |
| Bench or base cupboards | At least 600 mm deep | Style Curator (dimensions.com: 610 mm) |
| Gap between shelves | 250-380 mm, or 150-250 mm for cans and bottles | dimensions.com |
| Gap for bulk items | 410-460 mm | dimensions.com |
| Bottom shelf | 510-610 mm off the floor | dimensions.com |
| Top shelf | Up to 2,130 mm high | dimensions.com |
| Highest comfortable reach | 1,750-1,930 mm | dimensions.com |
Source: dimensions.com and Style Curator, checked 27 October 2026.
Style Curator suggests running shelves to the ceiling, with the top ones for things you rarely use and a step stool handy. For cupboard and tall pantry cabinet sizes, see our guide to kitchen cabinet sizes.
Which door suits a walk-in pantry?
A cavity sliding door, a bifold or no door at all. Style Curator suggests a cavity slider or a bifold where space is tight, which also hides the pantry from the living areas.
- Cavity sliding door. It slides into the wall, so it takes no room to swing. Our guide to door installation costs has cavity door prices.
- Bifold. It folds back on itself, so it swings less than a hinged door.
- Hinged door. It needs clear floor to swing. If it opens into the pantry, it eats into the walkway and blocks the shelves behind it.
- No door. It is the easiest with full hands, but the shelves are always on show.
Plan the light too. Style Curator calls task lighting "a must" and suggests a motion sensor LED that comes on as the door opens. For a pantry you spend time in, it suggests a window or skylight. The building code does not require one (see the Queensland rules).
Where should a walk-in pantry go in the kitchen?
Close to the fridge and the bench where you unpack the shopping. Style Curator says the pantry should ideally be "a natural extension of the kitchen".
IKEA's planning guide splits a kitchen into three work zones: food storage (with the fridge and freezer), cooking and washing up. It says a good flow between them makes everyday life easier. The pantry belongs to the food storage zone, so put its door near the fridge.
Think about power early. If appliances will live in there, Style Curator suggests at least four double power points so they stay plugged in on the bench. Each new one needs a licensed electrician.
Is a walk-in pantry better than a pantry cupboard?
It holds more and you can see everything at once, but it takes more floor. Kaboodle sets the "expansive shelves" of a walk-in against a pull-out pantry that "makes clever use of narrow spaces".
Here is the floor maths for a 1.5 m run of storage (our sums):
- Tall pantry cupboards, 600 mm deep (IKEA's standard cabinet depth): about 0.9 m2 of floor. You stand in the kitchen to use them.
- A one-wall walk-in, 1,320 mm wide: about 2 m2. More than half of that is walkway.
A walk-in earns its space if you buy in bulk, store big platters and appliances, or want a bench. In a small kitchen, tall cupboards or a pull-out pantry hold a lot for less floor, and IKEA's guide says 370 mm deep cabinets work where 600 mm will not fit.
What Queensland rules apply to a walk-in pantry?
There is no size rule, but these rules apply. This is a summary, not legal advice.
- Ceiling height. NCC 2022 Part 10.3 sets at least 2.1 m for a pantry, against 2.4 m for a bedroom. Queensland uses NCC 2022 until NCC 2025 starts here on 1 May 2027 (Business Queensland). See our guide to standard ceiling height.
- No window needed for light. The NCC's natural light rule covers habitable rooms only, and its definition leaves out pantries.
- Approval. Under Schedule 1 of the Building Regulation 2021, alterations inside a house need no building approval unless they change the floor area or height, affect a structural part (other than minor ones) or affect the fire safety system. Removing a load-bearing wall is not covered, and a certifier has the final word.
- Licence and deposit. Building work over $3,300 needs a QBCC licensed contractor. Deposits are capped at 10% for $3,301 to $19,999 and 5% over $20,000. The QBCC allows up to 20% when off-site work is over half the price, and names made-to-measure kitchen cabinetry as an example.
- Power and plumbing. The Electrical Safety Office says a new power point or light fitting needs a licensed electrician. A sink is plumbing, which needs a QBCC licence at any value.
We do kitchen renovations and partial refits across the Gold Coast, including built-in cupboards, shelving and benchtops, and we install flat pack kitchens. We book the licensed trades and give you a timeline with the proposal. See our kitchen renovations page.
Where do these figures come from?
Checked on 27 October 2026: dimensions.com (five walk-in pantry pages, updated 31 August 2026 where a date is shown); Style Curator ("How to design the perfect walk-in pantry", January 2023, first published July 2018); the IKEA kitchen planning guide (English edition, copyright 2018 to 2022); Kaboodle ("Innovative kitchen pantry ideas to transform your space", no date shown). Rules from the NCC 2022 Housing Provisions (Part 10.3 room heights, Part 10.5 light and the glossary definition of a habitable room, no date shown), Business Queensland (delayed adoption of NCC 2025, no date shown), the Building Regulation 2021 (Qld), the QBCC (when you need a licence, last reviewed 11 August 2021; deposits and progress payments, last reviewed 27 June 2025) and the Electrical Safety Office (no date shown). The sums are ours. We will check the figures again every three months.
See our kitchen renovations work, or check what your job will cost.
