Retrofit
Slide out shelves for existing cabinets
A fixed shelf in an existing cabinet only gives up its front row. A slide out shelf, also called a cabinet slide out or roll out shelf, brings the whole shelf out to you on full extension slides, built to the opening you already have instead of a new cabinet.
Quick answer. Yes, you can add slide out shelves to an existing cabinet without replacing it. Measure the smallest clear opening width and the inside depth; a side mount shelf is built 1 in narrower than the opening, and a face frame cabinet takes a spacer. Every shelf ships assembled with the slide prep done, ready to mount. Gritly ships Baltic Birch slide out shelves in about 2 to 4 days and Hard Maple (Select Grade) in about 4 to 5 days; see shipping for details.
Shop slide out shelves
Three ways to fill an existing opening: a scoop front box for a shelf that is easy to reach into, the custom box when you want control over every dimension, or the standard box with slides already mounted when a stock width matches your opening. Every option ships assembled, sanded and ready to mount.
Custom scoop front dovetail drawer box
A custom size box with a scoop cut in the front, with 55 profiles to pick from. Popular for pantry rollouts.
From $55.98
Build yoursCustom dovetail drawer box
Any width, height and depth to the 1/32 in, plain for side mount slides or notched for your undermount slide.
★★★★★From $46.99
Build yoursDovetail drawer box with side mount slides
A standard size box that ships with its side mount slides, so the whole drawer arrives in one order.
★★★★★From $114.48
Shop sizes
Will slide out shelves fit my existing cabinets?
Usually, yes. A handful of things in the cabinet change the number you send us, so check each one before you measure.
- Face frame or frameless. A face frame cabinet has a wood frame around the opening, narrower than the box behind it; frameless means the opening is the full inside width, side to side.
- Doors open fully and hinge arms clear the opening. Open the doors all the way and look for a hinge arm or an inset door edge standing in the opening.
- Shelf pins, braces or a center stile. Anything standing in the opening narrows the shelf by how far it sticks in.
- Which fixed shelves come out. Decide which section you are converting and which shelves above or below it stay in place.
- Inside depth to the back panel. Measure to the back panel itself, not the wall behind the cabinet.
- Inset doors. An inset door closes flush inside the frame, so the shelf has to close behind it: take the door thickness off the depth before you pick the slide.
Cabinet slide outs that fit the cabinet you have
Call the smallest clear opening width A: measure it at the top, the middle and the bottom and keep the smallest. A side mount shelf is built A minus 1 in, 1/2 in of clearance for a 1/2 in thick slide on each side. For an undermount look, Blum TANDEM or MOVENTO with 5/8 in sides take only A minus 13/32 in.
Call the inside depth to the back panel B. For a side mount shelf, the Würth PRO100 slide is the longest even length that fits under B minus about 1 in, and the shelf is built as deep as the slide. For an undermount shelf, pick the longest runner length that fits under B minus about 1 in: Blum TANDEM comes in 9, 12, 15, 18 and 21 in; MOVENTO 763 comes in 12, 15, 18 and 21 in. The full method for both measurements, with drawings and a worksheet, is in our measuring guide.
Measure an existing cabinet, step by step
The full method, with drawings and a worksheet, lives in our measuring guide; it was written for a pantry, but the same measurements apply to any cabinet. Run the numbers through the drawer box size calculator if you would rather see the shelf size before you order.
Width at the top, middle and bottom
Hook the tape on one inside wall at the front, where the slide will mount, and read it at the other wall. Take it near the top, the middle and near the floor, and keep the smallest. On a face frame cabinet measure stile to stile instead.
Depth to the back panel
Lay the tape on the cabinet floor or the shelf you are keeping, hook it on the back panel and read it at the front edge of the box. Take the door thickness off first if the door is inset.
Clear height and spacing
Measure from the floor, or the shelf the new one rides on, to the underside of the next fixed shelf you are keeping. That is the room you have for the new shelf and whatever it holds.
Face frame and hinges
Open the doors all the way and look at the front of the cabinet. A wood frame narrower than the box behind it is a face frame; note it, along with any hinge arm or center stile standing in the opening and how far it sticks in.
A photo of the open cabinet
One straight on photo with the tape across the opening shows us the frame, the hinges and the shelves you are keeping. Attach it to the instant quote with your numbers.
Slides and spacers for existing cabinets
Most retrofits run on side mount slides: they screw straight to the cabinet sides and are forgiving of a slightly out of square opening. In a face frame cabinet the frame stands proud of the sides, so a slide spacer, in 1/2, 3/4, 1, 1 1/4 or 1 1/2 in thicknesses, sets of 4, brings the slide out to the frame opening. Where there is no cabinet side to screw to, a rear mounting bracket carries the back of the slide instead.
For a hidden look, undermount slides tuck under the shelf instead of showing on the sides. Blum TANDEM 563H is the common choice, and we notch and drill the shelf for it at no charge. Our slide hardware guide covers every slide type, side mount and undermount. Not sure what is already in the cabinet? The slide identification guide walks through what to look for.
Install slide out shelves yourself
You can install a slide out shelf yourself with a drill, a level and spacers if the cabinet needs them. Our full install guide covers mounting a replacement box start to finish; here is the short version for a retrofit.
- Take out the fixed shelf in that section.
- Mark the slide height on both sides from your measurements.
- Mount the spacers first if the cabinet is face frame or something sticks into the opening.
- Mount the cabinet members level and parallel to each other.
- Attach the drawer members; the shelf arrives with the slide prep already done.
- Slide the shelf in and open the door to check it clears.
Built to the measurements you send, a slide out shelf is not returnable, so check your numbers against the fit checklist above before you order.
Hiring a local installer
We build and ship slide out shelves from our Las Vegas shop to every US state; we do not send installers. Baltic Birch ships in about 2 to 4 days, Hard Maple (Select Grade) in about 4 to 5, see shipping for the rest. A cabinet installer or handyman needs only the cabinet opening, the slide model and the spacer size to mount one, with nothing else to work out on site. Give them the numbers from your measuring guide and the shelf arrives ready to mount.
Slide out shelf questions
Can you add slide out shelves to existing cabinets?
Yes. We build the shelf to the opening you measure, and it mounts to the cabinet sides or to a shelf you keep, so there is no cabinet surgery. The measuring guide walks every number to send with your order.
Do slide out shelves work in face frame cabinets?
Yes, with a slide spacer. A face frame stands proud of the cabinet sides, so a spacer (1/2, 3/4, 1, 1 1/4 or 1 1/2 in thick) brings the slide out to the frame opening and the shelf runs true. Note how far the frame stands proud of the cabinet side and pick the spacer thickness that matches.
Do I have to take the cabinet doors off?
No, in most cases. Open them all the way and check that no hinge arm or inset door edge sticks into the opening. Take a door off only if a hinge arm blocks the tape or the slide path.
How much narrower than the opening should a slide out shelf be?
1 in for side mount slides, 1/2 in of clearance on each side. Blum TANDEM or MOVENTO undermount slides with 5/8 in sides take only 13/32 in off the opening, since there is no slide body on the outside of the box.
What if my hinges stick into the cabinet opening?
A hinge arm that stands 1/2 in into the opening means the slide on that side moves out past it, and the shelf gets narrower by that much. Take that off the width, or send the raw numbers with an instant quote and we work out the shelf size.
Do I need a cabinet pull out shelves installer near me, or can I install them myself?
Either works. The shelf ships ready to mount with the slide prep already done, so you can install it yourself with a drill and a level. Hiring it out works too: any handyman or cabinet installer can take it from there.
Do you install slide out shelves?
No. We build and ship them from our Las Vegas shop; we do not send installers. Any handyman or cabinet installer can handle it from the measurements and slide model on your order.
Can I keep a fixed shelf and add slide out shelves below it?
Yes. Many people keep the shelves above as is and convert only the lower section, mounting the new slides to the cabinet sides or on top of a shelf they keep as a base. Tell us which shelves stay and we size the opening below them.
What slides should I use in an existing cabinet?
Side mount slides for most retrofits: they screw straight to the cabinet sides or to spacers in a face frame cabinet. For a hidden look, Blum TANDEM 563H undermount slides work too, notched into the shelf at no charge, though the cabinet needs enough inside depth for the runner length.
How do you install roll out shelves in a pantry?
Mount a slide pair level on each side of the pantry opening, following the slide maker’s own sheet, then set the shelf on the runners and secure it. A tall pantry typically needs several Gritly shelves stacked at different heights rather than one tall box, so measure each opening on its own. See pantry pull out shelves for sizing by shelf.
Can you turn a cabinet shelf into a drawer?
Yes, by replacing the fixed shelf with a box on slides rather than modifying the shelf itself. Measure the opening width and depth, pick a side mount or undermount build, and Gritly builds it to that size with the slide prep already done. The fixed shelf comes out; the new box goes in on its own slides and is not the old shelf converted in place.
Related guides
- Pull out shelves: the hub for every style of pull out and roll out shelf we build.
- Pantry pull out shelves: the pantry specific version of this page, with its own buy flow and reviews.
- How to measure for pantry pull out shelves: the full measuring method with drawings and a six measurement worksheet, for any cabinet, not only a pantry.
- Pull out shelf slides: which slide to buy if you already have a shelf and only need the hardware.
- Pull out shelves for deep cabinets: when the cabinet goes back further than a standard slide reaches.
- Instant quote: send your measurements and get a price in seconds.
- What drawer slide do I have: identify the slide already in your cabinet before you order.
Build your slide out shelf
Send the opening width and depth from your existing cabinet and we build a dovetailed Baltic Birch or Hard Maple (Select Grade) shelf to fit it, slide prep done. Free retail shipping, and a lifetime warranty on the wood box.