What is a
kickboard?
The small panel at floor level that decides how a flood or a leak plays out.
The short answer
A kickboard, or toe kick, is the recessed panel running along the floor beneath base cabinets — it lets you stand close to the bench without stubbing your toes on the cabinet legs behind it. It is usually the first thing wet if a dishwasher hose fails or water gets in at floor level, which is why we specify it as a removable clip-fit panel rather than glued and sealed.
Why it is recessed at all
Cabinet legs sit back from the front face specifically so a person can stand at the bench with their feet under it rather than against it — try to imagine a kitchen without that gap and you will feel why it exists within a minute of using one. The kickboard hides the legs and the gap behind a clean panel.
Why removable beats glued
A sealed kickboard looks marginally tidier and is a genuine liability the first time water gets underneath it — you cannot dry out what you cannot access. Clip-fit kickboards pop off for a plumber, a dropped ring, or a clean-up, and go straight back on. In flood-prone areas this single detail is the difference between drying a kitchen out and replacing it — see our note on flood damage and kitchen replacement.
Kitchen & cabinetry glossary
More in this series: What is a cabinet carcass? · What is a scribe piece? · What is edge banding? · What is a full-extension runner? · Soft-close hinges explained · What is a handleless kitchen? · What is a waterfall benchtop edge? · What is a mitred join? · What is a kitchen splashback? · What is a service drawing? · What does "supply only" mean? · What is a tall pantry unit? · What is a corner carousel? · What is a blind corner cabinet? · Push-to-open hardware explained · What is moisture-resistant board? · What is an overhead cabinet?.
Frequently asked
Common questions
If your question is not here, call the studio. We would rather talk it through than have you guess.
Ask us directly →Is a kickboard structural?
No — it is a cosmetic panel that clips or screws over the cabinet legs. Removing it does not affect the cabinet above it.
Should a kickboard be sealed or removable?
Removable, in almost every case. A sealed kickboard traps moisture against the cabinet base if water ever gets underneath, instead of letting it be found and dried out.
What height is a standard kickboard?
Typically around 150mm, matched to the cabinet leg height, though it can be adjusted slightly for an uneven floor — which is also where a scribed kickboard comes in; see what a scribe piece is.
Delivered assembled
The assembly is done
before it arrives.
Carcasses built square on a bench, Blum hardware fitted, doors hung and adjusted to even gaps. On site you are fixing finished cabinets to a wall, not building them on the floor. Our own team fits it in Central Queensland; your installer fits it anywhere else in Australia. Prefer to build it yourself? The same kitchen ships flat pack.
Tall units arrive as built boxes
Handleless rail on an assembled run
Appliance garage, hardware fitted before delivery
Put it to use
Reading is one thing.
Your room is another.
Send us your dimensions and we will tell you what actually works in your space — and what it costs. Free, fixed, and yours to keep either way.