Free wardrobe cut list optimizer

What the wardrobe cut list optimizer does

Building a wardrobe is not really a parts problem, it is a cabinet problem. You start from the space you want to fill: a height, a width and a depth. The cabinet designer takes that outside size and derives every panel for you: the two sides, the top and bottom, the back, the fixed and adjustable shelves, the support behind the hanging rail, and the doors. From there the optimizer packs that full cut list onto plywood, MDF or melamine sheets with as little waste as possible, and shows you a clear cutting plan. It all runs in your browser, with nothing to install and no account needed.

How to use it

1. Set the outside size. Enter the wardrobe height, width and depth. A hanging section is usually around 24 in (600 mm) deep so a coat hanger sits clear of the doors.
2. Lay out the inside. Tell the designer where you want hanging space, a shelf tower, drawers or a top box. It splits the carcass and adds shelves, the hanging rail support and dividers to match.
3. Pick the material and sheet. Choose plywood, MDF or melamine, then a standard 4x8 ft (1220x2440 mm) sheet or your own size. Add offcuts you already have so they get used first.
4. Set the kerf and grain. Enter the blade width so parts come out to size, and mark the doors and visible sides as grain-fixed.
5. Read the plan. The optimizer packs every panel onto the fewest sheets, shows the layout as a drawing, lists the cuts in order, and tells you how many sheets to buy and what is left over.

Why it saves material (and money)

A wardrobe is one of the most sheet-hungry projects you can build at home, so getting the layout right matters. The optimizer tries several packing strategies and keeps the best result, which usually beats arranging tall side panels by hand. A few things make a real difference on a wardrobe specifically:

• Long side panels. Full-height sides and doors are awkward to nest. The optimizer rotates the parts that can turn and locks the ones that cannot, so the tall pieces still fit cleanly.
• Grain on the doors. The doors and outer sides are what you see every day. Mark them grain-fixed and they stay oriented the right way; backs, shelves and dividers rotate freely to pack tighter.
• Offcuts as stock. Shelves and small dividers often come straight from the leftover panels of an earlier project. Add those offcuts and the optimizer uses them before cutting into a fresh sheet.
• Kerf and trim. The blade width and any edge you trim off a rough sheet are included, so the plan is realistic rather than just theoretical.

A worked example

Here is a typical two-door wardrobe so you can see the cut list up front. As an example, a 1000 mm wide, 2000 mm tall wardrobe in 18 mm board needs two side panels, a top and a bottom, a centre divider, one fixed shelf above the hanging rail and a back panel. The cabinet designer (kast-helper) builds this part list automatically from a few measurements: width, depth and height. You set grain direction so the tall panels run vertically, and the kerf so the saw width is counted in.

With these parts the optimizer packs onto about two sheets of 18 mm, roughly 15% offcut in this example, and hands you a numbered cutting order to work through at the saw. You can switch the goal between least waste, fewest cuts and lowest cost, nudge a part by hand, and push any usable leftover to your offcut stock for a later project. Edge banding allowance, labels, CSV export and mm or inch units come along as well.

Frequently asked questions