Measure the clear height from the finished floor to the underside of the bar top, or of anything that hangs below it, and compare it with the overall height of each piece, including its backsplash, faucet and lids. The underbar sinks we sell have a 32.75 in. working height, our UMS-2218 mixology station is 33 in. high to the deck, and our back bar coolers run from 34.25 to 38.75 in. tall, so a couple of inches decide what fits.
Most commercial bar equipment is built to slide under a bar top, but bar tops are not all the same height and floors are rarely flat. This guide shows what to measure and lists the heights and depths from our own product pages.
What to measure
These steps are common practice for planning an underbar run.
- Clear height: from the finished floor to the underside of the bar top on the work side. Measure at both ends and in the middle. Floors often slope toward a drain, and the lowest reading is the one that counts.
- Obstructions: any lip, shelf, framing or bracket under the bar top. Measure to the lowest one.
- Depth: from the inside face of the bar front (the die wall) to where the work aisle starts. The equipment depth plus room for doors and staff has to fit.
- Run length: the clear distance between walls or bar ends, not the length of the bar top.
- Utilities: where the water, drain and outlets come in, and whether they sit behind a unit or under it.
Heights and depths of common underbar pieces
| Equipment (from our product pages) | Height | Depth |
|---|---|---|
| S1C, S2C and S3C underbar sinks with 10 x 14 in. bowls | 32.75 in. working height | 19 in. |
| UMS-2218 mixology station | 33 in. to the deck, 3 in. backsplash | 18 in. |
| L&J BSDS-2315 underbar blender station | 30 in. working height, 33 in. overall | listed as 15 L x 23 W in. |
| Coldline CBB-48-T, CBB-60-T, CBB-72-T low profile back bar coolers | 34.25 in. | 23.26 to 23.62 in. |
| Coldline CBB-48, CBB-60, CBB-72 back bar coolers | 35.6 in. | 24.4 in. |
| True TBB24 series back bar coolers | 34.75 in. | 24.875 in. |
| True TD-36-12-HC horizontal bottle cooler | 33.5 in. | 27.875 in. |
| Dukers DHBC horizontal bottle coolers | 37.625 in. | 25.625 in. |
| Dukers back bar coolers | 38.75 in. | 24.375 in. |
Working height on a sink is the rim of the bowl or drainboard. The backsplash and faucet stand above it, so check the faucet height against the bar top too. The UMS-2218 mixology station is listed as available on backorder.
Leave room above the working height
A bartender works at the sink or station rim, below the bar top, and needs room to lift bottles out of an ice bin and tip a shaker over a dump sink. A unit that only just fits leaves no room for hands. As a rule of thumb, look for a few inches between the top of the backsplash or faucet and the underside of the bar top.
Lids and doors need room too. Top loading bottle coolers and glass chillers have sliding lids, and the bartender reaches down into them, so they sit best where the bar top does not overhang the lid. Swing door coolers need space in front to open fully, and the Coldline CBB-60G-T page notes the unit is 25.79 in. deep with the handles, not 23.62 in.
When the bar top is low
- Choose low profile coolers. The Coldline CBB-T models have a thin galvanized top that makes them 1.35 in. lower than the standard Coldline back bar cooler, at 34.25 in. tall.
- Use horizontal bottle coolers or glass chillers, which are lower than most upright back bar coolers.
- Set the sinks and stations under the bar top and put taller coolers on the back bar wall, where there is no top above them.
- Check the leveling range of the feet. Our underbar sinks stand on galvanized legs with adjustable bullet feet, which take up small differences in the floor but cannot lower a unit by inches.
Depth and the work aisle
The underbar sinks, stations and coolers in the table run from 18 to about 28 in. deep. Add the depth of the back bar cooler behind the bartender, and what is left is the aisle. Measure it with doors open, because a swing door cooler and an open dishwasher or cabinet door can block the aisle at the same moment. Sliding door coolers, such as the Coldline CBB-48G-SL, open without swinging into the walkway.
Before you order
- Write down the lowest clear height and the depth at each spot along the run.
- Compare each piece’s overall height, including backsplash and faucet, with the clear height.
- Plan water, drain and power for each station before the bar top goes on.
- Leave the clearance the manual calls for at the cooler’s front grille, so it can breathe.
What to buy
Compare underbar sinks in bar sinks, ice bins in underbar ice bins, stations in cocktail stations and workstations, and coolers in bar refrigeration. Each product page lists the dimensions used above. Freight to the 48 contiguous states is included in the price, with liftgate delivery on freight orders.