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How to Install a Medicine Cabinet

Home/Resources/Bathroom/Installing a Medicine Cabinet
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Written & researched by Priya Anand DIY & Tools Editor
Updated August 2026
Overhead view of a person's hands fitting a new shower head in a tiled bathroom, in warm evening lamplight

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Installing a surface-mount medicine cabinet is a beginner job of under an hour; a recessed cabinet is a moderate half-day project because you cut into the wall. Cabinets run $40 to $250. The surface version just screws to studs. The recessed version is DIY-friendly on an interior wall provided you first confirm the stud bay is free of wiring and plumbing, which is the one real hazard. Cutting into a live cable or a water line is what turns this into an emergency, so probe before you cut, and shift to a clear bay or surface-mount if the cavity is occupied.

How to Install a Recessed Cabinet — Ask This Old House

Step-by-step: recessed and surface-mount

  1. Choose the type and location. Pick recessed for a flush look on a clear interior wall, or surface-mount for an exterior or plumbing-filled wall. Decide the height so the mirror lands at eye level, roughly 52 to 56 inches to the bottom edge.
  2. Find studs and check the cavity. Locate the studs. For a recessed install, use a live-wire-detecting stud finder and cut a small inspection hole to confirm the bay is clear of cables and pipes.
  3. Surface-mount path: hold the cabinet at your marked height, level it, and screw through the back into at least two studs. Done.
  4. Recessed path — mark the opening. Center the cabinet's rough-opening dimensions in a clear stud bay and mark a level, square outline on the drywall.
  5. Cut the drywall. Cut the opening with a drywall saw, staying to your lines. Most cabinets fit a single 16-inch-on-center bay without cutting studs.
  6. Dry-fit and shim. Slide the cabinet in. Shim behind the mounting flanges until it is plumb and level in both directions and sits flush to the wall face.
  7. Screw it to the studs. Drive screws through the side flanges into the flanking studs, checking level again as you go so you do not rack it.
  8. Finish and adjust. Fill any drywall gap at the edges if needed, hang the door and shelves, and adjust the hinges so the door closes flush.
Three-quarter view of a person's hands fitting a new shower head in a tiled bathroom, in warm evening lamplight

Tools and materials

You need a stud finder with live-wire detection, a level, a drywall saw, a drill/driver, shims, and mounting screws. For a recessed install on a wider-than-a-bay cabinet you would also need framing tools to header a stud, which raises the difficulty. A medicine cabinet is often installed alongside a mirror and vanity-light refresh, so it commonly runs with the other jobs in this hub; see our vanity light guide for the companion step, and pairing storage upgrades with better ventilation keeps the mirror from fogging and de-silvering.

Low-angle view of a person's hands fitting a new shower head in a tiled bathroom, in warm evening lamplight

Cutting into walls safely

The one real hazard is what hides in the wall. Before cutting for a recessed cabinet, use a live-wire-detecting stud finder and cut a small look-hole to confirm the bay is free of electrical cable, water supply lines and drain pipes, all of which are common in a wall above a vanity. If you find any, move the cabinet to a clear bay or switch to surface-mount. Do not cut studs to widen an opening unless you are prepared to frame a proper header, which is structural work. On an exterior wall, recessing disturbs insulation and the vapor barrier; a surface-mount cabinet is the safer choice there. If you are unsure what is behind the wall, have a pro assess it.

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More from this hub: Bathroom · Replacing a bathroom mirror · Installing a vanity light · Installing a bathroom vanity · Best shower heads · How we rank

Straight Answers

Frequently Asked

What is the difference between a recessed and surface-mount medicine cabinet?

A recessed cabinet sits inside the wall between the studs, so only its door and a thin frame project into the room, giving a flush, built-in look and losing no floor-to-counter depth. It requires cutting an opening in the wall. A surface-mount cabinet hangs on the wall surface like a shelf and projects fully into the room, which is far easier to install because you only screw it to studs, no cutting. Many cabinets are convertible and can be installed either way. Choose recessed for a clean look where the wall cavity is clear, and surface-mount for an exterior or plumbing-filled wall.

How do you install a recessed medicine cabinet between studs?

Standard stud bays are 16 inches on center, giving about 14.5 inches of clear space, so most recessed cabinets are sized to slip into a single bay without cutting studs. Locate the studs, mark the cabinet's rough opening centered where you want it, and cut the drywall with a drywall saw. Confirm the bay is clear of wiring and pipes, slide the cabinet in, shim it level and plumb, and screw through its side flanges into the studs. If your cabinet is wider than one bay, you must cut and header a stud, which is a bigger structural job.

How do I know if there is wiring or plumbing in the wall before cutting?

Never cut blind. Use a stud finder with live-wire detection to flag cables, and think about what is likely there: a wall above a vanity often has the sink's water lines and drain, and a switch or outlet nearby means a cable runs to it. Cut a small inspection hole first and look inside with a flashlight, or drill a locator hole and probe with a bent wire. If you find a pipe or cable in the bay you want, either shift the cabinet to a clear bay or switch to a surface-mount cabinet. Cutting into a live wire or a water line turns a simple job into an emergency.

What height should a medicine cabinet be installed at?

Set the cabinet so its mirror is comfortable at eye level, which usually puts the bottom edge about 52 to 56 inches off the floor and the vertical center near 64 inches, though you tune it to the household's height and the vanity below. Leave clearance between the cabinet bottom and any backsplash or vanity light. If a vanity light will sit above the cabinet, mount the cabinet first and set the light to clear the open door. Comfort at the mirror is the real test, so hold the cabinet at the proposed height and check the reflection before fixing it.

Can you put a recessed medicine cabinet on an exterior wall?

It is possible but usually a poor idea, and often best avoided. An exterior wall is filled with insulation and its cavity is part of the building's thermal and sometimes vapor barrier, so recessing a cabinet there disturbs the insulation, can create a cold spot and condensation, and may require careful air-sealing. If you must, use an insulated recessed cabinet designed for exterior walls and reseal the vapor barrier. In most cases a surface-mount cabinet on an exterior wall, or a recessed cabinet relocated to an interior partition wall, is the cleaner and more energy-sensible choice.