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What Size Hole for a Kitchen Faucet?

Home/Resources/DIY Plumbing/Faucet Hole Size
Priya Anand
Written & researched by Priya Anand DIY & Tools Editor
Updated October 2026
Low-angle view of a person's hands tightening a fitting under a kitchen sink with a wrench, in warm evening lamplight

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The US standard kitchen faucet hole is 1-3/8 inch in diameter, which is 35 mm. That size fits the overwhelming majority of residential kitchen faucets sold in North America. A minority of models, generally heavier commercial-style and pull-down units with larger shanks, require 1-1/2 inch. Where a sink has multiple holes, the spacing is measured center to center: 4 inches for a centerset layout and 8 inches for the widespread three-hole arrangement standard on kitchen sinks. Always confirm the required diameter on the specification sheet for your exact model before drilling anything.

What are the standard dimensions?

DimensionStandardNotes
Single faucet hole1-3/8 in (35 mm)Fits most residential faucets
Oversized faucet hole1-1/2 in (38 mm)Some commercial-style and heavy pull-downs
Bathroom faucet hole1-1/4 to 1-3/8 inSmaller shanks than kitchen
Kitchen 3-hole spacing8 in on centerThe common widespread layout
Bathroom centerset spacing4 in on centerSingle-plate two-handle faucets
Sink deck thickness limitCheck the specMost faucets accept up to 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 in
Air gap / soap dispenser hole1-3/8 inSame as a faucet hole

Deck thickness is the specification people overlook. A faucet designed for a stainless sink deck may not have enough threaded shank to clamp through a 3 cm granite countertop, and the fix is an extension kit rather than a shorter mounting nut.

Wide environmental view of a person's hands tightening a fitting under a kitchen sink with a wrench, in warm late-afternoon light

How many holes does your faucet need?

Count the deck-mounted components, not just the faucet. A single-hole pull-down needs one. Add a side soap dispenser and you need two. Add a filtered water tap and a dishwasher air gap and you are at four. A two-handle bridge faucet needs its own spacing entirely, generally three holes at 8 inches on center.

The direction of the mismatch decides how hard the fix is. Too many holes is trivial — a deck plate or a hole cover solves it in a minute. Too few holes is a drilling job, and in stone or fireclay that is a specialist task. If you are ordering a new sink, buying one with more holes than you currently need costs nothing and leaves the option open.

Low-angle view of a person's hands tightening a fitting under a kitchen sink with a wrench, in soft overcast light

How do you enlarge or add a hole?

  1. Stainless steel: a step bit or bi-metal hole saw, low speed, cutting oil, steady light pressure. Clamp a wood block underneath to support the metal and prevent chatter. Deburr the edge afterward so it does not cut the gasket.
  2. Enameled cast iron and fireclay: a diamond hole saw with a constant water feed. Start at a shallow angle to establish the ring, then bring the saw upright. Never a hammer setting, never a standard bit — impact cracks the glaze and the body.
  3. Composite granite and solid surface: diamond hole saw, water cooling, and let the tool do the work. These materials heat quickly and a burned rim is permanent.
  4. Stone and quartz countertops: leave it to the fabricator. Drilling installed stone in place risks a crack that runs the length of the slab, and that is not a repair.

Wear eye protection for all of these, and expect a stainless hole to take a few minutes rather than a few seconds. The rest of the tool list for a faucet job is in what tools do you need to replace a faucet.

Over-the-shoulder view of a person's hands tightening a fitting under a kitchen sink with a wrench, in warm evening lamplight

What should you check before you buy?

Pull the specification sheet for the exact model number and confirm four things: required hole diameter, number of holes, minimum and maximum deck thickness, and the spout reach and height relative to your sink and any window behind it. Those four cover essentially every installation failure people run into. Configuration differences between spray styles are covered in pull-down versus pull-out kitchen faucets, and our best kitchen faucet roundup lists hole requirements alongside the picks. Once the hardware is confirmed, how to replace a kitchen faucet walks the installation.

We never buy, test or physically handle the products we rank. Recommendations come from aggregated owner reviews, star ratings, review volume and expert consensus — see how we rank.

More from this hub: DIY Plumbing · Best kitchen faucet · How long faucets last · Under-sink water filter · How we rank

Straight Answers

Frequently Asked

Can you install a single-hole faucet in a 3-hole sink?

Yes. Most single-hole kitchen faucets ship with a deck plate, also called an escutcheon, that spans the standard 8-inch three-hole layout and covers the two outer holes. Mount the faucet in the center hole through the plate and the job is done. If your faucet did not include a plate, they are sold separately and universally, in matching finishes. The alternative is to fill the outer holes with a soap dispenser, an air gap, or a hole cover button.

What if the hole is too small for the faucet?

Enlarge it, but the method depends entirely on the sink material. Stainless steel takes a step bit or a bi-metal hole saw with cutting oil at low speed. Enameled cast iron and fireclay need a diamond hole saw with water cooling, and the enamel chips readily if you rush. Solid surface and composite granite take a diamond bit too. Never enlarge a hole in a porcelain or fireclay sink with a standard bit — you will crack the sink, and the crack does not stop.

Is the faucet hole drilled in the sink or the countertop?

Either, and it is a design decision made before the counter is templated. Holes in the sink deck are the norm for drop-in and most topmount stainless sinks. Undermount sinks have no deck above the counter, so the holes are drilled into the countertop itself, typically 2 to 3 inches behind the sink cutout. Once a stone counter is drilled the position is permanent, so confirm the faucet model and its required hole count before the fabricator cuts.

How far behind the sink should the faucet hole be?

For a countertop-mounted faucet over an undermount sink, roughly 2 to 3 inches from the rear edge of the sink cutout to the center of the hole, and at least 1-1/2 inches of solid material behind the hole to the backsplash. Any closer and the faucet body fouls the backsplash or the handle cannot swing back. Any further and the spout may not reach far enough over the bowl, which is the more common complaint of the two.

Do you need a separate hole for a soap dispenser?

Only if you want one on the deck, and it uses the same 1-3/8 inch standard as a faucet. Many kitchens repurpose an unused outer hole in a three or four-hole sink for a dispenser, a filtered water tap, or an air gap for the dishwasher — the air gap is required by plumbing code in some jurisdictions, notably California, so check locally before deciding a hole is spare. Unused holes can also simply be capped.