What is the standard counter height for promotional counters and service desks?

What is the standard counter height?

There isn't one single height. It depends on who uses the counter and whether they stand or sit. In Australia, a kitchen bench is usually about 900mm high, which is a good starting point for standing work. For a counter that a wheelchair user can use, the Australian Standard for access (AS 1428.2) sets 830 to 870mm.

Sizes vary between makers, so always measure the counter you'll actually be using.

Why does counter height matter?

A demonstrator who works at a counter all day needs a bench at a comfortable height for their hands. A visitor needs to see the product and reach the top. And a person in a wheelchair needs a lower section they can roll up to.

Get it wrong and your staff stoop, or your counter blocks the people it's meant to welcome.

Is there a rule for accessible counters?

AS 1428.2, the Australian Standard for enhanced and additional access requirements, sets tables, counters and benches at 830 to 870mm high. Underneath, it allows knee and foot clearance 800 to 840mm high for at least 900mm wide.

Some places are required to follow it. Under the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2002, tables, benches and counters in public transport premises and infrastructure (other than airport terminals) must comply with AS 1428.2, and at airports at least 5% of information desks and check-in counters must suit passengers in wheelchairs. Tasmania's building regulator also says business reception counters should be accessible to a person in a wheelchair.

Even where the standard isn't required, federal disability discrimination law still applies when you provide goods or services. For a show or event counter, check the venue's exhibitor manual and include an accessible section anyway (step 4).

Use the following steps to choose the right counter height

1. Work out who stands on each side. A demonstrator working with their hands needs a different height from a visitor leaning on a reception desk. If people will sit on either side, use desk height instead: WorkSafe Queensland puts a fixed sitting desk at 680 to 720mm.

2. For standing work, start at about 900mm, the height of a typical kitchen bench. Our Pop-Up Table and Presenter 800 table both have a 900mm high base, with custom heights available.

3. For supermarket demos, check the store's rules first. Our Retail Demonstrator table is built for food sampling and supermarket demos. It's 800mm to the table top, and just over 2 metres to the top of its header board.

4. Add a lower, accessible section where people sign in, pay or collect. Keep it at 830 to 870mm, with knee clearance under it. On a long counter, this can be one end. On a small stand, a second, lower table works too.

5. For a bar, go higher. Our portable bar is 1,270mm high overall, with a 1,200 x 200mm top serving area and a 1,200 x 600mm lower work area.

6. Finally, check the height in place. Stand behind the counter in the shoes your staff will wear, and ask someone to approach from the front. If the height doesn't suit, ask us about a custom height before your graphics go to print (our Pop-Up Table, Presenter tables and portable bars can be made to custom sizes). You're done!

Note: Our inflatable counters are all 1,000mm high, so check that height suits your staff before you choose one.