diff --git a/src/ui/services/CharDimensionsService.ts b/src/ui/services/CharDimensionsService.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..af44c7308
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ui/services/CharDimensionsService.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright (c) 2016 The xterm.js authors. All rights reserved.
+ * @license MIT
+ */
+
+import { IOptionsService } from 'common/options/Types';
+import { IEvent, EventEmitter2 } from 'common/EventEmitter2';
+import { ICharDimensionsService } from 'ui/services/Services';
+
+export class CharDimensionsService implements ICharDimensionsService {
+  public width: number = 0;
+  public height: number = 0;
+  private _charDimensionsStrategy: ICharDimensionsStrategy;
+
+  private _onCharDimensionsChange = new EventEmitter2<string>();
+  public get onCharDimensionsChange(): IEvent<string> { return this._onCharDimensionsChange.event; }
+
+  constructor(
+    document: Document,
+    parentElement: HTMLElement,
+    private _optionsService: IOptionsService
+  ) {
+    this._charDimensionsStrategy = new DomCharDimensionsStrategy(document, parentElement, this._optionsService);
+  }
+
+  public measure(): void {
+    const result = this._charDimensionsStrategy.measure();
+    this.width = result.width;
+    this.height = result.height;
+  }
+}
+
+interface ICharDimensionsStrategy {
+  measure(): IReadonlyMeasureResult;
+}
+
+interface IReadonlyMeasureResult {
+  readonly width: number;
+  readonly height: number;
+}
+
+interface IMeasureResult {
+  width: number;
+  height: number;
+}
+
+// TODO: For supporting browsers we should also provide a CanvasCharDimensionsProvider that uses ctx.measureText
+class DomCharDimensionsStrategy implements ICharDimensionsStrategy {
+  private _result: IMeasureResult = { width: 0, height: 0 };
+  private _measureElement: HTMLElement;
+
+  constructor(
+    private _document: Document,
+    private _parentElement: HTMLElement,
+    private _optionsService: IOptionsService
+  ) {
+    this._measureElement = this._document.createElement('span');
+    this._measureElement.classList.add('xterm-char-measure-element');
+    this._measureElement.textContent = 'W';
+    this._measureElement.setAttribute('aria-hidden', 'true');
+    this._parentElement.appendChild(this._measureElement);
+  }
+
+  public measure(): IReadonlyMeasureResult {
+    this._measureElement.style.fontFamily = this._optionsService.options.fontFamily;
+    this._measureElement.style.fontSize = `${this._optionsService.options.fontSize}px`;
+
+    // Note that this triggers a synchronous layout
+    const geometry = this._measureElement.getBoundingClientRect();
+
+    // If values are 0 then the element is likely currently display:none, in which case we should
+    // retain the previous value.
+    if (geometry.width !== 0 && geometry.height !== 0) {
+      this._result.width = geometry.width;
+      this._result.height = Math.ceil(geometry.height);
+    }
+
+    return this._result;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/ui/services/Services.d.ts b/src/ui/services/Services.d.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f0c09cf92
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ui/services/Services.d.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright (c) 2019 The xterm.js authors. All rights reserved.
+ * @license MIT
+ */
+
+import { IEvent } from 'common/EventEmitter2';
+
+export interface ICharDimensionsService {
+  readonly width: number;
+  readonly height: number;
+  readonly onCharDimensionsChange: IEvent<string>;
+  measure(): void;
+}