Most people buying a kitchen have never watched one go in. The showroom part is easy to picture; the installation is a black box. Here is what actually happens, in order, and where the delays usually come from.
Before anything is ordered: the field measure
A designer measures the room properly — walls, ceiling height, window and door openings, the position of plumbing, gas, electrical and vents, and how far out of square the walls run. Older Pinellas County homes are frequently out of square by an inch or more across a run, and that has to be known before cabinets are ordered, not discovered on install day.
This is also when appliance specifications get locked. Cabinet openings are built to the appliance, so the fridge, range and dishwasher need to be chosen before the order goes in — not after.
Ordering and lead time
Once the layout is approved and the order is placed, the cabinets are built. Semi-custom lines typically run several weeks depending on the finish; painted and specialty finishes take longer than stock stains. Nothing gets demolished during this stage — you keep using your kitchen while the cabinets are in production.
This is the single most common source of frustration on kitchen projects, and it is entirely predictable. Ask for the lead time in writing when you order.
Delivery and inspection
Cabinets arrive and get checked against the order, box by box, before installation begins. Damage in transit happens; finding it on delivery day means a replacement is on its way before it holds up the job. Finding it mid-install means a gap in your kitchen for two weeks.
Cabinets should acclimate indoors for a day or two before they go on the wall, particularly in Florida. Wood moves with humidity.
Demolition
Old cabinets and countertops come out. If you are keeping the layout, this is quick — often a day. If plumbing or electrical is moving, those trades come in after demolition and before cabinets go up.
We install cabinets. Plumbing, electrical and tile are separate trades; we can point you to installers we work with regularly, but they are booked and scheduled separately, and coordinating them is the part homeowners most often underestimate.
Installation: uppers first
Cabinets go in from a level line, not from the floor — floors are rarely level. Installers find the high point, establish a level reference, and hang from there, shimming to keep faces flush and doors aligned.
Uppers are hung before base cabinets so installers can work without reaching over the lower run. Then bases go in, get leveled and joined together, and toe kicks, fillers and trim close the gaps to the walls.
For a typical kitchen this is a matter of days, not weeks.
Countertop templating — after the cabinets, never before
This surprises people. Countertops cannot be measured until the cabinets are installed and level, because the template has to follow the cabinets as built, not as drawn. A templater comes out once the boxes are set, and fabrication follows.
That means a gap between cabinet install and countertop install where you have cabinets but no work surface. Plan for it. We fabricate and install countertops ourselves, which keeps that handoff tight.
Final fit and adjustment
Doors and drawers get adjusted so gaps are even and everything closes properly. Hardware goes on. Sinks and appliances get set once the countertop is in. A good installer will come back to re-adjust after a few weeks, because cabinets settle slightly.
Where projects actually go wrong
- Appliances chosen after ordering. A different fridge width means a rebuilt cabinet.
- Trades not booked early. Electricians and plumbers are scheduled weeks out; waiting until demolition to call them adds weeks.
- Assuming countertops can be pre-ordered. They cannot be templated until cabinets are in.
- Skipping the field measure. Ordering from a sketch rather than a measured room is how you end up with a run that does not fit.
Who does what on our projects
We handle design, the field measure, the cabinet order, cabinet installation, and countertop fabrication and installation, with our own team. Flooring we supply, and refer trusted local installers for. That means one point of contact through the parts that most often go wrong.
Our showroom is at 10286 US Highway 19 N in Pinellas Park, open seven days a week. See kitchen remodeling in Pinellas Park, or book a design consultation and we will walk your project through in order.
