How to Install Kitchen Cabinets Like a Pro

Today, we will be discussing deeply on “How to Install Kitchen Cabinets Like a Pro“. Keep reading to get the whole information.

It may appear like learning how to install kitchen cabinets is a difficult undertaking, but with a few basic equipment and some general do-it-yourself know-how, you won’t need to hire a professional.

Consider the work as simply attaching several boxes close to each other along your wall and floor to calm your fears.

This article will walk you through the equipment and supplies you’ll need to install kitchen cabinets, as well as the steps you’ll need to set out your work to guarantee a successful DIY job.

Consider painting the ceiling and walls before beginning cabinet installation if the kitchen renovation entails that.

Not having to mask off your new cabinets to avoid paint spatter can save you a lot of time and work.

Tip: Enlisting a helper and reviewing all of the procedures of the task before you begin can make any DIY kitchen cabinet installation go more swiftly and smoothly.

1. Examine the Brand-New Cabinets

If your new cabinets are pre-assembled, inspect them right away and compare each item to your purchase.

Check for shipping problems and open the packing for the built kitchen cabinets to confirm you have all of the parts – cabinet boxes, shelves, doors, and drawer fronts.

Check to see whether any extra trim or filler strips you purchased were delivered.

Ready-to-assemble kitchen cabinets come in a wide range of styles.

If your cabinets need to be put together, now is the time to do it, but leave the cabinet hardware, doors, and drawer fronts off for now.

2. Find high points on the floor.

Finding the highest point on the floor is the first step in installing kitchen cabinets.

This is a crucial step since the reference point you create will affect the rest of your DIY cabinet installation. Take your time and make sure you get it properly.

Kitchen flooring, particularly in older homes, are not often completely level and flat.

Assume your floor has a high point as well, and find it. It’s far easier to shim up a cabinet to make it level and plumb than it is to trim the bottom to make it fit square and flush.

To locate the highest point on the floor, follow these steps:

Place a carpenter’s level on top of a straight 8-foot-long 2-inch x 4-inch board on the floor against the wall.
Shim the low end until a level reading appears. To signify the upper end, make a mark on the floor.
Repeat the previous steps 24 inches away from the wall, running the straight edge or level parallel to the wall where the cabinets’ fronts will be installed.
Compare the front of the cabinets’ highest point to the rear, along the wall. As a reference point, choose the point that is higher.

3. Draw a line across the top of the base cabinets.

Begin by noting the dimensions of the foundation kitchen cabinets in your installation.

Measure up 34 1/2 inches (the usual height of base kitchen cabinets) from the mark showing the high point of the floor and mark the wall.
Make a level line on the wall at this point and extend it around the area where the base cabinets will go.
Dry fit the base cabinet boxes by laying them flush against each other, corner piece first, according to your kitchen design.
Each cabinet box on the wall should be measured, marked, and labeled. Keep in mind while establishing measurements and outlines on the wall that the cabinet face frames on the cabinet front extend past the cabinet box on each side, resulting in a gap at the rear of the cabinets when the cabinet face frames join together. When marking spots on the wall, keep that space in mind.
Check the dimensions of the dishwasher, sink, and stove apertures, as well as the direction in which the cabinet doors, if pre-installed, open.

When drawers and doors are removed, cabinet boxes are significantly easier to install.

Label shelves, doors, and drawers with painter’s tape to match the cabinet they belong to.

Remove them from your workspace. Once the boxes are fitted, the manufacturer’s instructions will teach you how to hang cabinet doors correctly, but you must match the doors to the right box.

4. Mark the bottom of the wall cabinets.

Draw a level line 19 1/2 inches above the base cabinet top line you made in the previous step.
The 19 1/2-inch size provides for a 1 1/2-inch-thick countertop plus 18 inches for the code-mandated spacing between cabinets and counters.
To double-check your arrangement, use a pencil and level to mark and identify the position of all of the top cabinets on the wall.
Kitchen wall cabinets should be installed initially. The base cabinets will be out of the way as you install the upper cabinets this manner.

5. Identify Wall Studs

To discover the wall studs, use a stud finder. To ensure a secure installation, screw the cabinets into place.

With a pencil, mark the center of the studs.
With a carpenter’s level, extend the lines up and down the wall, checking sure they are plumb.
Drill a tiny pilot hole at the top and bottom of each cabinet and transfer the stud position markings to the back. This will make attaching it to the stud much easier.

Tip: If you don’t want to mark the walls with pencil markings after painting them, lay painter’s tape at each stud site and draw the centerline mark on it.

6. Pick the Right Hardware

Along with the correct equipment for cabinet installation, choosing the right hardware for your wall type is critical.

Putting it up on the Wall Stud:

The most common installation method is to mount to a stud in the wall.

To install to the wall studs, use 3-inch #10 screws.

Several manufacturers provide specially designed washer-head screws for this purpose.

Because they have a washer integrated into the head, they are the ideal solution here.

Installation of Drywall:

When attaching to drywall, use toggle bolts only if the cabinet cannot be fastened to a wall stud.

Pre-drilled holes are required for toggle bolts. Cabinets must also be connected to one another.

Cutting away a 6 to 8-inch strip of drywall or plaster behind where the cabinets will mount to the wall is another option

(below the line representing the top of the base cabinet, above the line representing the bottom of the upper cabinet and below the line representing the top of the upper cabinet).

Install 2 x 6 blocking between the studs, then cover the area where the wall finish was removed with plywood, flush with the drywall or plaster’s face.

7. Begin installing the corners

Always start a DIY kitchen cabinet installation in a location where two runs of assembled kitchen cabinets will meet.

Remove and discard cabinet doors.
Transfer the stud positions to the cabinet and begin screwing in the cabinet’s installation rail(s).
Place the corner cabinet on the stud markings on the wall.
Make sure the cabinet is straight by using a level. Insert a shim if necessary to make it level and flush on the wall.
Install the cabinet on the wall using the proper hardware for your wall type.
Working outward from the corner cabinets, install the remaining cabinets on either side.

8. Connect the cabinets

Attach the next cabinet to the first with two or three C-clamps once the first is secure.
The second cabinet should be adjusted and re-clamped until it is level and flush with the first. As needed, place a shim.
Drill a 1/8-inch pilot hole above or slightly below each door hinge point in the face frame.
Using a 2 1/2-inch #8 screw, secure the second cabinet to the first.
For a more uniform look, countersink the screw.
Never mount cabinets to the wall using the side panels. Cabinets must be joined at the face frame at all times.

9. Assemble the remaining cabinets.

Mounting screws should not be fully tightened until all cabinets are connected.
Drill a 3/16-inch pilot hole through the rear panel and into the stud at the stud positions.
Use a 3-inch #10 screw to secure the cabinet to the wall. If necessary, use a shim to level the surface.
Tighten all of the mounting screws after all of the cabinets have been connected. The mounting screws should be seated snugly against the back, but not driven into the surface.
After tightening, double-check that all cabinets are still level.

10. Adjust the drawers as necessary.

Your DIY kitchen cabinet installation is virtually finished once you’ve installed all of your cabinets and replaced the doors. The drawer fronts may need to be leveled.

Adjust the drawer vertically to line, then tighten the screws securing the drawer slides to the cabinet frame.
To attach the drawer, drill a 1/8-inch pilot hole through the second hole below the drawer slide and fasten the drawer with a 5/8-inch, #8 screw.
From the front, examine the alignment of the cabinet drawers and doors.

These instructions are based on standard cabinet installation procedures.

On every cabinet installation job, read the manufacturer’s instructions and utilize the suggested installation method for that product. In addition to the items listed below, this might involve hardware or procedures.

Kitchen cabinet installation tools are quite ubiquitous in any DIY home.

With The Home Depot tool and truck rental, you may rent everything you could be lacking.

If you’re still debating between buying new cabinets and refinishing existing ones, keep in mind that cabinet refacing solutions are available for every kitchen cabinet design, including kitchen islands, custom cabinets, and ready-to-assemble cabinets.

If taking on kitchen cabinet installation as a DIY job seems daunting, turn to our cabinet installation services for assistance.