By the time you order your new kitchen, you’re eager to see the finished product. You’ve laboured over door styles and hardware choices, and you can envision how fabulous your new kitchen will look once it’s installed. So how long will that take? How long must you wait to see your dream become reality? 

“How long does it take to get new cabinets installed?” has sort of become a custom cabinet version of “Are we there yet?” We get this question a lot, and it’s perfectly understandable! We’re excited because you’re excited! This is how we answer that question. 

5 Factors That Determine How Long Your Cabinet Installation Takes

The answer to “How long will it take for my new kitchen to be installed?” is truly: “It depends”. There isn’t one answer that works for every kitchen. The length of time to install your new cabinets depends on several factors. 

Size

The size of your kitchen and the number of cabinets affect the time it takes to install them. Naturally, the larger your kitchen and the more cabinets in your design, the longer it will take to install them.

Scope

The scope of your project affects the length of the installation. For example, is it a renovation or remodel requiring demolition and structural changes before the cabinets can be installed? 

Complexity

Custom cabinets allow you to create a unique design that works perfectly for you. The ability to incorporate special features is a huge advantage because those features take your design up a notch and add functionality and personality to your space. But special features typically take more time to install because they’re more complex than standard stock orders. 

Changes

Making changes slows things down, especially if it’s last minute. This is because changing something in your design usually requires reordering material and possibly redesigning other aspects of your kitchen. Even minor changes can have a domino effect. 

Availability

The timing of your kitchen installation also depends on the availability of installers and other tradespeople. Whether it’s a renovation or a kitchen in a brand new home, there are some trades who must complete their work before the kitchen can be installed. 

Also, a single cabinet installer will take longer to finish the job than a team of two or more. Although, something to keep in mind is the quality of the work as well. Attention to detail makes all the difference, and at the end of the day, you’d rather have a quality kitchen than a quickly installed kitchen. 

Your Cabinet Installation Timeline

Understanding the variable factors that affect your cabinet installation timeline is helpful. That said, this is a general guideline to give you at least a ballpark idea of what to expect. 

Ordering: You get your kitchen design, make your selections, pay a deposit, then we place the order. Order time varies, but we ‌give our customers an expected lead time when we place the order—6 to 10 weeks is typical, depending on the type of cabinets in your design. 

Manufacturing: Your cabinets are built by the manufacturer. 

Delivery: Your cabinets are delivered. Delivery typically happens between 1-2 days after they’re made.

Installation: If an installer is available, cabinet installation begins the day after delivery. An average kitchen takes about 3 days to install, but a bigger or more complex kitchen may take 5 days or more. 

If your project involves more rooms in your home, the additional cabinets will add to the installation time. A home with a lot of cabinetry—such as laundry, 4 bathrooms, a theater room, and a home office in addition to the kitchen—could take up to 2 weeks. 

Countertops

Once your cabinets are installed, your installation is not yet complete. You’ll have to wait a little longer for the countertops to be installed. This is a separate part of the process. 

Templating: After your base cabinets are installed, templates are created for your countertops. The templating sometimes happens at the end of the cabinet installation. 

Fabrication: The templates are used to fabricate the countertops to perfectly fit your cabinets.

Installation: As soon as the countertops are made, they can be installed. Installation typically happens within a week of the templating process. 

Completion

After the countertops are installed, you may have to wait for a few finishing touches. 

If a backsplash or tile is in your design, installation of these elements takes about 2-3 days because the adhesives and grout must dry between the stages of the installation process. 

The final step in the installation process is finishing the electrical and plumbing work. This typically takes about 1 day. 

How long will it take to install your new cabinets & countertops?

So how long will it take to install your new cabinets and countertops? Our answer is still, “It depends”. But now you understand what’s involved in the installation process and what factors affect the installation timeline. Still have questions about your cabinet installation? Contact one of our designers at Riverstone Kitchens & Renovations. We’re here to help!