Project Time: How Long To Install Kitchen Cabinets?

How long does it take to install kitchen cabinets? Most kitchen cabinet installation takes a few days. A small kitchen might take one to three days. A large kitchen could take three to five days or even longer. Many things change the exact time. This post helps you know what to expect for your project time.

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Grasping Cabinet Installation Time

Putting in new kitchen cabinets is a big part of fixing up a kitchen. People always ask, “How much time does this take?” The kitchen cabinet installation time is not always the same. It changes for each kitchen. It changes for each person doing the work. It changes based on the cabinets you pick.

Think of it like building with blocks. A small tower is fast. A big castle takes more time. Putting in cabinets is like that. A small kitchen needs fewer cabinets. So, it takes less time. A big kitchen needs many cabinets. It takes more time.

We will look at what makes the time different. We will talk about what happens before putting cabinets in. We will talk about putting them in. We will talk about who does the work. All these things change the time it takes.

Factors Affecting Install Time

Many things can change how long it takes to install kitchen cabinets. These are the factors affecting install time. Knowing these can help you guess how long your job will take.

• Kitchen Size: This is a big one. A tiny kitchen needs less work. A large kitchen needs much more work. More cabinets mean more time.
• Cabinet Type: Are your cabinets ready to go? Or do they need building? This changes the time.
• Kitchen Shape: Is your kitchen a simple square? Or does it have lots of turns and corners? Corners take more time to fit cabinets into.
• Wall Condition: Are your walls straight and even? Or are they bumpy and not flat? Walls that are not straight make the work harder. It takes more time to make cabinets look right on wavy walls.
• Old Cabinets: Do you need to take old cabinets out? Taking old cabinets out takes time too. We will talk about that later.
• Surprises: Sometimes you find problems when you take out old cabinets. Maybe a pipe is in the way. Maybe the wall is damaged. Fixing these things takes extra time.
• Worker’s Skill: Is the person putting in the cabinets very good at it? Or are they new to the job? A skilled person works faster and better.
• Tools: Do you have the right tools? Good tools make the job faster.

Let’s look at some of these things more closely.

Fathoming the Size of Your Kitchen

The size of your kitchen is key. A small kitchen might just have cabinets on one wall. It might have 5 to 10 cabinets. This is a simple job.

A medium kitchen might have cabinets on two or three walls. It might have an island with cabinets. This is a bigger job. It needs more cabinets. Maybe 10 to 20 cabinets.

A large kitchen can have cabinets on all walls. It can have a big island. It can have 20 or more cabinets. This is a very big job.

More cabinets mean more boxes to lift. More boxes to put in place. More screws to put in. More doors to hang. More things to make straight and even. So, a large kitchen takes much longer than a small one.

Deciphering Different Cabinet Types

Not all cabinets are the same. Some are stock cabinets. These are ready-made. They come in common sizes. You can buy them at a store. They are already built, or mostly built.

Some are semi-custom cabinets. These start from standard sizes but you can change them a little. Maybe change the door style or color.

Some are custom cabinets. These are built just for your kitchen. They fit perfectly. They can be any size you want. They are made by hand more often.

Putting in stock cabinets is often faster. They are made to be put in quickly. Custom cabinets might take more time to fit. They are made to fit specific, maybe not-so-straight, spaces. Fitting them just right takes skill and time. We will compare custom vs stock cabinet installation later.

Interpreting Wall and Floor Conditions

Imagine trying to put a flat box against a wavy wall. It’s hard. You have to move the box. You have to use little pieces of wood called shims. Shims fill the gaps behind the cabinet. This makes the front of the cabinet straight.

If your walls are not straight, you need many shims. You need to check and check again. This takes extra time.

If your floor is not flat, the lower cabinets can be wobbly. You have to make them level. You use shims under the cabinets. Making sure they are level takes time and care. A very uneven floor or wall adds a lot of time to the job.

Comprehending the Skill Level

Who is doing the work? Are they a professional cabinet installer? Or are they doing it for the first time?

A professional knows the best way to lift heavy cabinets. They know the fastest way to screw them together. They know how to make them look perfect. They have done it many times. They have special tools that help.

Someone new might take longer. They might make mistakes. They might need to redo some parts. They might not have the best tools.

So, DIY vs professional installation is a big factor in the time. A pro is almost always faster than someone doing it themselves for the first time. But even a very good DIY person who has done this before will likely take longer than a pro team.

Cabinet Removal Time: The First Step

Before you put new cabinets in, you might need to take old ones out. This is cabinet removal time. This step is very important. It must be done carefully. You don’t want to damage the walls or the floor.

Taking out cabinets can be fast or slow. It depends on how they were put in. Some are just screwed to the wall. Others might be glued or nailed very strongly.

• Empty the cabinets: Take everything out. This is fast.
• Take off doors and drawers: This makes the cabinets lighter. It is usually fast.
• Find screws: Look inside the cabinet. Screws hold it to the wall. Find them all.
• Remove screws: Use a drill to take them out. This takes time.
• Cut caulk or paint: Sometimes cabinets are sealed to the wall. You need to cut this seal.
• Pull cabinets away: Some might come off easily. Others might be stuck. You might need a little force. Be careful not to break things.
• Carry cabinets out: They can be heavy. You might need help.
• Clean up: There will be dust and maybe bits of wood.

Taking out a whole kitchen of cabinets might take a few hours for a pro team. For one person doing it DIY, it could take half a day or a full day. It depends on how many cabinets there are and how hard they are to remove.

Think about a kitchen with 10 cabinets. A team of two pros might get them out in 2-3 hours. One DIY person might take 4-6 hours. This time is before the new cabinets go in. Remember to add this time if you are removing old cabinets.

DIY vs Professional Installation: Time Differences

This is one of the biggest things that changes the kitchen cabinet installation time.

Doing It Yourself (DIY):

• Time: Much longer.
• Why? You are learning as you go. You might not have the best tools. You are likely working alone or with one helper. You need to read instructions carefully. You need to double-check everything many times. Mistakes can happen. Fixing mistakes takes time.
• Guessing Time: A small kitchen DIY might take you a full weekend (2-3 days). A medium or large kitchen DIY could take 4-7 days or even longer, especially if you only work on weekends.

Hiring Professionals:

• Time: Much shorter.
• Why? They do this work every day. They have done many kitchens. They have the right tools. They work as a team. They know the best steps. They can solve problems faster.
• Guessing Time: A small kitchen by pros might take 1 day. A medium kitchen might take 2-3 days. A large kitchen might take 3-5 days. Very complex jobs or very large kitchens could take longer.

Table: Time Compare – DIY vs Pro

Kitchen Size	DIY Time (Guess)	Professional Time (Guess)
Small	2 – 3 full days	1 day
Medium	4 – 7 full days	2 – 3 days
Large	7 – 10+ full days	3 – 5 days

Note: These are just guesses. Your actual time might be different based on all the factors we talked about.

If speed is the most important thing for you, hiring pros is the way to go. If saving money is most important, and you have time, DIY can work. Just know it will take much more of your time.

Average Time to Install Cabinets

Let’s talk about the average time to install cabinets. This includes both upper and lower cabinets in a typical kitchen. It usually means a medium-sized kitchen.

For a medium kitchen:
* If pros do it: It often takes 2 to 3 days.
* If you do it yourself: It might take 4 to 7 days (if you work full days).

This average time to install cabinets gives you a starting point. But remember, your kitchen might be bigger or smaller. It might have hard walls. You might pick complex cabinets. All that changes the average time for your job.

Upper Cabinet Installation Time

Putting in upper cabinets is often the first step after planning and marking the walls. Upper cabinets hang on the wall. This can be tricky.

• Finding wall studs: Cabinets must be screwed into the strong wooden parts of the wall (studs). Finding studs takes time. Marking where they are takes time.
• Drawing lines: You need to draw a level line on the wall. This line shows where the bottom of the cabinets will be. Getting this line perfectly level is very important. This takes care and time.
• Lifting cabinets: Upper cabinets can be heavy. Lifting them up to the line is hard work. You might need help. Pros use special lifts or supports to hold the cabinet while they screw it in. This saves time and makes it safer.
• Screwing to wall: Each cabinet needs screws into the studs. This takes time.
• Joining cabinets: Cabinets next to each other are screwed together. This makes them strong and look like one long piece. This takes time and needs careful work.
• Checking level and straight: After each cabinet, or a few cabinets, you need to check if they are straight up and down and level side to side. Fixing them takes time.

Putting in upper cabinets often takes about half the total installation time. For a medium kitchen, this could be 1 to 2 days for pros. For a DIY person, it could be 2 to 4 days. This is just for the uppers!

Lower Cabinet Installation Time

Putting in lower cabinets comes after the uppers are in. Lower cabinets sit on the floor. They need to be level and straight too.

• Placing cabinets: Put the cabinet boxes in their spots on the floor.
• Making them level: This is very important for the countertop later. You use shims under the cabinet base to make the top of the cabinet perfectly level. This takes time.
• Screwing to wall: Lower cabinets also get screwed to the wall studs. This holds them in place.
• Joining cabinets: Like uppers, lowers next to each other are screwed together.
• Adding legs or base: Some lower cabinets have adjustable legs. Others have a base frame added. This takes time.
• Checking level and straight: Again, check carefully.

Lower cabinet installation can take a little less time than uppers. You don’t have to lift them high. But making them perfectly level on the floor can sometimes take a lot of time, especially if the floor is not flat.

For a medium kitchen, lower cabinet installation might take 1 to 2 days for pros. For a DIY person, it could be 2 to 3 days.

Full Kitchen Cabinet Install Duration

The full kitchen cabinet install duration is the total time for everything. This includes:

1. Taking out old cabinets (if needed).
2. Fixing walls or floors a little (if needed).
3. Putting in upper cabinets.
4. Putting in lower cabinets.
5. Adding trim pieces (like molding around the top or bottom).
6. Putting on doors and drawers.
7. Putting on handles or knobs.

As we said before, the full kitchen cabinet install duration for an average time to install cabinets in a medium kitchen is roughly:

• Professionals: 2 to 3 days (plus a few hours for removal if needed).
• DIY: 4 to 7 days (plus half a day to a day for removal if needed).

Remember, this time can change a lot!

Custom vs Stock Cabinet Installation Time

We talked about different types of cabinets. Let’s look at how custom vs stock cabinet installation times compare.

Stock Cabinets:
* Time: Generally faster to install.
* Why? They are made in standard sizes. They are built to be put in fast. The boxes are often already put together. They are less likely to need special cuts or changes.
* Challenges: You might need filler strips to fill gaps if your walls are not standard sizes. Cutting and fitting filler strips takes a little extra time.

Custom Cabinets:
* Time: Can take longer to install.
* Why? They are made to fit the exact space. This means they might be tricky shapes or sizes. The walls might not be perfectly straight, even if the cabinets are made for them. The installer might need to make small changes on site to get the perfect fit. This takes more skill and time.
* Advantages: They can fill any space. They can look amazing. But they often need more careful, slower work to get them right.

If your main goal is a fast install, and your kitchen has standard sizes, stock cabinets can be a good choice for speed. If you want a perfect, unique fit, and are okay with the install taking a bit longer, custom cabinets are great.

Other Things That Add Time

Sometimes things happen that make the job take longer.

• Delivery Problems: Cabinets might not arrive on time. Some might be missing. Some might be damaged. Waiting for new parts takes time.
• Wrong Parts: The wrong cabinet might be sent. This stops work until the right one comes.
• Old House Issues: Old houses can have very uneven floors and walls. This makes leveling and fitting much harder. It takes much more time to make everything straight and level in an old house.
• Changing Your Mind: If you change where you want a cabinet, or change your plan after work starts, it stops the job. Workers have to take things down and start again. This takes extra time and costs more money.
• Other Work: Are other workers in the kitchen at the same time? Like a plumber or an electrician? They can get in the way of the cabinet installers. This can slow everyone down. It’s best if cabinet installation is done when no one else needs to be in the space.

These little things can add hours or even days to the full kitchen cabinet install duration. Good planning helps avoid some of these, but not all.

The Steps of Cabinet Installation

Let’s break down the general steps. Knowing the steps helps you see where the time goes.

1. Plan and Measure: Very careful planning. Measuring the space many times. Deciding where each cabinet goes. Marking on the wall. This step is done before installation day, but good planning saves time later. (Takes hours before work starts).
2. Remove Old Cabinets: Take out the old ones if needed. (Time: A few hours to a day).
3. Prep the Space: Clean up. Make sure the floor and walls are ready. Mark the lines for cabinets on the wall. (Time: 1-3 hours).
4. Install Upper Cabinets: Put the top cabinets on the wall. Screw them together. Make them level. (Time: Half of install time).
5. Install Lower Cabinets: Put the bottom cabinets on the floor. Screw them together. Make them level. (Time: About half of install time).
6. Add Fillers and Trim: Put in little pieces of wood to fill gaps. Add decorative trim at the top or bottom. (Time: A few hours).
7. Install Doors and Drawers: Put the fronts on the cabinets. Adjust them so they line up straight. (Time: A few hours).
8. Install Hardware: Put on handles or knobs. (Time: A few hours).
9. Clean Up: Clean all the dust and mess. (Time: 1-2 hours).

Steps 4-8 are the main kitchen cabinet installation time. This is what we usually mean by the 1-5 days.

Cost of Cabinet Installation

How does time relate to the cost of cabinet installation?
Professionals charge for their time. So, the longer the job takes, the more it will cost.
* A small kitchen that takes one day costs less to install than a large kitchen that takes five days.
* Complex jobs with tricky walls or custom cabinets take longer. So, they cost more for installation.
* If problems pop up, like finding bad walls, fixing them takes time. This adds to the cost.

The cost of cabinet installation is usually part of the total kitchen cost. It can be maybe 10% to 20% of the cost of the cabinets themselves.

For example, if your cabinets cost $10,000, the installation might cost $1,000 to $2,000 or more depending on how hard the job is and who does it.

If you do it yourself, you save the cost of paying installers. But you spend your own time. And you might need to buy or rent some tools. If you make a mistake, fixing it can cost money.

Getting quotes from different professional installers is a good idea. They can look at your kitchen and give you a better idea of the time and cost for your specific job.

Checking Your Own Kitchen

Think about your kitchen now.
* Is it small, medium, or large?
* Are the walls straight?
* Is the floor level?
* Are you using stock or custom cabinets?
* Will you do it yourself or hire pros?
* Do you need to take out old cabinets?

Answering these questions helps you guess the full kitchen cabinet install duration for your project.

If you have a small kitchen, use stock cabinets, have straight walls, and hire pros, it will be fast. Maybe one day for installation.
If you have a large kitchen, use custom cabinets, have wavy walls, need to remove old cabinets, and plan to do it yourself, it will take much, much longer. Maybe a week or more of full-time work.

The average time to install cabinets is just a guide. Your kitchen is unique.

Making the Job Go Faster

If you want the kitchen cabinet installation time to be shorter, here are some tips:

• Be Ready: Have the old cabinets out (if needed) before the new ones arrive. Have the space clear.
• Have Cabinets Ready: If you have cabinets that need building, build them before install day. This saves a lot of time during the main installation. Pros get pre-built cabinets. DIYers often buy cabinets in boxes and have to build them. Building takes time!
• Have All Parts: Check that all cabinet boxes, doors, drawers, shelves, and hardware are there before starting. Missing parts stop work.
• Clear the Way: Move your car so the delivery truck can get close. Have a clear path into the house and to the kitchen. Clear a space to unbox and move cabinets.
• Have Tools Ready: If doing it yourself, have all the tools you need. Drill, level, tape measure, stud finder, screws, shims, safety glasses, etc. Stopping to go get a tool takes time.
• Good Lighting: Make sure the kitchen is well lit. It’s hard to work in the dark.
• Few People Around: Try not to have lots of people walking through the kitchen while work is happening. It can be unsafe and slow things down.

Good planning and getting ready are very important. They can save a lot of time during the actual work.

FAQ – Questions People Ask

Here are some common questions about installing kitchen cabinets.

Q: How many people are needed to install cabinets?
A: For upper cabinets, at least two people are best. They are heavy. One person can hold while the other screws. For lower cabinets, one person can often do it, but two is still faster. Professional teams usually have two or more people.

Q: Can I install cabinets in one day?
A: Maybe, if you have a very small kitchen, use stock cabinets that are already built, have perfectly straight walls, and you are a very skilled installer working very fast. For most kitchens and most people, it takes longer than one day. Professionals can sometimes do a small kitchen in one day.

Q: Do I install upper or lower cabinets first?
A: Most people install upper cabinets first. This way, you don’t have to lean over the lower cabinets while you work on the uppers. It’s easier to see your level line for the uppers when the lowers are not there.

Q: How long does it take to build the cabinets before installing?
A: This depends on the cabinet type. Some stock cabinets come fully built. Some come in flat boxes (Ready-to-Assemble or RTA). RTA cabinets take time to build. Building one RTA cabinet might take 30 minutes to 2 hours. If you have 10-15 RTA cabinets, building them can take a full day or two before you even start putting them in the kitchen. This is a big part of the total project time.

Q: What tools do I need for DIY installation?
A: You will need:
* Tape measure
* Pencil
* Level (a long one is very helpful)
* Stud finder
* Drill and driver bits
* Screws (for walls and joining cabinets)
* Shims (many!)
* Safety glasses
* Saw (maybe for cutting filler strips)
* Clamps (to hold cabinets together while screwing)
* Possibly a cabinet jack or helper for uppers

This is a good list to start with.

Q: Does removing old cabinets damage the walls?
A: Often, yes, a little bit. Screws are pulled out, which leaves holes. Sometimes, paint or even drywall paper can rip when cabinets are pulled away, especially if they were sealed or glued. Be ready to do some wall repair (patching holes, maybe painting) before the new cabinets go in. This wall repair time is separate from cabinet removal time.

Knowing how long your kitchen cabinet installation might take helps you plan your project. Be ready for it to take a bit longer than you hope, just in case. It’s better to finish early than run out of time.