Estimated Read Time: 5 Minutes

At long last, your new cabinets have been delivered and they’re ready to be installed. 

Looking at all of the boxes and packages in your empty kitchen might seem a bit daunting. You might be asking yourself, “Why are there so many parts?” and “How long is it all going to take?”

While the entire kitchen design process takes several months, the time it takes for the arrival of your cabinets to transform into a completed installation ends up being a relatively short – yet impactful – ordeal in comparison. 

At Deslaurier Custom Cabinets, we’ve been manufacturing and installing kitchen cabinets for over 40 years. In that time, our cabinet installers have completed projects in all shapes and sizes, from condo-sized kitchens to outfitting an entire custom home with new cabinets. 

Reflecting on these experiences, we thought it would be impactful to help you prepare for your kitchen cabinet installation. 

With that, this article will look at 5 factors involved in cabinet installation and how each one can influence how long your installation will take. 

Let’s get started! 

It Depends

So, how long will cabinet installation take? 

The short answer: it depends. 

Really, there are so many different variables from one project to the next – especially when considering a custom kitchen – it’s impossible to provide a concise answer that will cover each homeowner's individual cabinet installation process.

On average, kitchen cabinet installation will be completed between 2-3 days. Depending on the size of the home and extent of customization being done, larger kitchens may require an additional 1-2 days.

That is just for a standard kitchen cabinet project. Installing entire homes, with multiple bathrooms, closets, and a laundry room, can take well over a week for cabinet installers to complete.

Every installer is different—some work solo, some work in pairs; some have been installing cabinets for years and can offer quality work at a much faster pace. 

Ultimately cabinet installation takes as long as it takes – the quality of the finished product will always be the top priority. 

Cabinets are Just the Beginning

For homeowners in the midst of their first new build or kitchen renovation, it often comes as a surprise to them when they see everything that is involved in a kitchen cabinet installation. 

A lot more goes into it than just the cabinet boxes. The installation process includes all cabinets, panels, decorative trim and mouldings, filler, as well as cabinet door hardware.

Any given order can easily top 100 to 150 individual pieces (cabinets included) that need to be cut, glued, stacked and manipulated, or customized in any manner, before then being installed. The more items that installers need to manipulate, the longer the process will take. 

For example, say your kitchen design incorporates two 18” cabinets as opposed to one 36” cabinet. Although the two smaller cabinets together are the same size as the larger cabinet, the fact that they are two individual pieces as opposed to one will increase installation time. 

Intricate trim and crown moulding items that require customization will take longer to install than basic, standard products. These custom pieces are cut and manipulated on-site and necessitate greater effort to achieve a higher quality of installation. 

When you break your order down piece by piece by piece, it’s much easier to see why cabinet installation takes several days – and even that seems surprisingly quick! 

More Than Just A Kitchen

Every project is different. Some homeowners are updating their kitchen with a renovation; while others are furnishing their entire home with new cabinets. 

Common cabinet orders throughout the home can include bathroom vanities, laundry rooms, home offices, and cabinet closets. Not to mention custom designs like wall units and dry bars. All of which will increase the length of the installation. 

If the cabinets for these rooms are ordered at the same time – as is common practice in the design phase –  they will all be included in the same delivery and arrive together. Thus, these projects will take much longer than just a standard kitchen installation. 

Each individual room could add anywhere from an additional half a day of installation time, to a full day or even more, depending on how many rooms there are and how intricate and expansive each design is. 

How Large is Your Order?

An obvious one, but how long an installation takes is heavily influenced by the size of the home. 

Small town homes and apartments can have kitchen cabinet installers in and out in a day and a half—if everything goes smoothly. 

While large, expansive custom kitchens with perimeter walls and spacious islands could result in an installation process lasting over a week to satisfy every item within the order. 

The size of the order, of course, goes hand-in-hand with the two factors we’ve already covered: how many rooms and items are involved. Larger homes will have more room for additional cabinets and decorative accent pieces. 

Unforeseen Problems for Installers

Keeping a clean and organized job-site is a beneficial action that homeowners can partake in during their home-improvement projects. It helps alleviate unnecessary tasks and inconveniences for any and all trades workers, but especially for cabinet installers. 

Before cabinet installers arrive, there are a few things you can do to ensure they enter a working environment that will help make their job, and your cabinet’s installation, much easier. 

When working with Deslaurier, prior to their kitchen cabinet installation, our clients will receive and complete a site-readiness checklist. This checklist will help them prepare their home for acceptable cabinet installation conditions. 

We always know that if a customer follows and satisfies everything on our site-readiness checklist, their installation will go smoother and allow for the highest quality finished product.

Take a look at our article on ways you can prepare for cabinet installation!

Some issues, however, homeowners won’t be able to prepare for.

Older homes being renovated are often far from structurally perfect. Even new builds run the risk of shoddy craftsmanship along the way. Be it how the floors or walls were framed, or how the drywall was completed, kitchens are rarely without flaws. 

Whether walls aren’t square, or floors aren’t level, this will add extra time and effort for the cabinet installers to compensate for. 

High-Quality Work Takes Time

Ensuring everything is level, and that there are no gaps in panels and mouldings – takes time. This time, however, that is well worth it when it results in the finished product of your kitchen being done to a high standard.

At Deslaurier, we are proud to say that our professional cabinet installers are some of the most proficient (and efficient) in the industry. While they aim to finish their work in a timely manner, they understand that the quality of the installation comes first.

You wouldn’t want anyone cutting corners and performing shoddy work just for the sake of a job being done faster, and cabinet installation is certainly no exception. 

A few extra hours during installation is well worth the time, and will no doubt negate the need for service work being done in the future on imperfections in your kitchen. 

Discover Deslaurier Custom Cabinets

The renovation process is a complex one—a quality, functional kitchen has a lot of moving parts! In the end, it’s better to ensure your cabinets are installed to the highest standard rather than stress about how long the installation will take. 

At Deslaurier Custom Cabinets, we strive to simplify the kitchen design and cabinet installation process from start to finish. If you have your eye on custom cabinetry, Deslaurier Custom Cabinets has everything you need. 

With over 40 years of experience to our name, we provide our clients with a fully customized design process with our talented team of designers. Book a consultation today and work one-on-one with a Deslaurier design expert at our Ottawa showroom or schedule a virtual meeting! 

Interested in becoming an authorized Deslaurier dealer? Visit our Become a Dealer page to learn more! Live outside the area? Find a Dealer to connect with a Deslaurier dealer near you!