A complete kitchen remodel can be a bit of a puzzle when it comes to the order of installation. Designing and picking out products is the fun part, but the installation takes careful planning. There are a few obvious things that you have to do first, but there are also upsides and downsides to each option.  Which comes first in a kitchen remodel, the floors or the cabinets?

Custom kitchen cabinets
Install floors before installing kitchen cabinets.
Credit to Infinity home collection

What to install first

When we decide what to install first in a complete kitchen remodel we look at more than contractor availability, we also look at how to save time, money, and allow room for change in the future. A custom kitchen is designed for function and efficiency, and we design our remodeling installation using the same principles. When you clean, the smart thing to do is to go from top to bottom. But when it comes to installing a new kitchen, we recommend working from bottom to top. In other words, install floors before kitchen cabinets.

Floors before cabinets

Installing floors is easier if you’re working with a clean space. That means that there are few obstructions in your way. Installing the floor before the cabinets is more time efficient and easier because you won’t have to cut around the bottom cabinets. The more you have to design and cut your flooring to fit around cabinets, the longer it will take and the more it will cost.

Leave room for change

Custom cabinets
Installing the cabinets after the floors will allow you to change them in the future.

If you put in the cabinets first, you have to install your floors around the bottom cabinets. That means, if you ever want to change your cabinets in the future you’ll also have to fix your floors. You are stuck always choosing cabinets that fit the cutouts on your floors. Installing floors first will allow you to change your cabinets in the future.

Kitchen design and installation in Colorado

At The Kitchen Showcase, our designers will help you from design to installation. We want the entire kitchen remodeling process to go smoothly. We’ll make sure that everything is installed in the best, most efficient order. Stop by our kitchen showroom in Denver.