Should flooring go in before or after cabinets?

Both approaches are used and each has trade offs for appliance height, future flooring changes and material waste. Ask your contractor which they are planning and why, and make sure appliance clearances still work either way.

How long is a kitchen unusable?

It depends on scope, whether the layout moves and material lead times. Ask for a written schedule with the countertop templating gap included, since that is the pause most homeowners are not expecting.

Project Guides

Planning a kitchen remodel

From deciding whether the layout moves to sequencing cabinets, counters and appliances, a practical order for planning a kitchen project.

By Elijah Canfield, Founder, Hire Best Pros · Updated August 26, 2026

Elijah Canfield is the founder of Hire Best Pros. He writes and edits the site's consumer guides, with a focus on how home service and moving projects are priced, scoped and compared.

Carpenters shimming and fastening wall cabinets during a kitchen renovation

Plan a kitchen in this order: decide whether the layout is changing, set the budget and priorities, settle the layout and storage plan, choose cabinets and appliances early because they set lead times and dimensions, then counters, then finishes. Templating for countertops happens after cabinets are installed, which is the fixed point most schedules revolve around.

Key points

Moving plumbing, gas or walls changes the cost category, not just the price.
Appliances are chosen before cabinets because their dimensions drive the cabinet plan.
Countertops are templated after cabinets are set, so there is a gap in the schedule by design.

Signs the kitchen is due for work

The layout fights you daily: no landing space beside the range or refrigerator, or a work triangle interrupted by traffic
Cabinets are structurally failing rather than just dated
Water damage under the sink or around the dishwasher
Insufficient outlets, or lighting that leaves the counters in shadow
Appliances failing one after another and no longer fitting the openings

The planning sequence

Decide whether the layout moves. Keeping plumbing, gas and major walls in place is the single largest cost lever
Set the budget and rank priorities, so later cuts are already decided
Plan storage around how you actually cook rather than around cabinet catalog images
Choose appliances early, since their dimensions and utility needs shape the cabinet plan
Select cabinets, then counters, then backsplash, flooring and lighting
Confirm permits for any electrical, plumbing or structural work

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Living through it

Plan a temporary kitchen: refrigerator, microwave, kettle and a sink you can reach
Ask how dust is contained and which areas the crew will pass through
Expect the countertop template and fabrication gap after cabinet installation
Agree working hours and a weekly check in with your contractor

Details worth deciding early

Outlet and switch placement, including inside cabinets and on islands
Task lighting under cabinets and over work surfaces
Ventilation that is properly sized and actually ducted outside
Sink and faucet choice, since it affects cabinet and counter cutouts
Flooring order relative to cabinet installation

Common questions

Should flooring go in before or after cabinets?: Both approaches are used and each has trade offs for appliance height, future flooring changes and material waste. Ask your contractor which they are planning and why, and make sure appliance clearances still work either way.
How long is a kitchen unusable?: It depends on scope, whether the layout moves and material lead times. Ask for a written schedule with the countertop templating gap included, since that is the pause most homeowners are not expecting.