Don’t be floored by this dilemma
Installing the cabinets before or after the flooring depends on your flooring type, budget, and whether you plan to update cabinets later.
High-end hardwood flooring costs $13 to $25 per square foot, so installing cabinets first saves money by reducing the flooring area you need.
Floating floors like laminate or vinyl should go in after cabinets to prevent buckling from weight restricting the floor's natural expansion and contraction.
Hiring a local cabinet professional provides guidance on installation order and ensures your cabinets align properly with your flooring for a seamless, finished look.
To make your dream makeover a reality, ticking off the tasks on your kitchen remodel checklist in the right order keeps your project on time, in scope, and on budget. Cabinets and flooring are two of the trickiest installs with the biggest investments. But is it better to install cabinets or flooring first? Read on to find out why it depends.
While it’s more common to install flooring first, sometimes installing cabinets first is a better strategy.
One way to save money when remodeling a kitchen is to install the cabinets before flooring. Otherwise, you’ll pay for the extra flooring under cabinets where no one sees it.
Sometimes, the extra time and labor costs of cutting around the cabinets make the savings negligible. However, given that the cost to install high-end hardwood flooring can be $13 to $25 per square foot, it’s worth weighing up the savings.
It’s better to install cabinets before floating floors to avoid damage further down the line. Floating floors, which are often made from laminate, vinyl or engineered hardwood, use interlocking tongue-and-groove planks that are not directly attached to the subfloor.
These kitchen flooring options naturally expand and contract with the seasonal changes in temperature and humidity. When heavy cabinets sit on top of the flooring, it can restrict movement, causing the planks to buckle and warp. This buckling can also cause the cabinets to become misaligned, leading to a wonky appearance and weakened frames.
Retro cork flooring is making a comeback, but it’s best to install this after cabinets. The weight of the cabinets can crush spongy cork, leading to crooked cabinetry.
Installing cabinets first lessens the chance of damaging easy-to-scratch flooring. There’s nothing worse than dropping heavy cabinets onto your newly installed porcelain tile flooring and hearing a loud crack.
If you are installing thick antique, reclaimed, or customized wood flooring, it’s better to do this after installing your cabinets. Anything bigger than a half-inch thick could create problems when retrofitting appliances, sinks, and countertops, as these might end up misaligned against the height of the cabinets.
Installing flooring before cabinets makes sense in many scenarios, including those outlined below.
Continuous flooring underneath your cabinets and appliances creates a clean, level, seamless aesthetic. It might be the best approach in an open-plan, minimalist, modern kitchen.
If you are tackling a DIY kitchen remodel, installing flooring before cabinets is usually more straightforward, as you don’t need to cut around cabinets. Everything will be on the same level, so there are no worries about the standard cabinet height not matching the appliances. Plus, you might not need to add finicky-to-install protective trims or fillers to the cabinet bases to achieve a finished look.
There’s a good chance your cabinets will look tired, dated, or damaged before your high-quality hardwood flooring does. Installing your flooring first makes it easier for a cabinet maker near you to replace the cabinets without you having to replace the floor at the same time.
Fitting floors first offers additional protection if leaks or spills happen under the sink or down the back of your cabinet. Unless it’s a major leak, it can prevent your subfloor from taking on board moisture, leading to problems with mold or structural damage.
Terrible experience. Walls/trim/floors/cabinets/doors all have drip marks, overspray, etc. Tiling at the fireplace had to be redone by another vendor due to incorrect and shoddy install by Profect. Contractor had his children in our house while he was on site without prior authorization or...
Profect painting & exteriorsMy kitchen cabinets look brand new thanks to Custom Paint Jobs LLC. Their refinishing is exceptional.
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We live in a condo and had space to add a tall cabinet. The problem was the space was already occupied by our catsâ litter box. We needed to still keep the litter box in that same corner. Beiler Custom Cabinets was able to work with our need and design request. What was created was an...
Beiler Custom Cabinets, LTDAbsolutely amazing, Rob and his team are extremely efficient and professional. Pink Dumpster Rentals, Demolition, And Hauling is a go to for getting my property cleared up so we can pursue the upgrades we want to make on our home.
Pink Dumpster Rentals, Demolition, And HaulingThey work that 360 did on my kitchen cabinets is nothing short of amazing. I still cannot believe the difference from before and after. Jon and Jeff were both so incredibly professional throughout the whole process and their communications with me were constant and consistent. These guys...
360 Painting ColumbusI had a variety of projects around my house. The work was done quickly and correctly. I was kept informed of every step during the projects and they followed up with me to make sure it was all good.
House DoctorsPhil understood the style I wanted and suggested options for materials (unlike the standard kitchen folks who kept pushing the same cabinets everyone buys). He stepped through all the decisions about the details with me, using his computer program to show the differences between the choices....
Baker Group RemodelingI had a great experience with this company. They installed a small TV on the wall of my kitchen between two cabinets. Team came out and did a very thorough inspection and quote. The rep who installed the TV had to do some extra work to snake the cords behind the wall from the top cabinets...
The Theater PeopleI couldn't be more pleased with the job Ryan and his team did! My old oak kitchen cabinets now look like brand new white ones. They were able to provide an estimate based on my photos that was far below other companies I checked with, and that was the final price too. They were able to come...
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Read on to learn whether you should install tile flooring underneath your kitchen cabinets or not, plus tips for tiling around cabinets and appliances.
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