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Before making any big plans, climb up a step ladder and closely examine the top of your cabinets. You’ll get to see what sort of clean-up work needs to be done, but you can also check for any unexpected obstacles. Sometimes this space holds electrical boxes, wiring, or even plumbing components. Those will affect plans to install a new layer of cabinets or shelves.

In a kitchen installation, starting with the foundation and structural elements before moving on to the finishing touches is essential. Framing, plumbing, and utilities should go first, followed by cabinetry and countertops, then plumbing fixtures and new appliances. Flooring, paint, tile backsplashes, and similar finishing touches should get installed last.

Whether you install flooring before or after kitchen cabinets depends primarily on the type of flooring you are using. For materials like hardwood, tile, and sheet flooring, the best practice is to install the flooring first. This ensures the cabinets are installed at the correct height and on a stable surface. However, you should not install cabinets on top of floating floors, such as laminate or luxury vinyl plank (LVP). These types of flooring need room to expand and contract with temperature and humidity changes. Placing heavy cabinets on top can restrict this movement, potentially causing the floor to buckle and making the cabinets unstable. For floating floors, install the cabinets first and then lay the flooring up to them. Other reasons to consider installing cabinets before the flooring include saving money on materials (since you won't need flooring under the cabinets) and avoiding potential damage to your new floor during cabinet installation. Additionally, installing cabinets directly on the subfloor might prevent voiding your flooring's warranty.

If there is only a small mold problem, then you might be able to remove it and save the kitchen cabinets by acting fast. However, if the mold is severe, has spread to other parts of your kitchen or home, or is impacting sensitive family members, then you should replace the cabinets. A kitchen cabinet installation costs between $2,000 and $11,100, or $6,400 on average.