Flip · DIY Kitchen Guide

Kitchen Install-Day Checklist

The manufacturer’s official order — base cabinets first, starting at the corner. Tick each step as you go. (Hanging the uppers first is also fine — installer’s choice.)

Project / name

Date

Cabinets in this run

⚒

Have these ready

Tools & kit

Drill / driver + 5, 8, 10 mm bits Long spirit level + laser level Stud finder Cabinet clamps (several) Tape, pencil, square Rubber mallet + shims 30 mm (1¼″) joining screws #10 cabinet screws ~3″ (into studs)

Before you start

Check the delivery against the plan — every box, panel, filler and toe kick present. Flooring is down (or you are floating it later around the boxes). Take all the doors and drawers off so the boxes are light and won’t get knocked. Find the floor’s highest point; from there mark a level line 34¾″ up all around. Find and mark the studs; draw a plumb line at each so it stays visible behind a box.

Base cabinets — official first

Start at the corner

Start at the corner cabinet and work outward. Bring each box up to the level line on its adjustable feet — never follow the floor. Clamp the next box to its neighbour, front edges dead flush. Pre-drill the side panel and join with 30 mm screws sideways through the ¾″ panels. Then check the whole run for level and plumb — adjust feet, shim if needed. Screw the back rails into the studs with #10 cabinet screws.

Wall cabinets

Screw a straight ledger board to the wall on your line to rest the boxes on (frees both hands). Corner cabinet first, then work out along the run. Pre-drill the back rails within ~60 mm of each edge; clamp and join neighbours with 30 mm screws. Drive the mounting screws through the rails into the studs; recheck level; remove the ledger.

Fillers, panels & countertop

Scribe fillers and end panels to the wall; fix with 30 mm screws, holes hidden under a hinge. Confirm appliance openings (fridge, range, dishwasher) are on-size. Template the countertop — stone is a professional template & install.

Doors, handles & toe kick

Re-hang the doors and drawers; adjust the hinges until every gap is one continuous hairline. Drill handles with a cardboard jig so every hole is identical; spin the screw backwards first to catch the thread. Clip on the toe kick; scribe it to an uneven floor and cut to the line.

Finishing touches

Cover exposed screw heads with the white stickers; drop in corner caps. Stick a bumper on the back corner of every door and drawer. Wipe out every interior; and, in the maker’s own last words, take the trash out of the kitchen.

⚠

Leave to a licensed trade

Gas, pressurized water, and 240-volt wiring — plus stone countertop template and install. A permit and a pro for these cost far less than fixing a leak or a fault later.

Not built the plan yet? Design it in 3D at flipkitchen.ca →

Tip — print this and tape it to the wall. Tick each step as you go.