Questions · Answered

Every Kitchen Cabinet Question, Answered

243 questions DIYers actually search, sorted into 12 topics. Pick a topic for the full answers, or jump straight to a question.

01 Planning & cost

Planning & cost

DIY kitchen planning answered: what it costs to do it yourself, what order to work in, whether to reface, paint or replace, and which jobs to leave to a licensed trade.

All 28 answers — Planning & cost →

02 Measuring

Measuring

How to measure a kitchen for cabinets: which units to use, out-of-square walls, where to measure from, and what to record before you design anything.

All 20 answers — Measuring →

03 Design & layout

Design & layout

Kitchen layout answered: the work triangle, island clearances, blind corners, drawers versus doors, and how high wall cabinets should go.

All 26 answers — Design & layout →

04 Materials & doors

Materials & doors

Cabinet boxes, door styles and finishes: plywood versus particleboard, shaker versus flat panel, paint versus thermofoil, and which countertop suits a DIY kitchen.

All 28 answers — Materials & doors →

05 Installing

Installing

Installing kitchen cabinets: finding the high point, the level line, hanging wall cabinets first, shimming, joining boxes, and fitting fillers and toe kicks.

All 36 answers — Installing →

06 Doors, trim & care

Doors, trim & care

Hinges, door swing, crown molding, toe kicks and end panels — plus how to clean and maintain cabinet doors without wrecking the finish.

All 19 answers — Doors, trim & care →

07 When something goes wrong

When something goes wrong

When something goes wrong: doors that will not line up, drawers hitting handles, gaps at the wall, sagging shelves and cabinets that are out of level.

All 19 answers — When something goes wrong →

08 Sizes & codes

Sizes & codes

Standard cabinet widths, depths and heights, counter and upper-cabinet heights, clearances above a cooktop, and the code minimums that govern them.

All 12 answers — Sizes & codes →

09 Appliances

Appliances

Fitting appliances into a cabinet run: fridge and range openings, dishwasher and sink pairing, hood sizing and mounting height, and panel-ready fronts.

All 12 answers — Appliances →

10 Using the designer

Using the designer

How to use the free Flip Kitchen designer: drawing walls, placing cabinets, 2D and 3D views, elevations, and getting an instant quote.

All 17 answers — Using the designer →

11 Account, saving & sharing

Your account, saving & sharing

Saving designs, working across devices, sharing a layout, and how accounts and projects work in Flip Kitchen.

All 13 answers — Your account, saving & sharing →

12 Prices, help & the AI extras

Prices, help & the AI extras

How quoting works, where to get help, and what the AI design and photoreal render features do.

All 13 answers — Prices, help & the AI extras →