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Planning

The order of a kitchen remodel

The order a kitchen remodel follows, from measuring and ordering to demolition, rough-in, inspection, cabinets, the countertop template and the finish.

A temporary kitchen on a folding table in a dining room during a remodel

How long a kitchen remodel takes depends on its size, on how long the cabinets take to arrive and on the building department. The order of the work, though, is much the same everywhere, and knowing it tells you when the kitchen will be out of use and which decisions have to be made early.

The order

  1. Measure and design. The layout, the cabinet plan and the list of appliances are settled. See Design consultation.
  2. Order. Cabinets, countertop material, appliances, sink, faucet and fixtures. Ask the contractor for the lead time of each, because the longest one sets the start date: demolition usually waits until the cabinets are close to arriving.
  3. Permit, if the work needs one. In Los Angeles a kitchen remodel with no structural changes gets an express permit without plan review; opening a load-bearing wall goes through review first. See Permits.
  4. Set up a temporary kitchen somewhere else in the house: a table with a microwave, a coffee maker and a toaster, a small refrigerator, plates and cups in tubs.
  5. Protection and demolition. The rest of the house is sealed off and the old kitchen comes out. In a house built before 1978, this is lead-safe work; see Lead-safe remodeling.
  6. Rough-in. Walls are framed or opened, and the plumbing, wiring and gas are moved or added while the walls are open.
  7. Inspection of that work before it is covered, where a permit requires it.
  8. Walls and ceiling: drywall, patching and paint.
  9. Flooring, before or after the cabinets depending on the material and the installer.
  10. Cabinets set, leveled and fastened.
  11. Countertop template, then fabrication in the shop, then installation. The kitchen usually has no sink between the template and the installation. See Countertop replacement.
  12. Sink, faucet and appliances connected.
  13. Backsplash, which sits on the finished countertop.
  14. Final inspection and a walk-through list of anything left to fix.

Living through it

Plan where you will cook, wash dishes and keep food for the weeks the kitchen is out of use. Ask for a written schedule with the stages above, and ask to be told when a delivery delay moves it. Dust and noise run from demolition to drywall; the finish stages are quieter.

Updated 2026-10-12.

Sources

More guides

The work Kitchen remodeling Refresh, replace or rebuild: the three sizes of job and who does each part The work Cabinet refacing When the boxes can stay and when they have to go The work Countertop replacement Template, fabrication, installation, and what comes out with the old top The work New tops on old cabinets Level, strength, the sink base: what to check before the template Planning Design consultation What happens at the first visit and what to have ready The work Opening a wall Load-bearing or not, temporary supports, and the permit The work Electrical and appliances Induction, range hoods, new outlets: when an upgrade means new wiring The work After water damage Stopping the water, photos for the insurer, and what has to come out Money What it costs What sets the price, local trade wages, and what permit records show Money Paying for it Equity loans, payment schedules, and what the IRS says Rules Permits What usually needs a permit, from the documents of two cities Rules Checking a contractor License lookups by state, insurance, and the questions to ask Rules The contract Deposit limits, change orders and the right to cancel Rules Lead-safe remodeling Homes built before 1978: certified firms and what they do Planning Before you call What you will be asked and how to measure your kitchen
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