Cabinet install scheduling checklist
Confirm orders and deliveries, check site readiness, coordinate with countertops and other trades.
Cabinet installation sits in the middle of a kitchen or bath project. It depends on the order arriving complete, on a site that is ready, and on countertop templating and plumbing trim that follow it. A cabinet shop or installer that schedules installs around those dependencies avoids wasted trips and long gaps. This checklist is for cabinet makers, dealers and installers working on residential projects.
1. Confirm the order
- Final design approved by the customer, with the drawing version recorded.
- Every cabinet, panel, filler, molding and hardware item on the order.
- Finish and door style confirmed in writing.
- Appliance models and specifications confirmed, since openings depend on them.
- Sink and faucet selected, if sink base cutouts depend on them.
2. Track production and delivery
- Record the order or production date and the expected completion or delivery date.
- Check status at set points before delivery.
- Tell the customer if the date changes.
- On delivery, inspect every box for damage and check quantities against the order. Record shortages and damage with photos the same day.
3. Check site readiness before booking the installer
Ask the customer or the general contractor to confirm:
- Demolition complete.
- Plumbing and electrical rough-in in place, and inspected if required.
- Drywall finished and, if planned, painted.
- Flooring installed, if it goes under the cabinets in this project.
- Windows and doors in place.
- The room is clear and has power and lighting.
Ask for photos. A site that is not ready is the most common cause of a lost install day.
4. Field measure
- Verify room dimensions against the drawing, if not already done after drywall.
- Check walls for level and plumb, and floors for level, so the installer brings the right shims and fillers.
- Note outlets, switches, windows and vents that affect layout.
5. Schedule the install
- Estimate duration from the number of cabinets, the complexity and any custom work.
- Assign installers with the right experience.
- Book the date and confirm it with the customer or GC.
- Send the customer what to prepare: access, parking, where boxes can be staged, and where the installer can cut.
6. Coordinate countertops and other trades
- Countertop templating usually happens after cabinets are installed and level. Confirm the fabricator's requirements.
- Schedule templating shortly after install, and tell the customer.
- Plumbing and electrical trim, appliances, backsplash and paint touch-ups follow countertops. Make sure the customer or GC has those dates.
- If your company only installs cabinets, share your completion date with the other trades.
7. Install day
- Installer walks the job with the customer or GC.
- Check that every cabinet is on site and matches the drawing.
- Install according to the manufacturer's instructions and the drawing.
- Record any shortages, damage or field changes with photos.
- End-of-day update to the customer.
8. Shortages and damage
- Order replacements the same day with the job number.
- Record the expected arrival date and tell the customer.
- Schedule a return visit when the parts arrive.
- Do not hold the countertop template for small items that do not affect it, if the fabricator agrees.
9. Punch list and closeout
- Walk the install with the customer: doors and drawers aligned, hardware installed, fillers and moldings finished.
- List punch items with a return date.
- Final invoice.
- Care instructions for the finish.
- Thank-you and review request.
10. Weekly review
- Orders in production and expected delivery dates.
- Installs this week and next, with site readiness confirmed.
- Open shortages and return visits.
- Templating dates booked.
11. Working with general contractors
- Agree with each GC on who confirms site readiness and how.
- Ask for the project schedule and update your dates when it changes.
- Record the GC's site rules: hours, parking, where materials can be stored, and cleanup expectations.
- Share photos of completed installs with the GC the same day.
- Keep a record of each GC's preferences for future projects.
Where software fits
Cabinet install scheduling depends on order status, site readiness and trade dates being visible together. Monaxion is cabinetry CRM, scheduling and dispatch software that keeps the job record, tracks orders and install dates, and prepares customer and contractor messages your team approves before sending. Book a demo to set up an install in it.
Published 2026-10-31 · General guidance only; follow the codes, labels and rules that apply where you work.
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