· by Michael Blair, Nashville's Cabinets
Cabinets sit in the middle of a kitchen remodel, after the rough-in and before the countertops, so a late delivery holds up every trade behind it. The countertop maker can’t start without them: Cambria’s installation checklist has the cabinets that will carry the countertop installed before anyone comes to measure.
When should kitchen cabinets be ordered?
We want cabinets ordered, the delivery date confirmed in writing and ideally the boxes delivered before anything is torn out. Start demolition against a date nobody has confirmed and the room sits gutted while every trade after the cabinets waits on it. How long the order takes depends on the maker and on what you’re buying, which our post on stock, semi-custom or custom cabinets goes through, so get the current lead time from the maker before you set a demolition day.
Having the cabinets on hand also lets you open every box, look for damage and check the doors, panels and fillers against the order while you still have a working kitchen.
Countertops come after
Quartz countertops are measured on the cabinets as they stand in your kitchen. Cambria’s installation FAQ says all cabinets must be permanently installed and in the same plane for an accurate measure, and Caesarstone’s guide to common fabrication and installation mistakes traces cracks after installation to uneven or unstable cabinets and says they must be fixed to each other and secured to the back wall. Then the slab is cut. Cambria’s guide to its installation process puts that at approximately two weeks, depending on the size and complexity of the space and how far the slabs ship. Your fabricator’s backlog may differ, so ask for their date and put the gap in the schedule from day one.
Plan on a stretch with the cabinets in and nothing on top of them, and ask whoever is running the job whether a temporary top is part of it.
- Order and confirm cabinetry before demolition
- Inspect on delivery, before the room is stripped
- Cabinets installed, level and fastened before the countertop measure
- About two weeks of fabrication after the measure, by Cambria’s figure
- Sink, faucet and appliances on site for the measure
Appliances first
We size the openings in a cabinet order around the appliances you’ve picked, so we ask for the model numbers before the order goes in and like to see the appliances themselves if they’ve arrived. A different model chosen after the cabinets are built may not fit the space that was made for the first one. On a custom cabinet job that opening is cut to the inch.
The countertop needs them too. The Cambria checklist asks for the sink and faucet on site as a template for the cutouts, and model numbers for any appliance that can’t be there at the measure. Cambria’s FAQ also says that making sure the sink, stove, appliances, cabinets and faucet holes fit together falls to the homeowner, the general contractor or the retailer, and that it should be written into the purchase agreement, so settle early which of those is you.
How long will you be without a kitchen?
We don’t give a week count for a kitchen until the cabinet date is confirmed, because everything after it hangs on that date. Build the schedule from the dates you do have: the cabinet delivery, the countertop measure once they’re in, the fabricator’s lead time, then an install day Cambria says can take two to five hours. The sink goes in with the countertop, and Cambria notes that its crew won’t install the faucet, so the plumber comes back after the top is set.
Set up a temporary kitchen for the whole job, sized for the long version of the schedule. Moving the refrigerator to another room beats living out of a cooler, and the Cambria FAQ says you can often arrange a temporary sink through your dealer or contractor once the old countertop comes off. If you’re planning a kitchen in Nashville and want the cabinet order sequenced ahead of demolition, get a free estimate from us and we’ll walk through the dates with you.
Sources
- Cambria, Installation Checklist (sell sheet, 2025) — Cabinets that support the countertop installed before the measure; plumbing fixtures on site as a template for cutouts; model numbers for appliances that cannot be on site
- Cambria, FAQs About Cambria Quartz Countertops Installation — Cabinets permanently installed and in the same plane for an accurate measure; sink, faucet and appliances on site at final measurements; who is responsible for built-in elements fitting together; temporary sink often available
- Caesarstone (Master of Stone), Common Mistakes in Fabrication, Installation and Post-installation — Cracks after installation from uneven or unstable cabinets; cabinets fixed to each other and secured to the back wall before the surface goes on
- Cambria, Prepare for Your New Countertops: Cambria Installation Day Checklist (2026) — Fabrication takes approximately two weeks depending on size, complexity and slab shipping distance; installation two to five hours; sink installed with the countertop; faucet not installed by the Cambria team
FAQ
What Cabinet Lead Times Do to a Schedule — questions
How long do kitchen cabinets take to arrive?
It depends on the maker and on whether the cabinets are stock, semi-custom or custom, so ask for the current lead time in writing when you order. Whatever the answer, order and confirm before demolition. Starting the job against an unconfirmed date leaves the room torn out while everyone waits on that one delivery.
Why can countertops not be made in advance?
Because they are measured on the cabinets as installed. Cambria says all cabinets must be permanently installed and in the same plane for an accurate measure, and Caesarstone ties cracks after installation to cabinets that are uneven or unstable. Cambria puts fabrication of its quartz at approximately two weeks after the measure, depending on the size of the job and how far the slabs ship. Ask your fabricator for their own date and keep that gap in the schedule from the start.
Do I need appliances before the cabinets are made?
You need the models settled and the model numbers in hand, since the cabinet openings are sized around them and a different model later may not fit. Having them on site is better still. The countertop maker needs them as well: Cambria asks for the sink, faucet and appliances at the final measure, or model numbers for any appliance that cannot be there.
What comes first when remodeling a kitchen?
Picking the appliances and getting the cabinet order in. We size the cabinet openings around the appliance models, so those come first, and we want the delivery date confirmed in writing, ideally with the boxes on site, before anything is torn out. Countertops are measured on the installed cabinets, so every later trade waits on that delivery.