What Order Do Kitchen Remodel Trades Work In

Nothing about the order of a kitchen remodel is arbitrary, though a homeowner meeting it for the first time can mistake it for delay, and the running record kitchen remodel irvine ca speak pirate holds shows the same sequence on every remodel in Irvine, CA. Each trade leaves a surface the next one needs.

Demolition and rough work

In a Northwood or Woodbridge tract house demolition comes first, then framing changes, then the rough electrical, plumbing and gas lines. The walls stay open for the inspector. No drywall goes up until every rough inspection has passed. A crew that hangs drywall early is gambling on a pass.

Drywall and the first coat

Drywall, taping and primer follow. The dust from sanding joint compound travels through the whole house, so cabinets and flooring wait until it is done. Priming now means the walls are sealed before the cabinets hide the lower half.

Flooring and cabinets

Where the floor goes under the cabinets, it is laid first, and where it stops at the cabinets, cabinets go in first. The crew confirms which with the layout drawing. Upper cabinets are hung before the lowers, so nobody leans across a finished base unit.

Templating and countertops

The countertop fabricator measures after the base cabinets are fastened and level, not before. A template taken too early misses a cabinet shift by a quarter inch, and a quarter inch is visible at a seam. Fabrication in Orange County takes days to a couple of weeks, and the kitchen waits without a counter in that gap. Plumbing hookups, the sink and the cooktop wait for the stone.

Backsplash and finish

The backsplash goes up after the counters, because the tile sits on the stone line. Then come the under cabinet lights, switch plates, hardware, appliances and the final caulk. A punch list closes the job, and the final inspection signs off the permit that opened it. Any warranty on the cabinets, stone and flooring starts from that last walk-through. The homeowner should walk the kitchen with the crew lead and note anything out of true.

Judging a crew's plan

A written sequence with a name beside each trade is a good sign. A plan that puts countertops before cabinets are level, or flooring after the backsplash, signals a crew skipping steps. For a house in Turtle Rock, ask where the dust will go, how long the sink is out of service, and who coordinates the stone template. The answers tell more than a portfolio does.