DIY Guide10 min read

IKEA Kitchen: What to DIY and What to Hire Out

Kitchen Fitters Team·July 29, 2025

# IKEA Kitchen: What to DIY and What to Hire Out

One of the smartest approaches to an IKEA kitchen renovation is not choosing between full DIY and full professional installation — it is strategically splitting the work. By handling the tasks within your skill set and hiring professionals for the rest, you can save significant money while ensuring the critical work is done right.

This strategy is especially popular among homeowners in the mid-Atlantic region — Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and the DC metro area — where the high cost of living makes budget-conscious decisions important, but older housing stock means there are genuine complexities that benefit from professional expertise.

Here is your complete guide to what you can confidently DIY and what you should hire out.

Understanding the Task Categories

An IKEA kitchen renovation breaks down into several distinct phases. Some require specialized skills and tools. Others require primarily time and patience. Let us categorize each one.

Tasks You Can Confidently DIY

Cabinet Assembly

Difficulty: Medium | Time: 2-4 hours per cabinet | Risk: Low

This is the number one task to DIY. Assembling IKEA SEKTION cabinets is time-consuming but fundamentally straightforward. Each cabinet comes with clear (if wordless) pictorial instructions, and the process is repetitive — once you have built your first cabinet, you know the drill for the rest.

Why it is a great DIY task:

Mistakes are fixable (you can disassemble and reassemble)
No specialized skills required beyond using a drill/driver
No risk to your home's infrastructure
Saves $30-$70 per cabinet in assembly labor

Tips for success:

Set up a proper work station (plywood on sawhorses in your garage)
Use Pozidriv bits, not Phillips — IKEA uses Pozidriv screws
Reinforce dowel joints with a thin bead of wood glue
Square each cabinet by measuring diagonals
Label each assembled cabinet to match your floor plan

For detailed assembly guidance, see our 20 assembly tips from professional installers.

Demolition of Old Kitchen

Difficulty: Low-Medium | Time: 1-2 days | Risk: Low-Medium

Tearing out your old kitchen is physically demanding but does not require specialized skills. With basic tools and some muscle, most homeowners can handle this:

Remove cabinet doors first (makes cabinets lighter and easier to handle)
Disconnect plumbing and electrical (after turning off water and power)
Unscrew and remove upper cabinets (two people required for safety)
Remove base cabinets
Pull up old flooring if needed
Remove backsplash

Important cautions:

Turn off water at the shut-off valves before disconnecting any plumbing
Turn off circuits at the breaker panel before disconnecting any electrical
Test for asbestos in older homes — tiles, adhesives, and insulation in pre-1980 homes in our region may contain asbestos; many testing labs in PA, DE, and MD offer affordable tests
Test for lead paint in pre-1978 homes — required in many municipalities
Rent a dumpster — demolition generates more debris than most people expect ($300-$600 for a 10-yard container in the mid-Atlantic)

Painting

Difficulty: Low | Time: 1-2 days | Risk: Very Low

If walls need painting (and they usually do after removing old cabinets), this is absolutely a DIY task. Paint before installing new cabinets — it is infinitely easier.

Patch all holes and damage from old cabinet removal
Sand patches smooth
Prime if changing from dark to light colors or covering stains
Apply two coats of your chosen color
Use a quality paint suitable for kitchens (semi-gloss or satin finish for washability)

Backsplash Installation (Simple Patterns)

Difficulty: Medium | Time: 1-3 days | Risk: Low

A simple subway tile backsplash is a very manageable DIY project. The key is doing it after cabinets and countertops are installed:

Subway tile in a running bond or stack pattern is the easiest
Peel-and-stick tile is even simpler (though less durable)
Mosaic sheets on mesh backing are moderately easy

When to hire out backsplash work:

Complex patterns (herringbone, chevron) requiring many precise cuts
Natural stone that needs special handling
Large format tiles that require perfect alignment
Areas with many outlets, switches, or obstacles requiring intricate cuts

Hardware Installation (Handles and Knobs)

Difficulty: Low | Time: 2-4 hours | Risk: Low

Installing cabinet handles and knobs is one of the most satisfying DIY tasks because the results are immediately visible and the process is simple:

Use a hardware jig for consistent placement (IKEA sells one, or make your own)
Pre-drill with the correct bit size
Attach handles with the included machine screws

The only risk is drilling in the wrong spot, so measure twice and start with your least visible cabinet as practice.

Shelf and Organizer Installation

Difficulty: Low | Time: 1-2 hours per cabinet | Risk: Very Low

IKEA's internal organizers, shelf pins, and pull-out systems are designed for consumer installation. Drawers, lazy susans, pull-out trash bins, and shelf units all come with instructions and install easily into already-mounted cabinets.

Tasks You Should Probably Hire Out

Cabinet Mounting and Alignment

Difficulty: High | Time: 2-5 days | Risk: High

This is where most DIY installations either succeed spectacularly or fail miserably. Mounting IKEA cabinets requires:

Establishing a perfectly level reference line around the entire kitchen
Mounting the suspension rail precisely level and securely into studs
Hanging upper cabinets and aligning them perfectly
Setting and leveling base cabinets
Connecting all cabinets and ensuring runs are straight
Shimming to account for walls that are not plumb
Installing filler strips with precision

Why hire this out:

Errors here cascade through the entire kitchen — crooked rails mean crooked cabinets mean misaligned doors
Upper cabinet failure is a safety hazard — a fully loaded wall cabinet can weigh over 100 pounds
The work requires specific experience to do efficiently and accurately
Older homes in PA, MD, DE, and DC often have plaster walls, uneven surfaces, and non-standard stud spacing that complicate mounting

This single phase is where professional installation provides the most value per dollar spent. A pro team can mount and align a full kitchen in 1-2 days with superior results. For details on the process, read our guide on what to expect on installation day.

Plumbing Work

Difficulty: High | Time: Varies | Risk: Very High

Unless you are replumbing a like-for-like replacement (same sink location, same configuration), hire a licensed plumber. Reasons:

Legal requirement — plumbing work requires permits in most PA, DE, MD, and DC jurisdictions
Water damage risk — a bad connection can cause thousands of dollars in damage before you notice
Code compliance — modern plumbing codes specify pipe sizes, venting requirements, and materials
Warranty protection — work done without permits can void your homeowner's insurance

What requires a plumber:

Moving the sink location
Adding or relocating a dishwasher connection
Installing a garbage disposal where one did not exist
Connecting a gas line for a range
Adding a pot filler
Any work that touches supply lines or drain lines behind walls

What you can probably DIY:

Reconnecting supply lines to the same faucet location (if you are comfortable with compression fittings)
Installing a new faucet in an existing sink location
Connecting a dishwasher drain hose to an existing disposal

Electrical Work

Difficulty: High | Time: Varies | Risk: Very High (safety and legal)

Electrical work carries the highest risk of any kitchen renovation task — both physical danger and legal liability.

Always hire a licensed electrician for:

Adding new circuits (modern kitchens need dedicated 20-amp circuits for countertop outlets)
Moving outlets to accommodate new cabinet positions
Installing hardwired under-cabinet lighting
Adding or moving switches
Upgrading your panel if it cannot support the new kitchen's electrical load
Any work in homes with aluminum wiring (common in 1960s-1970s construction in our region)

Electrical permits are required in virtually every jurisdiction across PA, DE, MD, and DC. Unpermitted electrical work can void your homeowner's insurance. This is not an area to cut corners.

Countertop Installation (Stone)

Difficulty: Very High | Time: 1-2 days | Risk: High

If you are installing quartz, granite, or marble countertops, this is strictly a professional job:

Stone slabs weigh hundreds of pounds and require special handling
Templating requires precision equipment
Cutting and polishing requires industrial tools
Seaming requires specialized adhesives and techniques
One mistake on a $3,000-$5,000 countertop is extremely costly

IKEA laminate countertops are the exception — these can be a DIY project for handy homeowners, though cutting sink openings and joining sections still requires care and the right tools.

Gas Line Work

Difficulty: Expert Only | Time: Varies | Risk: Extreme

If your kitchen has a gas range, gas line work is never a DIY task. Gas leaks can cause explosions. Period. Hire a licensed plumber or gas fitter for any gas line work. This applies everywhere — PA, DE, MD, DC — without exception.

The Optimal Hybrid Strategy

Based on everything above, here is the approach we recommend for most homeowners:

Phase 1: You Handle (Before Pros Arrive)

Demolish old kitchen (1-2 days)
Patch and paint walls (1-2 days)
Assemble all cabinets in your garage (1-2 weekends)

Phase 2: Professionals Handle

Cabinet mounting and alignment (1-2 days)
Plumbing rough-in changes (1 day)
Electrical work (1 day)
Countertop templating and installation (1-2 days)

Phase 3: You Handle (After Pros Leave)

Backsplash installation (1-2 days)
Handle and knob installation (half day)
Interior organizers and accessories (half day)
Final touch-ups and caulking (half day)

Estimated Savings

For a typical mid-sized IKEA kitchen, this hybrid approach can save $2,000-$4,000 compared to hiring everything out, while ensuring that the high-stakes work is done by experienced professionals.

For a complete cost analysis, see our budget breakdown guide and our guide on saving money on IKEA kitchen installation.

Common Mistakes in the Hybrid Approach

Even the hybrid strategy has pitfalls. Here are the most common mistakes and how to avoid them:

Assembling Cabinets Incorrectly

If you assemble cabinets with errors — panels reversed, cam locks stripped, cabinets out of square — the professional installer will need to disassemble and reassemble, costing you time and potentially money. To avoid this:

Follow IKEA instructions exactly, step by step
Square every cabinet by measuring diagonals
Do not overtighten cam locks
Label each cabinet clearly with its position from your plan

Not Leaving Enough Time Between Phases

If you schedule the professional installer before your cabinets are fully assembled, you create a costly bottleneck. Build buffer time:

Finish all assembly at least 3-5 days before the installer arrives
Use the buffer to address any damaged or missing parts
Have all cabinets organized and accessible, ideally near the kitchen

Demolishing Too Much or Too Little

DIY demolition can go wrong in both directions:

Too aggressive: Damaging plumbing, electrical, or structural elements behind old cabinets. Always turn off water and power before demolition, and go slowly around plumbing and electrical areas.
Too conservative: Leaving old mounting hardware, adhesive residue, or damaged drywall that the installer will need to deal with. Clean walls down to a smooth, solid surface.

Not Coordinating Trade Schedules

The biggest headache in the hybrid approach is coordinating multiple professionals:

Plumber needs to do rough-in before cabinets are installed
Electrician needs to relocate outlets before cabinets go up
Cabinet installer comes after plumbing and electrical rough-in
Countertop templater comes after cabinets are installed
Countertop installer comes 1-2 weeks after templating
Plumber returns for final connections after countertops are in
Backsplash goes in last

Getting this sequence wrong means tradespeople arrive and cannot work, wasting their time and your money. Our guide on installation order and sequence covers the correct phasing in detail.

Underestimating the Scope of "Simple" Tasks

Painting seems easy, but properly patching, priming, and painting a kitchen after cabinet removal can take 2-3 days. Demolition seems straightforward, but renting a dumpster, handling debris, and cleaning up takes planning. Build realistic time into your schedule for every task, including the ones that seem trivial.

How Kitchen Fitters Supports the Hybrid Approach

At Kitchen Fitters, we love the hybrid approach because it produces great outcomes for budget-conscious homeowners. We offer flexible service packages specifically designed for this strategy:

Installation Only — you assemble, we hang and align
Installation + Plumbing/Electrical Coordination — we handle mounting and coordinate licensed trades
Full Service — we do everything from demo to final hardware

We serve homeowners across Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and the DC metro area. Whatever level of involvement you want, we can tailor our services to match. Get a free quote and tell us about your project — we will help you find the right balance of DIY and professional work.