What to Expect on IKEA Kitchen Installation Day: Hour by Hour
What to Expect on IKEA Kitchen Installation Day: Hour by Hour
Installation day is the moment your IKEA kitchen plan becomes reality. After weeks of designing, ordering, waiting for deliveries, and preparing your space, the cabinets are finally going on the wall. It is exciting — and it can also be anxiety-inducing if you do not know what to expect.
This guide walks you through a typical IKEA kitchen installation day, hour by hour, based on our experience installing hundreds of kitchens across Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Washington DC. While every project is different, this timeline gives you a realistic picture of what happens and how long each phase takes.
Before the Installers Arrive: Your Checklist
The work you do before installation day directly affects how smoothly the day goes. Complete these tasks the day before (or earlier):
Kitchen preparation:
- All old cabinets, countertops, and backsplash removed (if demo is a separate phase)
- Walls repaired and ready for the suspension rail
- Water supply shut off at the kitchen valves
- Gas line capped (if applicable)
- Electrical circuits to the kitchen turned off at the breaker (leave one circuit on for power tools)
- All IKEA boxes organized and accessible, ideally in an adjacent room or garage
Household preparation:
- Set up a temporary kitchen elsewhere (coffee maker, microwave, paper plates, and a cooler work well)
- Cover furniture and floors in adjacent rooms with drop cloths
- Plan for dust — close doors to bedrooms and living areas
- If you have pets, confine them away from the work area
- Clear a path from the IKEA box storage area to the kitchen
For your installers:
- Clear parking near the home for the installation vehicle
- Ensure a clear walking path from the street to the kitchen
- Have your IKEA kitchen design printout on hand
- Know where your electrical panel, water shut-offs, and gas shut-off are located
7:30 AM - 8:00 AM: Arrival and Walkthrough
Professional installers typically arrive early. Our crews usually show up between 7:30 and 8:00 AM to maximize daylight working hours.
What happens:
- The lead installer walks the kitchen with you
- They review the IKEA kitchen plan and discuss any concerns
- They verify that preparation work is complete
- They check the IKEA order against the plan (a final verification)
- They identify the location of utilities — water, gas, electrical panel
- They set up drop cloths, tool stations, and a cabinet assembly area
Your role: Be available for the walkthrough. Point out anything unusual about the space — where the floor dips, which outlet is on a dedicated circuit, whether the wall behind the old cabinets had moisture issues. The more your installer knows upfront, the fewer surprises during the day.
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM: Setup and Measurement
This hour is all about precision preparation.
What happens:
- The laser level goes up on a tripod, projecting reference lines across all walls
- The team measures and marks stud locations along every wall that will receive cabinets
- Floor levels are checked and recorded
- The suspension rail height is calculated and marked
- Wall flatness is checked with a straightedge
- Any remaining wall issues (high spots, loose plaster) are addressed
This phase looks uneventful from the outside — two people measuring and marking with pencils and tape — but it is the most consequential hour of the day. Every measurement made here determines the position and alignment of every cabinet.
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM: Suspension Rail Installation
With measurements complete, the suspension rail goes up.
What happens:
- Rails are positioned along the marked level line
- Pilot holes are drilled at each stud location
- Rails are secured with structural screws (3-inch minimum, driven into studs)
- Level is verified across the entire rail run
- Shimming behind the rail addresses any wall irregularities
What you will hear: Drilling, the impact driver driving screws, and conversation between installers confirming measurements. This phase is relatively loud but brief.
Duration: One to two rails typically take 60 to 90 minutes, including verification.
10:30 AM - 12:30 PM: Upper Cabinet Installation
This is where the kitchen starts to take shape visually. Upper cabinets go up first because it is easier to work on the upper portion of the wall without base cabinets in the way.
What happens:
- If cabinets are not pre-assembled, the team assembles upper cabinet frames (about 15 minutes each)
- Starting from a corner or reference point, the first upper cabinet is hung on the suspension rail
- Cabinet brackets are adjusted for level and alignment
- Adjacent cabinets are clamped together, aligned, and screwed together
- The process continues across the entire upper cabinet run
- Doors and hinges are typically not installed yet at this stage
What you will see: Cabinets going up on the wall, one by one. The team works in a rhythm — one person positions and holds, the other clamps and screws. Expect a steady pace of one cabinet every 15 to 25 minutes.
What you might notice: The installers spending what seems like excessive time on the first two to three cabinets. This is normal and intentional. Getting the first cabinets right establishes the reference for everything that follows. Subsequent cabinets go up faster.
12:30 PM - 1:00 PM: Lunch Break
Professional crews take a lunch break, and they should. Fatigue leads to mistakes, and the afternoon work is detail-intensive.
Your opportunity: Walk through and look at the upper cabinets. This is a good time to ask questions about anything that looks different from your plan. Changes are much easier to make at this stage than after base cabinets and countertops are installed.
1:00 PM - 3:30 PM: Base Cabinet Installation
After lunch, the focus shifts to the lower half of the kitchen.
What happens:
- Base cabinet frames are assembled (if not pre-assembled)
- Adjustable legs are installed on each base cabinet
- Starting from the highest point of the floor, the first base cabinet is set and leveled
- Each subsequent cabinet is set, leveled to match its neighbors, clamped, and screwed together
- The sink base cabinet gets plumbing cutouts
- All base cabinets are secured to the wall through the back rail
- Level is verified across the entire base cabinet run
Duration: Base cabinets generally take a bit longer than uppers because floor leveling is more involved. In older homes with uneven floors, this phase can stretch to 3 or more hours. In newer homes with flat floors, it may take only 2 hours.
What you might notice: The team spending considerable time on the sink base cabinet. This is normal — it requires plumbing cutouts and needs to align precisely with existing drain and supply line positions. See our guide on plumbing rough-in for IKEA kitchens for more on what is involved.
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM: Doors, Drawers, and Hardware
With all cabinet boxes installed, the kitchen starts looking like a real kitchen.
What happens:
- UTRUSTA hinges are attached to each door
- Doors are clipped onto the mounting plates inside the cabinets
- Hinge adjustments begin (this is iterative — expect multiple passes)
- MAXIMERA drawer slides are installed in base cabinets
- Drawer boxes are slid into place
- Drawer fronts are attached and adjusted
- Internal hardware — shelf pins, dividers, lazy Susan mechanisms — goes in
What you will see: A dramatic transformation. The kitchen goes from looking like a set of open boxes to a recognizable kitchen with doors and drawers. This is typically the most satisfying part of the day to watch.
What might slow things down: Door and drawer alignment. Every door has three adjustment points per hinge, and most doors have two to three hinges. Achieving consistent gaps across the entire kitchen is an iterative process. Our teams typically do a rough pass on day one and return for final fine-tuning after countertops are installed (the weight of the countertop can shift things slightly).
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM: End-of-Day Wrap-Up
The first installation day is winding down.
What typically happens:
- Toe kicks are cut and installed (or left for day two depending on timing)
- Filler pieces and cover panels are measured, cut, and installed
- A preliminary cleanup happens
- The lead installer walks you through what was completed and what remains
- They discuss the plan for day two (if applicable)
- Tools are secured and the workspace is tidied
What remains for day two (if applicable):
- Final door and drawer adjustments
- Countertop installation (often by a separate crew)
- Plumbing reconnection
- Appliance installation
- Touch-up and final cleanup
- Crown molding or trim work
Day Two and Beyond
Most mid-size IKEA kitchens require two days for cabinet installation. Here is what typically happens on subsequent days:
Day Two: Finishing Work
- Final door and drawer alignment (the meticulous pass)
- Remaining filler pieces and trim
- Crown molding installation
- Countertop installation (if IKEA laminate — stone countertops usually come later)
- Plumbing hook-ups (supply lines, drain, dishwasher connection)
- Appliance installation and testing
- Hardware installation (knobs and pulls)
- Final cleanup and walkthrough
Day Three (Larger Kitchens or Complex Projects)
- Stone countertop installation (by the fabricator's crew)
- Final plumbing connections after countertop
- Backsplash preparation
- Punch list items
Tips for Homeowners During Installation
Be available but not hovering. Your installers need to focus. Be nearby to answer questions but give them space to work. Check in during breaks rather than interrupting mid-task.
Decisions may be needed. Despite thorough planning, real-world conditions sometimes require adjustments. The installer may ask whether you prefer to shift a cabinet an inch to avoid a pipe, or whether you want filler on the left side rather than the right. Being available to make quick decisions keeps the project moving.
Take photos. Before the walls are covered by cabinets, photograph the stud locations, plumbing, and electrical. This documentation is invaluable for future maintenance or modifications.
Expect dust and noise. Even with careful preparation, sawdust, drywall dust, and drilling noise are part of the process. Close bedroom doors and cover sensitive electronics in nearby rooms.
Do not panic about gaps and misalignments mid-day. Cabinets go through a rough alignment phase before the final fine-tuning. What looks crooked at 2 PM will be straight by 5 PM.
Keep children and pets safe. An active installation site has power tools, sharp edges, open cabinet frames, and debris. Set up a safe, separate area for children and pets well away from the kitchen.
Plan your meals. Your kitchen will be out of commission for the entire day (and potentially several days). Stock up on takeout menus, keep a cooler with drinks and snacks, and set up a temporary coffee station in another room. Many of our clients in suburban PA and MD set up their outdoor grill as a temporary cooking solution during warmer months.
What If Something Goes Wrong?
Even well-planned installations occasionally hit unexpected issues. Here is how common day-of problems are handled:
Missing or damaged IKEA parts: If a critical part is missing despite pre-verification, the installer may be able to continue with other cabinets while you or a team member makes a trip to the nearest IKEA store. For mid-Atlantic projects, the Conshohocken PA and College Park MD stores are usually within an hour's drive.
Unexpected wall or floor conditions: Discovering hidden water damage, deteriorated studs, or other problems behind old cabinets is not uncommon in older homes. The installer will assess the severity and discuss options — sometimes a quick repair is possible, but significant damage may require pausing the installation to bring in a specialist.
Plumbing or electrical conflicts: If pipes or wires are not where the plan assumed, adjustments may be needed. Minor shifts can be accommodated by modifying cabinet cutouts. Major conflicts may require a plumber or electrician to relocate the utility.
Weather delays: For projects where materials are stored in a garage or outside, extreme weather (summer heat, winter cold, or heavy rain) can affect material handling and adhesive curing. Professional installers account for this in their planning.
What Makes a Good Installation Day
After hundreds of installation days, we know that the best ones share common traits:
- Thorough pre-installation preparation — the wall prep and demolition are done properly before cabinet day
- Complete IKEA order — every box is accounted for and accessible
- Clear access — the workspace is clear, boxes are organized, and there is room to maneuver
- Good communication — homeowner and installers are on the same page about the plan and priorities
At Kitchen Fitters, we make installation day stress-free for homeowners across Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Washington DC. We handle everything from pre-installation prep through final hardware installation, and we keep you informed throughout the process. Schedule your installation and experience a smooth, professional IKEA kitchen install.