Sequence kills more kitchen remodels than bad taste does.
A homeowner picks beautiful cabinets, great countertops, and solid flooring—then watches the project drag on for weeks longer than it should because the trades showed up in the wrong order. Or worse, finished work gets torn out to fix something that should have been done first. This guide walks through the correct sequence for a full kitchen remodel, explains why each step sits where it does, and flags the mistakes that cost real money when they happen.
Why Order Matters More Than Speed
Every phase of a kitchen remodel either enables or depends on the phase before it. Electrical rough-in (running wires through the walls and ceiling before they're covered up) has to happen before drywall. Drywall has to happen before cabinets. Cabinets have to be set before countertops are templated. Countertops have to be installed before the sink goes in. Skip ahead or overlap steps to save time, and you end up redoing work that was already paid for.
A contractor who has done this many times knows the sequence cold. A homeowner managing a string of subcontractors independently often learns it the hard way.
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Phase 1: Design and Planning (Before Anything Gets Touched)
No tool should touch your kitchen until the design is fully resolved. That means:
- Cabinet layout drawn and confirmed, with every dimension checked against the actual field measurements—not the builder's plans from ten years ago
- Appliance selections made, because appliance sizes drive cabinet dimensions and the location of electrical circuits
- Countertop material chosen, because some materials (natural stone, for example) require longer lead times for fabrication
- Permit pulled, if your jurisdiction requires one for the scope of work
In Sioux Falls and the surrounding communities—Harrisburg, Tea, Brandon, Hartford, and others—permit requirements vary by scope. Moving a load-bearing wall, relocating plumbing, or adding electrical circuits typically requires a permit. Skipping it to save time is one of the more expensive shortcuts a homeowner can take, because unpermitted work can surface at resale.
Do not order cabinets until field measurements are complete. Standard dimensions on a drawing rarely match the actual walls in an older home.
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Phase 2: Demo
Once the permit is in hand and materials are on order, demo begins. Cabinets come out, flooring is removed if it's being replaced, and any walls being modified are opened up.
A few things to do right during demo:
- Shut off water at the supply valves before disconnecting the sink
- Cap electrical circuits properly—don't leave live wires loose in the wall
- Check what's behind the walls before you close them back up. Older homes in this region sometimes have wiring or plumbing that wasn't where anyone expected it
Demo is also when you find the surprises: subfloor damage from an old leak, plumbing that was never brought up to code, or a soffit hiding a duct run that needs to be rerouted. Better to find it now than after the new cabinets are in.
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Phase 3: Rough-In Work (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing)
This is the phase most homeowners don't see and the one that matters most. Rough-in means running everything through the open walls and ceiling before they're closed up:
- Plumbing rough-in: Relocating the drain and supply lines if the sink or dishwasher is moving
- Electrical rough-in: Running circuits for the refrigerator, dishwasher, microwave, range, and any new outlets required by code—kitchens have specific requirements for outlet placement and circuit capacity
- HVAC: Rerouting ductwork if a soffit is being eliminated or a range hood is being vented to the exterior
All rough-in work gets inspected (if permits were pulled) before the walls close. This is non-negotiable. An inspector needs to see the work in the wall, not guess at it through drywall.
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Phase 4: Insulation and Drywall
Once inspections pass, insulation goes in any exterior walls or walls adjacent to unconditioned space, and then drywall gets hung, taped, and finished. In a kitchen, moisture-resistant drywall (sometimes called greenboard or a similar product—a type of drywall with a water-resistant facing) is appropriate behind the sink area and near the dishwasher.
Get the drywall finish smooth before painting. Cabinets will cover a lot, but the area above the uppers, the sides of any cabinet runs, and the ceiling above the range hood will all be visible.
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Phase 5: Flooring (Sometimes)
Here's a choice point that trips people up: do you install flooring before or after cabinets?
The honest answer is it depends on the flooring type and the cabinet style, but there's a logical default. If you're running a continuous floor (luxury vinyl plank, tile, hardwood) across the entire space, installing it before cabinets lets you:
- Avoid cutting around each cabinet base
- Make future cabinet replacement easier—you won't have a bare subfloor patch where the old cabinets sat
- Get a cleaner look at the toe kick
The tradeoff is that you're putting new flooring at risk during cabinet installation. A good crew protects it. Tile, because it needs a flat, stable subfloor and specific substrate preparation, is often worth doing before cabinets for the same continuity reasons—but the tile setter and cabinet installer need to coordinate on how the base cabinets land on the tile field.
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Phase 6: Cabinet Installation
Cabinets go in after drywall is painted (at least primed) and flooring is down. The sequence within cabinet installation matters too:
- Find the high point of the floor and use it as your reference—if you set base cabinets level to a low point, the uppers won't land right
- Upper cabinets first, so you're not reaching over base cabinets while hanging them
- Base cabinets next, shimmed level and screwed into wall studs
- Doors and drawers adjusted—gaps should be even, faces should be flush
Cabinet installation done right is methodical and slow. Rushing it shows in every door that doesn't close cleanly.
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Phase 7: Countertop Templating and Installation
Do not template countertops until cabinets are fully installed and level. Fabricators—the shops that cut and finish countertop slabs—template off the actual installed cabinets, not off a drawing. If you template too early and then a cabinet shifts during final adjustment, the countertop won't fit.
After templating, expect a fabrication lead time. Use that window to get the backsplash tile purchased if you haven't already.
Countertops land on the cabinets. Sink cutouts and cooktop cutouts are made at the shop based on your appliance specs.
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Phase 8: Plumbing and Electrical Finish (Trim-Out)
With countertops in, the plumber returns to set the sink, hook up the dishwasher supply and drain, and install the faucet. The electrician returns to install outlets, switches, under-cabinet lighting, and connect appliances.
This is called trim-out or finish mechanical—all the visible, final connections that couldn't happen until the surfaces were in place.
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Phase 9: Backsplash Tile
Backsplash tile goes in after countertops and before the final appliance installation, so the tile setter has a clean working surface at counter height and isn't working around the range. Grout, seal if required, and let it cure before cooking anything that splatters.
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Phase 10: Appliance Installation and Final Trim
Range, refrigerator, microwave, and dishwasher get set. Cabinet hardware goes on—pulls and knobs are the last thing to install so they're not in the way during any of the earlier work. Touch-up paint. Final cleanup. Walk-through.
That's a kitchen.
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What to Do This Week
If you're planning a kitchen remodel, here are four concrete things to do before calling anyone:
- Write down every appliance you want and look up its exact dimensions. Width, depth, and height all affect cabinet layout. Don't assume standard sizes.
- Walk your kitchen and note every outlet, switch, and light fixture location. Think about where you actually want them versus where they are now. Sharing this with a contractor saves time in the design conversation.
- Check whether your countertop material of interest has a local fabricator or requires shipping time. Ask the supplier directly. Lead times affect your project schedule.
- **Ask any contractor you're interviewing to walk you through their sequence.** If they can't explain it clearly, that's useful information.
- Pull your local permit office's website and search "kitchen remodel." Knowing what triggers a permit in your jurisdiction before the first meeting makes you a better-informed client.
A kitchen remodel is a big project. The sequencing isn't mysterious—it's just logic applied in order. Getting it right the first time means less wasted work, fewer surprises, and a finished kitchen that holds up. If you're putting together a project in Sioux Falls, Harrisburg, Tea, Brandon, or anywhere nearby, we're licensed (SD license #14544), bonded, and insured, and we own the whole project from layout to final cleanup.
