Kitchen cabinet installation is frequently the longest lead-time item in a renovation — the time to install once cabinets arrive is much shorter than the time to order and receive them. Here's what the actual timeline looks like for cabinet installation in Greater Boston.
Cabinet lead times in the Boston market run 6–14 weeks from order to delivery depending on manufacturer and product line. Stock cabinets from big box retailers can be available in 1–2 weeks. Semi-custom cabinets from domestic manufacturers run 6–10 weeks. Custom cabinetry runs 10–16 weeks. If you order cabinets the day demolition starts, you're looking at a kitchen out of commission for 6–10 weeks minimum. We order cabinets at contract signing — before demolition starts — so they arrive close to the completion of rough work and are ready to install immediately. NKBA kitchen planning resources →
A full kitchen cabinet installation in an average 10x12 Boston kitchen — base cabinets, wall cabinets, and a pantry — takes 2–3 days for an experienced installer. Larger kitchens with islands and complex layouts take 3–5 days. This assumes all cabinets arrive complete and undamaged, rough work is complete, and walls are ready. In older Boston kitchens, out-of-plumb walls and floors often add a half-day to a day of shimming and scribing work. KCMA cabinet certification standards →
Cabinet installation is not the first step in a kitchen renovation — it happens after rough plumbing, rough electrical, drywall, and flooring (unless flooring goes under cabinets, which is preference-dependent). The sequence error we see on rushed projects is installing cabinets before plumbing rough-in is complete, requiring cabinet removal or modification to finish the plumbing. Our sequencing: demolition → rough plumbing and electrical → drywall → cabinet installation → countertop template → countertop install → plumbing and electrical finish → appliances → tile → paint → punch list.
Damaged cabinets on delivery are the most common problem — inspect every box before the delivery driver leaves. Manufacturer substitutions (different door style, wrong finish) are caught at delivery and require reorder, adding weeks. In older Boston homes, the most common installation challenge is a floor that drops significantly across the kitchen width — this requires shimming base cabinets to level, affecting countertop template dimensions and potentially requiring scribe molding at the floor. We factor these variables into every cabinet installation estimate. HomeAdvisor cabinet cost data →
Need Kitchen Cabinet Installation in Boston?
AURA Painting Inc serves all Boston neighborhoods. Licensed MA #193121, fully insured, 2-year warranty. Free estimates — most jobs scheduled within the week.
Call (617) 777-7700 ← Back to Kitchen Cabinet Installation