Kitchen installation and cabinetry fit-off

Installation is where a drawing meets a room that is out of square. Cabinetry already supplied — by us, by a designer, by a flat-pack order — is levelled, scribed, fixed and adjusted until the runs read as one line, then benchtops are templated off what is actually standing.

Where install sits in the thirteen stages

SERVICE 11 / 13

Who books an install only

Homeowners in Oakleigh who have bought cabinetry and want it fitted properly rather than approximately. Designers and builders who need a fit-off crew for a documented kitchen. Renovators reusing sound carcasses and changing only the fronts and surfaces.

If the cabinetry has not been made yet, start at complete kitchen renovations or custom cabinetry instead.

REFERENCE PHOTO · SEALING AND FINISHING AT FIT-OFF

600 · 900 · 1200 MODULES

What a fit-off actually covers

A cabinet is only as straight as the floor it stands on, and Melbourne floors — particularly in older Oakleigh homes and post-war units — fall away quietly across a three metre run. Fit-off starts with a laser line, not a screwdriver. Legs are set to that line, end panels and fillers are scribed to the wall, and every carcass is packed and fixed so the whole bank sits on one plane before a single door goes back on.

From there the work is dimensional: appliance cavities checked against manufacturer clearances, sink and tap cut-outs confirmed, rangehood duct path cleared, then benchtops templated on the installed carcasses rather than off the original drawing. Splashback measurement follows the benchtop, because the finished surface is the only honest datum.

INSTALL SEQUENCE · 01 — 08

The order the work is done in

01 Site check and measure — walls, floor level and service positions confirmed against the setout before anything is unwrapped.02 Levelling and scribing — legs set to a laser line, end panels and fillers scribed to walls that are rarely square.03 Carcass fixing — cabinets joined, packed and fixed to studs or masonry so a long run reads as one straight line.04 Appliance cavities — oven, dishwasher and fridge openings verified against the actual appliances, not the catalogue nominal.05 Benchtop template — templated on installed cabinetry, then fabricated, delivered and fixed with joins placed where they read least.06 Splashback coordination — tiler or glazier scheduled after the benchtop lands so the measurement comes off the finished surface.07 Doors, drawers and hardware — fronts hung, gaps set, runners adjusted, handles drilled from a jig rather than by eye.08 Final adjustment — kicks fitted, sealant lines cut in, hinge tension balanced, then a walk through the room with you.

3MM GAP · 16MM FRONT · 500 RUNNER

Alignment is the part you keep looking at

Nobody notices a well-fixed carcass. Everybody notices a drawer front sitting a millimetre low against its neighbour, or a shadow gap that tapers along a bank of five. Setting those gaps is slow, repetitive work: hang, sight the line, adjust three ways on the hinge, adjust the runner, sight again.

Internal fit-out is finished at the same stage — dividers, inserts and pull-outs set out so the drawer works on day one. Planning that layer before install is covered in pantry and storage planning.

Mid fit-out: tiling still part-laid, wiring not yet terminated, ladder still in the room. Fronts are hung and gapped only once every carcass is level and fixed.

3 CHECKS · SITE · SERVICES · SUPPLY

What has to be ready before we arrive

Install day only runs to plan when three things are settled beforehand — the room itself, the rough-in behind the walls, and every item that has to be fitted on the day.

SITE

The room

Old kitchen stripped and rubbish removed. Floor laid or properly protected. Walls patched and painted anywhere cabinetry will not cover. Clear access from the street to the room for full-height panels and stone.

SERVICES

The rough-in

Plumbing and electrical roughed in at the positions shown on the plan, not near them. Duct path for the rangehood decided. Final connections made by licensed trades once benchtops are in.

SUPPLY

The goods

All cabinetry on site and checked against the order. Hardware, handles and appliances delivered. Benchtop material confirmed and slab selected.

FOUR QUESTIONS

Asked before an install is booked

More across the whole build on the renovation FAQ.

Will you install cabinetry bought elsewhere?

Yes — supplied and flat-pack joinery both, provided the documentation shows module widths and the delivery is complete. We check the schedule against the room before install day, because a missing filler stops a run.

Is the benchtop measured before or after installation?

After. Templating happens on levelled, fixed carcasses so the stone follows the real wall line. That is why an install is two visits with fabrication time between them.

Do you handle plumbing and electrical?

Licensed trades carry out connections; we coordinate their visits around the fit-off so the sink, appliances and lighting go live once the surfaces are in and sealed.

How long will the kitchen be out of action?

It depends on run length, benchtop material and how much of the rough-in is already done. The stage-by-stage picture is set out in how long a kitchen renovation takes.

FIT-OFF ENQUIRY · 11 / 13

Send the plan and the cabinetry schedule

Tell us the suburb, the run lengths and what is already on site. Installation work runs across Oakleigh, Oakleigh South, Oakleigh East, Hughesdale, Huntingdale, Carnegie, Murrumbeena, Chadstone and Clayton.

Complete kitchen renovationsCustom cabinetry and joineryKitchen benchtopsThe thirteen-stage processContact the workshop