The order of work in a kitchen renovation

Walls close only after the inspector has seen what is inside them. That rule sets the sequence of a kitchen renovation in Bellevue, WA, and the order laid out for kitchen renovation bellevue protecting creation (the pages here follow it from the first sledge swing to the last caulk bead) rests on it.

Demolition and what it uncovers

Cabinets, counters and flooring come out first, then the drywall if the plan moves services. Opening a wall in a house built in the decades around Crossroads and Factoria growth often shows old wiring, patched plumbing or a notched stud. Those findings change the next phase, so the framer comes back before anyone orders anything cut to size.

Framing fixes and rough-in

If a wall moves or a header is added for an opening, framing comes first. Plumbing and electrical rough-in follow, because a drain line needs slope and a wire needs a path before the studs are covered. The range hood duct also goes in here, run to the outside wall by the shortest route with the fewest turns. Anything tucked behind a finished wall later means cutting it open again.

The inspection stop

Rough electrical and plumbing get looked at before insulation and drywall. Work stops until that passes, and in King County the inspector's calendar sets how long the wait lasts. A kitchen with no drywall and a pile of lumber in the dining room is normal during this wait, and nothing else in the sequence can safely go ahead of it.

Drywall, paint and flooring

Drywall goes up, gets taped, mudded and sanded, then primed. Flooring is next in many jobs because cabinets set on top of it, though some installers prefer to run the floor after the boxes. Either way, the plan should name which one it is, since a mismatch leaves a gap along the toe kick that somebody has to patch.

Cabinets, templates and countertops

Boxes are set level from the highest point of the floor, shimmed, and screwed to studs. Only then does the countertop fabricator come to measure, because a template taken before the cabinets are fixed in place can be off by an eighth of an inch or more. Fabrication takes days to weeks depending on material, and the kitchen has no counter surface in the meantime.

Backsplash, finish plumbing and final

Backsplash tile goes on after the counters so the bottom edge meets the surface cleanly. Sink, faucet, range and lights are hooked up last, followed by trim, touch-up paint and a final inspection. Skipping around this order costs days, not saves them, since every out-of-sequence step usually gets undone and redone by the next trade on site.