What to decide before demolition day

Elegant kitchen interior showcasing granite countertops and wooden cabinets.

The cabinets are supposed to be on order by now. Often the order is still a sketch in a drawer and the demolition date is a week away, and kitchen renovation bellevue protecting creation sets the order of decisions deliberately, with the longest lead times at the top. For a kitchen renovation in Bellevue, WA, the fastest way to stall a job is to open the walls before the selections are made.

Cabinets first

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Cabinet orders usually have the longest wait of any item. A custom or semi-custom order is built after the layout is final and measured, and the boxes may take weeks to arrive. Keep the old cabinets in place until the order is confirmed, so the household is not left with an empty room and no delivery date.

Appliance spec sheets

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The cutout width, the depth, the vent location and the power requirement all come from the spec sheet of the exact model. A range that needs a different gas line or a dishwasher with a taller toe space changes the rough-in. Pick the models before demolition and keep the sheets with the plans.

Sink, faucet and countertop

An undermount sink has to be on site before the fabricator can cut the counter. The faucet's hole count sets the drilling in the stone. Countertop material is picked at the slab yard in many cases, so allow time for a trip and for the template visit after the cabinets are set.

Lighting and electrical plan

Recessed lights, undercabinet strips and pendants are marked on the ceiling plan before the walls close. A homeowner who decides to add a pendant after drywall is up pays for patching. Older houses in the Eastside neighborhoods, such as those built before modern codes, may also need panel capacity checked early.

Flooring transitions

Decide where the new floor ends and the old one begins. A doorway threshold, a step down into a mudroom, or a change in height between old and new flooring all need a plan. Matching existing hardwood in a house on Cougar Mountain or near Lake Sammamish can mean pulling a few boards from a closet, so the order is placed early.

Lock the list in writing

A single page listing every selection, model number and color keeps the crew and the supplier working from the same information. Changes after demolition are possible, but each one usually moves the date of the phase behind it.