Kitchen Cabinet Installation in Lakewood: One Team, From Design to Install

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Signs Your Kitchen Needs Full Cabinet Installation

Quick Summary: Sagging shelves, doors that won't close right, and swollen wood near the sink usually mean it's time for full cabinet installation, not another patch job. If your layout no longer fits how you cook, that's another clear sign the boxes themselves need to go.

Not sure if your kitchen needs a full cabinet swap or just a tune-up? That's a fair question, and we get asked it a lot. A wobbly hinge is a repair. A cabinet box that's pulling away from the wall is a different problem entirely.

  • Doors and drawers that stick, sag, or won't stay shut no matter how many times they've been adjusted
  • Soft or swollen particleboard near the sink base, a common issue in older Lakewood homes with original 1970s and 80s cabinetry
  • Water damage or peeling laminate along the toe kick where mop water and spills collect over the years
  • A layout that fights you every time you cook, not enough counter space, dead corners, no room for a dishwasher
  • Cabinets that were painted over so many times the doors don't line up anymore

We see this every week. Someone calls about one broken drawer, we take a look, and the whole box is shot underneath. You pull out the flour bin drawer and the bottom just gives way. That's usually the moment folks decide it's time for something new instead of another fix.

If your cabinets are structurally sound and it's really just one hinge or a scratched door front, you probably don't need a full install yet.

When Refacing Beats Full Cabinet Installation

Not every kitchen needs a full teardown. If your cabinet boxes are solid, square, and free of water damage, refacing might be all you need. We get this question a lot. Someone walks into our Lakewood showroom holding a paint swatch, sure they need new everything. Sometimes they don't.

  • The boxes are still square and attached tight to the wall, no sagging or gaps
  • You like the layout and don't want to move plumbing or electrical
  • The wood underneath is solid, just dated doors or worn finish
  • Your budget is tighter and you want a fresher look without a full rebuild

Refacing means new doors and drawer fronts, maybe new hardware, over your existing boxes. It's faster and less disruptive. If your boxes are warped from old water leaks, or the layout just doesn't work for how you cook, refacing won't fix that. Full Kitchen Cabinet Installation starts from the studs out. You get a layout built around your kitchen, not around what's already there.

Here's the honest test. Open a cabinet door and give the box a firm push. Does it flex? Do the shelves sag under normal weight? That's your answer leaning toward full installation, not refacing.

If you're weighing a bigger project, our Kitchen Remodeling in Lakewood, WA | Bandido Solutions page walks through what a full kitchen remodel involves beyond just the cabinets, layout changes, countertops, and island builds included.

Come by our Lakewood showroom. Our designer will look at photos or plans with you and give it to you straight, refacing or full installation, without pushing you toward the bigger job just because it's bigger.

Cabinet Installation in Lakewood's Older Homes: What to Expect

A lot of the homes around Lakewood went up in the 1950s and 60s. That changes the job. Walls settle over sixty-plus years. Corners that look square to the eye often aren't. Old plaster walls behave differently than modern drywall when you're anchoring heavy upper cabinets. Studs aren't always where you'd expect them to be.

We see this every week. A homeowner calls thinking their kitchen is a simple swap. Then we get in there and find the floor slopes an inch from one wall to the other.

That's not bad news. It just means the plan has to account for it before a single cabinet goes up. Here's what usually needs checking in an older Lakewood kitchen before install day:

  • Wall and floor level, since older framing shifts over time
  • Stud spacing behind existing drywall or plaster
  • Outdated electrical or plumbing that runs through cabinet zones
  • Ceiling height variations that affect upper cabinet placement
  • Old flooring that may need trimming or work

Skipping these checks is how you end up with cabinet doors that won't close or gaps you can see from across the room. Our team walks the space first, measures twice, and builds the plan around what your house looks like, not what a standard blueprint assumes. It's slower up front. It's the difference between cabinets that fit and cabinets that fight you every day.

Ready when you are - get in touch today.

(253) 254-1254

Schedule a Consultation. Bandido Solutions is ready to help.

One Connected Team From Design to Install

Here's a problem we see a lot in this trade. One company draws up the kitchen. A totally different crew shows up to install the cabinets. Nobody double checks the measurements against what got built. That gap is where cabinets end up crooked, doors that don't clear an island, or a fridge that won't fit its slot.

We don't work that way. Our designer and our install crew are on the same team, talking about your kitchen from day one. The person drawing your cabinet layout already knows how our crew handles tricky corners, tight galley kitchens, or a wall that's not quite square, because that happens more than people think in older Lakewood homes.

Come by our Lakewood showroom and you'll see what we mean. You can sit down with our designer, touch actual cabinet samples and finishes, and talk through your layout in person, not over email. It's a small thing, but it changes how the whole project feels.

So when installation day comes, there's no guessing. Our crew isn't reading someone else's plan for the first time, they're building the layout they helped design. Because we're licensed, bonded, and insured, you've got a real business standing behind the work, not a guy with a truck. Every project is different. Cabinet runs, layouts, and homes all vary, but our goal is to meet or exceed industry standards on every install we do.

How Kitchen Cabinet Installation Pricing Works

Cabinet pricing is not one number. It is a stack of smaller decisions. Each one moves the total up or down. Most contractors price by the box, meaning each cabinet is its own line item. Labor gets added for install, plus any extras like crown molding or soft-close hardware.

What drives the cost? A few things matter more than people expect.

  • Cabinet type: stock, semi-custom, or fully custom, each with a different price ceiling
  • Materials: solid wood boxes cost more than particle board with veneer
  • Layout complexity: a straight run is simpler than an L-shape with a corner cabinet
  • Old cabinet removal and disposal, especially in kitchens with tile backsplash tied into the old layout
  • Electrical or plumbing adjustments if the new layout shifts the sink or an outlet

Here's a scenario we run into a lot. A homeowner calls after pulling one cabinet door and finding water damage behind it. They thought they just needed new doors, but now the whole box needs replacing. That single discovery can change the scope of the entire project.

Ask any contractor these questions before signing anything: is the quote per cabinet or per linear foot, does it include removal of the old cabinets, and is hardware installation part of the labor or billed separate. Every project is different, so a fair contractor should walk your kitchen in person before giving you real numbers.

Our showroom in Lakewood is set up for exactly this kind of conversation. Come in, look at real cabinet samples and finishes, and talk through your layout with our designer face to face. It's a lot easier to plan a budget when you can touch the materials instead of guessing from a photo online.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Kitchen Cabinet Installation

How long does a full kitchen cabinet installation take?

Most full cabinet installations in Lakewood take one to two weeks from the first cabinet going up to the final walkthrough. Older homes can add a few days if we hit uneven walls or hidden wiring behind the drywall. Your timeline depends on kitchen size and how many surprises turn up once the old cabinets come down. We walk the space first so you get a realistic schedule, not a guess pulled out of thin air.

Do I need to be home while my cabinets are being installed?

You don't need to be there for every hour of the job, but we like you home for the start and the final walkthrough. That way you can point out anything unusual about the house and sign off on the finished layout together. Clear the kitchen counters and pantry ahead of time so our crew can work without stopping to move your dishes and small appliances.

What happens to my old cabinets after they're removed?

We haul away your old cabinets as part of the installation, so you don't need to arrange separate disposal. Boxes that are still solid sometimes get set aside if you want to reuse them in a garage or laundry room. Everything else goes out with our crew on install day. You're left with a clean kitchen and no leftover demo mess to deal with.

Can you install new cabinets around existing plumbing and electrical?

Yes, we build the layout around your existing plumbing and electrical whenever we can, which keeps costs down and avoids extra permit work. In Lakewood's older homes, sink lines and outlets aren't always where a modern kitchen plan expects them. We check this during our first walkthrough, so the plan accounts for it before install day instead of causing surprises halfway through.

What if my kitchen walls or floors aren't level?

Uneven walls and floors are common in Lakewood homes built in the 1950s and 60s, and we plan for it, not around it. Our crew checks wall and floor level, stud spacing, and ceiling height before a single cabinet goes up. Skipping this step is how cabinet doors end up sticking or gaps show up along the wall. A little extra measuring up front saves headaches later.

Can I see cabinet samples before committing to a full installation?

Yes, come by our Lakewood showroom and touch actual cabinet samples and finishes before you decide anything. Our designer will sit down with you, look at your kitchen photos or plans, and talk through whether refacing or full installation makes more sense for your space. It's a face-to-face conversation, not a guess based on pictures online, so you know exactly what you're getting into.

Ready to Get Started?

Schedule a Consultation. Call (253) 254-1254 today.