How to Prepare Your Kitchen for New Countertops

Bright kitchen interior with wooden cabinets and granite countertops.

The stone is supposed to go in on the first visit. Often the crew arrives to find the cabinets not set, the sink still in a box, and a hallway too tight to carry a slab. The prep list sitting on countertops madison andover mn covers each countertop step for Madison, WI kitchens in the order the work happens, starting with the cabinets and ending with the plumbing.

Cabinets Go In Before Templating

Spacious modern kitchen with white cabinets and granite countertops.

Templating happens after the base cabinets are installed and fastened. The template records the actual cabinet tops and the wall lines, not the drawing. Cabinets that move after templating throw off every edge. Templating before the boxes are set means the cut stone will not fit, and no one can fix that on site.

Fixtures On Site or Specified

Contemporary kitchen with granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, and decorative elements.

The sink, faucet, and cooktop should be on the floor or named by exact model before the template is made. Cutouts and faucet holes are sized to those fixtures. A different sink cannot be swapped in after the cutout is made, because the opening is already cut. Granite and quartz cannot be recut to a larger size, and a slab that is cut too small is a loss.

One Flat Plane

Cabinet tops should be level and sit in one flat plane. Stone and quartz do not flex to follow a dip, and a long span with a low spot will crack at the cutout or open at a seam. Shims correct the low spots. Check with a straightedge across the run and along each side. Overhang and seam placement are laid out on the template, so a cabinet that shifts later spoils both. Older cabinets need their condition checked first, since not every old box can carry stone.

Sink Base and Dishwasher

An undermount sink is held by clips or adhesive fixed to the underside of the top, or by a support in the sink base. Clear the sink base completely so the installer can reach up under the stone. A dishwasher under stone is fastened to the cabinet sides with side brackets. Screws cannot be driven up into the stone, so the brackets must be on hand and the neighboring cabinets must be solid enough to take them.

Access and Plumbing

Slabs are carried on edge. The path from the door to the kitchen needs room to pass through doorways and turn corners, so clear furniture, take off doors if needed, and check the stairs. Winter in Madison, WI means ice and snow at the entry, so sweep and salt the walk too.

Plumbing is usually disconnected before the old top comes off. The supply lines and drain stay apart until the sink is set and the adhesive has cured. Plan for the kitchen to be without water for that period, and keep a second source for dishes.