An IKEA kitchen cabinet installation has become an increasingly popular choice for homeowners wanting to give their kitchen a face lift, and with good cause. An IKEA kitchen cabinet installation has its own unique look and the variety of styles and options available are staggering. They offer the possibility of having a truly custom kitchen at a very reasonable price. There are, however some realities that need to be taken into account when determining what the true price is.
IKEA kitchen cabinets are, at their core, a DIY product. Their true cost savings comes with the consumer doing the assembly and often the installation. The reality is that the majority of consumers do not have the time, tools, or skillset to assemble and install an IKEA kitchen. So when any part of that equation changes, so does the cost savings. No big surprise. What can be surprising is just how much that can change if one is not armed with knowledge.
How Long Does It Take?
The primary thing to take into consideration is how labor intensive assembling, installing, and trimming these cabinets is. One can get lulled into thinking, “I could put one of these things together in 10 – 15 minutes.” What can fool you are the details you don’t think of and how it can all add up. Let’s do an example with the standard SEKTION base cabinet and MAXIMERA drawer. Size doesn’t matter here, as they all go together the same way. We will add in some time for extra large cabinets. The first one or two cabinets you assemble will take a bit longer but as you get the hang of it, you will get a little faster. Once you decipher the pictographic instructions and can put one together without checking back on every step, we will start counting time. These are averages. Some operations may take a little less time, some may take a little more.
SEKTION cabinet:
Unpack and assemble basic cabinet box with legs = 20 min.
Set, level, and install bracket covers = 10 min. (Does not include installation of wall rail)
Total = 30 min. per cabinet (No doors or drawers)
MAXIMERA drawer:
Unpack drawer and drawer front, assemble basic drawer with drawer front, prep slides = 15 min.
Install slides in cabinet, install drawer, and tweak in 3 dimensions = 10 – 15 min.
Total = 25 – 30 min.
Door installation:
Unpack door and hinges and install hinges = 5 min.
Hang door and tweak in 3 dimensions = 8 – 12 min.
Total = 13 – 17 min.
Extras:
Getting it all organized! You will have a lot of boxes and pieces/parts to organize and inventory = 30 – 60 min.
Install and level mounting rails = 5 – 10 min. per ft.
Cut and fit toe kick = 3 min. per ft.
Attach cabinets to adjacent cabinet = 10 min.
Filler strips = 10 – 20 min. ea.
Set and secure islands = 40 – 60 min.
End panels = 15 – 30 min. depending on type
Back panels (islands) = 20 min.
Here is a real life example from an installation I recently did:
9 Base cabinets = 270 min.
1 Wall cabinet = 45 min. (assemble and hang)
1 Pantry cabinet = 50 min. (assemble and hang)
21 Drawers = 630 min.
4 Doors = 80 min.
2 Lg. doors = 50 min. (assemble and hang)
5 Cabinet island = 60 min. (set and secure)
4 End panels = 60 min.
1 Back panel = 20 min. (island)
1 divider panel = 20 min.
Toe kick = 60 min. (approx 17 ft.)
Wall rail = 25 min. (approx. 13 ft.)
Total time =Â 1,370 min. or approx. 23 hrs.
As you can see, that is a pretty big time commitment. Chances are, unless you are really pretty handy, it will take you longer. I do from time to time have customers who like to get in there and pick up the tools and do the assembly themselves and have me do the installation. I respect that and have done this with a few customers. I am willing to talk about it if this is something you are considering. I will say, however, that my experience with this has not always been the best. Here’s why; there are details in the assembly that need to be paid attention to, otherwise the installation can be problematical. I am happy to provide you with tips and pointers on assembly, but it comes down to how skilled you are and how much time you have.
Hiring Someone To Do It
 Unless you have a lot of free time or are in no hurry to have your kitchen completed, hiring a professional to do the assembly and installation makes the most sense. Better to use your time to make money with your core competencies to pay for your new kitchen. When finding someone to do the installation you will find that many handymen and contractors don’t want to hassle with IKEA cabinets because they are so outside of their comfort zone and so labor intensive. The learning curve can be steep. That is totally understandable. I had a General Contractor recently opt to do it himself because I was not able to meet his timeline. His words to me? “Never again!”
I don’t mind IKEA cabinets at all. In fact I LOVE them. But I charge what they are worth. No apologies. Simply put, they can be expensive to have assembled and installed and that is something that many people don’t understand going in so they get sticker shock. As a guideline, you can expect to pay 50% – 65% of the cost of the cabinets for the assembly and installation.
How much does that change the affordability of an IKEA kitchen cabinet installation? Remember, you are pricing a custom kitchen. You would obviously have to comparison shop better quality kitchen cabinets that have the same or similar features with IKEA cabinets and professional installation. My feeling is that IKEA would still come out on top. Especially if you want that distinctive IKEA look.
If you live in the Durham-Raleigh area and are considering or planning an IKEA kitchen cabinet installation, let me know and I will give you a quote so you can make your comparisons.