I asked my DH about this and he said that any reasonable handyman can assemble the cabinets but installing them requires a little more experience or accuracy.

One of my GC's (NJ prices) quoted $1500 for installation and he would do that for both assembling IKEA (plus glueing for strength) or already assemblted cabinets.

The only challenge with IKEA is that you have limited choices for sizes; e.g. 15", 18, 21"... Custom cabinets can be made to fit your kitchen perfectly. But you can't beat IKEA for price (it was more than 65% less than semi custom cabinets when I priced it out).

Yes, it's the 50% more cost savings that keeps drawing me back. I have worked out a plan with a few compromises from the custom design but not anything I could not live with. I guess I just don't "know" if I can do it. On the other hand I think I would feel a big sense of accomplishment if I could actually pull it off.

I'm not Morton5, but I had a non-Ikea installer install my cabinets, so I thought I'd answer. I hired a carpenter to hang my cabinets. He had never installed anything other than traditional face-frame cabinets. He'd done lots of those, though.

I had him watch the installation DVD (or was it a video on the Ikea site? or maybe Ikeafans?). He was skeptical, but game.

I think a handyman type would do just fine. After all, they're supposed to be DIY, and lots of people have installed the cabinets themselves.

The big thing is getting the suspension rail installed level and shimming it out to plumb. The installer also needs to decide what sort of fasteners to use. (I have studs and drywall in the kitchen (plaster elsewhere), and my carpenter used 3" lag bolts. I emailed with an official Ikea installer who said that was overkill, but that's not a problem.) If you don't know what fasteners to use, the people at Ikeafans are really helpful.

Once you get the suspension rail up, the upper cabinets are ridiculously easy to hang. As for the lower cabinets, my carpenter first found the high point on the floor, then measured up 34.5" from there and made a level mark all the way around where the cabinets would be. Then I assembled the cabinets and put the feet on them, and we just went around adjusting the feet to get the top of the cabinets up to that level.

Once they appeared to be pretty level, he took sheets of MDF (which he later re-used on another project) and made a temporary counter so that he could check for level every which way. They're about as perfect as you can get.

Good luck!

Thanks Joann23456. That is very helpful information. Getting it level seems to be one of the most important things. It seems possible as long as I am not in a huge hurry. For the savings it is probably worth it.

I am also worried about the little details like the end panels and crown moulding. I guess I feel like I could live with it in a semi-unfinished state as long as it is functional.

I remember loving your custom doors. How did everything turn out for you? I may have missed your finished kitchen post.

Thanks! No, you didn't miss it - I haven't posted it yet. We went on to do the laundry room and the downstairs bath and the hallway and are still not done. I'm actually just finishing up installing the floor.

I'll post finished pictures ... someday ...:)

Thanks for the compliment, odiegirl13.

I'm afraid the GC did not break out the elements of my job in my contract, so I don't know what the cabinet installation cost. The $ paid to the GC included other items, like plumbing, electrical, HVAC, framing and drywalling, and appliance installation. We also had to re-engineer support for a floor joist.

One of the reasons that I did not use an Ikea installer is that they did not have subs for certain parts of my job (like venting the hood), and I had the general impression that they were in the business of knocking out a few kitchens a month. Their estimate seemed very loosey-goosey to me, and clearly missed some items of the job. The GC I picked was probably 50 percent more expensive, but I thought I would get a better job in a reasonable time frame. I'm confident I did. The total project took about 6 weeks start to finish, including about a week to refinish hardwoods throughout the first floor of the house.

The GCs carpenter was meticulous and excellent. I also gave him the Ikea DVD and installation guide, but he was already familiar with installing European-style cabs (from closet systems, I think), so it wasn't totally new to him. I think that he probably went more slowly with the cab installation than Ikea installers would. Everything is level. In addition, his trim work is very clean. I think this makes a big difference to the quality of an installation. He had to cut a few slivers of filler, and mitre the crown moulding and install the light rail, and trim out the fridge, and it all looks great. When I see similar trim pieces installed in the Ikea displays it often looks gappy and sloppy to me, so I really appreciate the time my carpenter took with this detail work.

So, I think a handyman would be able to install the cabinets, but you would also want to be confident of his carpentry skills so that the trim, toe kicks and any filler you would have would look well.

Also, who would coordinate other aspects of your job? You can certainly do it yourself, but there are a lot of details to consider. In my case, we also had a structural problem to resolve that I would have had no idea how to tackle. So for me, a GC was the answer.

Depending on how complex the job is, you might want to consider doing what one of my neighbors did: they assembled and hung the cabinets themselves, then got a trim carpenter in to do the finish work. It turned out very nicely.

(Her kitchen was quite small, though, and they weren't making major changes to the floor plan. I don't think they would have tackled something as deluxe as morton5's big beautiful kitchen.)

Morton5 is right about the trim. That's something I forgot. I'm not sure a handyman would know how to scribe the fillers so they fit perfectly, as mine do. The trim work came up in other areas, too.

I think you guys are totally right about either hiring a carpenter for the whole thing or separating the trim work from the basic cabinet installation. I will have some filler and I was worried about that as well.

(My DH looks like he is having a panic attach every time I mention IKEA).

I'm at the stage where my 17 IKEA cabinets are assembled and I'm waiting for my GC to make the kitchen ready for installation. Assembling the cabinets is what probably takes the most time and accounts for a good deal of the price of a hired installer. I think hanging the cabinets will not be hard. I will find the high point of the floor and make my lines for hanging the upper and lower cabinets using a Fat Max Cross Line Level that I have tested for accuracy. Marking those lines (and the one for the bottom ledger boards) is, I think, the hardest part of the job. 3" #10 screws and Snaptoggles will hold the cabinets up.

Scribing the fillers is not hard. Look at the ATOH video where it is shown just how to do this, though for a floor, beginning at about 1:55 on the video. It's the same principle for a kitchen cabinet filler. Any small gap can be trimmed out.

Here is a link that might be useful: Scribing a Line to Make it Fit

>My DH looks like he is having a panic attach every time I mention IKEA

Make him watch the installation video. Of course those are impossibly perfect people with impossibly perfect walls (and impossibly perfect children, too), but it does encourage the idea that you can do this.

Thanks guys. I feel better about everything. I think my DH just gets so frustrated doing simple handy tasks. He lost his dad early in life and there was no one to show him anything remotely handy. I at least had the benefit of being the daughter of an engineer who could fix anything. DH's other hang up is who do you call when something goes wrong. I told him the cabinetmaker could go out of business. There are always other carpenters out there and I don't think IKEA is going anywhere.

I know this is crazy but I really like the IKEA drawers better than wooden drawers. The custom guy uses 1/2'' baltic birch with Blum hinges and drawer guides. I guess he could always use the Tandembox but wouldn't that be more expensive than the custom drawers? My design is basically all drawers and pullouts on the bottom cabinets plus a lazy susan.

I also know he orders his doors which I could do as well. His cabinet installation looks exactly like IKEA's.

Still thinking...

You could always get one cabinet (leave off the doors for now, which are the most expensive part) and put that together so DH can see that there's really no rocket science in it. The box itself isn't very expensive.

I want to go to IKEA again just to look around. I am lucky to be in Atlanta. We have put together numerous desks and bookcases. I don't think they could be too much more complicated??? DH seems to be losing a little bit of the panic look.

I would have to make a few compromises or figure out a few IKEA hacks. Nothing big.

More thinking...

A friend is in town doing two Ikea kitchens for family. I tried to get an invite to "help" but the timing has not worked out. He's a trained architect but really a handyman and he didn't have any problems (well they had a few problems but nothing that there wasn't an answer for) installing in an old home (they had to shim out the hanging rail because the walls sloped L to R). He likes details and is picky which I think is more the issue in terms of the trim etc. rather than skill. He has one done and another to go and he was quite impressed with the product (which he had not worked with before).

When I was ordering my edgebanding tools I noticed that Fastcap has a nice scribing tool (results could be achieved with something else but the tool looked easy to operate).

> I don't think they could be too much more complicated???

Nah. If you've done RTA furniture with cams, that's pretty much the same thing. The most important thing is to do what the directions say, and if something doesn't seem to work, just stop and take a good look. Usually you've got a piece upside down or something when that happens.

Odiegirl, my DH is NOT handy at all, but I went ahead and ordered, assembled and installed Ikea cabs by myself. Like Writersblock mentioned - I did order a test cab first to check both quality and ease of assembly before attempting a whole kitchen. The closest Ikea is over 1200 km away, so no way to check at a store.

Although it wasn't difficult, it was time consuming. I was pretty intimidated by the installation process, but did get them levelled and attached and I absolutely love them! I did a few mods and hacks which worked out well (so far, lol).

I used 12x30 doors for the upper cab end panels and will be using bead board for the lower end cab panels. The back of the peninsula will have 15x30 doors instead of the regular Ikea cover panels. I just thought that the doors looked richer.

I will likely need to get a trim carpenter to do the crown molding as that's something that I've never done, and I'd like to put up a substantial one. The filler pieces were not hard to do though, but I needed very few of them.

I have Lidingo, but I'm second guessing myself after seeing Morton5's gorgeous kitchen! Wow!

The kitchen is still a work in progress, but here's a pic: (please excuse the photoshopped backsplash - it's my next diy)

{{!gwi}}

>I have Lidingo, but I'm second guessing myself after seeing Morton5's gorgeous kitchen!

But yours looks great, too, dawn_t!

dawn_t that is one beautiful kitchen. I am so impressed. I was so excited to tell DH. Using the doors as end panels. Why couldn't I figure that out? That looks amazing. I sure wish I could use the white doors because I love all of the IKEA white kitchens.

There are a few things I love about the custom cabinetmaker's design. He can give me a 33'' sink base which allows me to have a 16'' trash and a small 6'' cabinet for towels between the sink and the lazy susan. Maybe it is crazy to worry about losing that. Maybe I will post my wish list on IKEAFans.

I also worry about getting the upper cabinets symmetrical and using every inch of space. I am pretty close on my IKEA design.

I think the custom cabinets will end up costing around $11k-$12K for a 10'x12' L shape and a 3'x6' island. I priced out the Tidaholm doors on my IKEA L shaped plan and it came to around $3300. I think it was joann that said the Tida doors compare to getting custom painted doors from Scherr's.

This is probably TMI but I am trying to figure out if I can leave my part-time job. I am not getting any younger and I have a very unusual kid that I homeschool. (rhome puts me to shame). 2 years of fighting with the school and 4 years of finding tutors and teachers have taken their toll. Basically - I'm tired.

Anway, thanks everyone for all of the incredible tips and encouragement. I guess I also feel the need to build something with my own two hands.

Dawn_t, your kitchen is looking great! Have you built the hood yet, or is that photoshopped as well? Have you decided on that backsplash? What is the mural?

For those of you who are thinking of using doors as end panels, keep in mind that if there is high contrast between your door and the box (like with my dark doors), you will need to attach an end panel first, and then attach the door, else you will see a rim of the box color and it will spoil your high-end effect. It might be too many layers, I think. But for white doors, you can attach them to the white box instead of the end panel. You could also probably do birch-on-birch successfully.

Good luck, Odiegirl; I'm sorry you're feeling discouraged with the school. I think you would find putting together your Ikea kitchen to be a very satisfying project. It's TKO empowerment. Post your plans when you have a chance.

morton5 - thanks for the tip on end panels.

empowerment! The perfect word. That is exactly why I am still trying to keep my kitchen dream alive. I need something with more immediate results, something I can point to and say "I did that".

Morton5 - I have been meaning to ask if you would recommend your GC. You live in the DC area, right? If you'd like to share his name and contact info, I'd be grateful...if you'd rather not post it, could we do it by private email, please?

Thanks!
Chris

Sadly, scootermom, I was his last client in this area. He has moved to Florida. I will email you the contact info I have for his carpenter, though.

@odiegirl13, another option is to get Ikea cabinets for what works and then custom order what's left from Scherr's---I know a number of people over on IKEAFans have mixed and matched. Easy if you're ordering custom doors anyway, but at least a couple of people have done it creatively using Ikea doors too. Just another option if the specific configuration of just a few cabs is the deciding factor!

Regarding the Ikea cab installation. I think I could've done it if I had no children, lol. The only problem is the lack of totally vertical walls. They will have to cut a piece off an end panel to fill between the wall and the cabinet. That requries skill. Also, know that the measurements are a tiny off. about 1/16 to1/8 smaller than the dimensions given. But all that means is that you may need some filler at the end of the run that you didn't expect. That is only if you have a run of cabs between 2 perpindicular walls if I have explained that correctly.

in summary. Perfectly installable yourselves whatever your skill level, I think. Need an experienced, good carpenter or someone to do the final trim pieces to take care of any oddities with your wall.

Lastly, I used 4 legs on each cab. The rail in the back seemed daunting to me.

I believe Studio460 did their own, too.

Lisa

Thanks guys. The one thing I don't see done very often in IKEA installations is a 2" crown moulding with the cabinets to the ceiling. I know I will have to do a cleat??. I am worried about calculating the height correctly and getting the crown moulding to look level across the ceiling. My existing moulding looks level so maybe things are not too crooked in this 25 year old kitchen.

It is interesting about the hanging rail on the base cabinets now. Not sure if I understand it or if I would want to attempt it.

Thanks for the Scherr's recommendation. If I didn't have an IKEA in town I will probably lean toward them. I will probably use them for the doors. I just can't decide whether to paint them myself or not. I know their finish would be beautiful but it sure does add a lot to the cost. Rookie painter here though.

dawn_t, I emailed you to ask about your range hod! How did you do that? Your kitchen is gorgeous!

I would recommend having Scherr's paint the doors if you can swing it---they use a catalyzed paint finish, which is pretty impossible for a DIYer to replicate. We painted our (old) built-in cabinets a few years ago, and just couldn't make it look right---it's harder than it seems like it should be! They can apparently do any Sherwin Williams color.

Also, you mentioned that you have an Ikea in town---if so, they should have a list of local contractors who can do the install (at least ours does). You go directly to the contractor rather than through Ikea, but you're assured of getting someone who knows what they're doing.

I think you are totally right about the painting artemis. I may get my DH on board with the cabinets but not if I tell him "we" are doing the painting.

I have not found any local installers which is really surprising in a town the size of Atlanta. Maybe no one out in the 'burbs is doing IKEA? I guess I just need to look around for a carpenter to work with. It seems like there would be a few out there looking for some work.

I keep going back and forth, IKEA vs. custom. Must make decision!!!

>I have not found any local installers

Really? A quick search of Craigslist Services Offered in Atlanta produced this, and I bet you'd find even more using Angie's list.

Here is a link that might be useful: craiglist ikea installers atlanta

IKEA Man looks like he is available. I guess I need to check him out. I only saw one listing on IKEAFans last year and they never emailed me back.

I feel like I can put them together after all the bookcases and desks over the years. The trim work is what worries me.

Well, if you can hang them up, any good trim carpenter should be able to help you with the rest of it.

I'd definitely do a fair amount of asking around about installers, some of them just do the part you could easily do yourself, if they're more RTA assemblers than kitchen specialists.

I need to just get with it and find a carpenter. My idea is to build the cabinets and stack them around the LR and DR or wherever they will fit. I need 14 cabinets. From my current plans I will need 3 of them customized - a 36'' cut down to 33'' for the sink cabinet, a 18'' cut down to a 16'' trash (may be dumb to do since they do have a 15'') and a 12'' cut down to a 6'' cabinet to fill the space next to the sink.

I went to IKEAFans today and realized that the plan I posted out there is over a year old. Gotta get movin'.

I lost track of this thread. Thanks Scrappy, and sorry, but the hood is just a photoshopped version of one that I'm going to try and build. Hope to hack it out of a cut down 30 in base cab (probably 20 inches deep) and turn it upside down so that the open end is at the bottom and then attach my range hood insert there. I plan to use two 15x15 doors and cut an arched shaped piece to cover the front area just underneath the doors. Might get creative and add a bit of crown molding as a faux shelf under the doors. Will post pics if I ever get it done :)

I ordered extra base cabs/doors when I did my kitchen, cut them down to 21 inches deep and used them as bathroom vanities. They are solid (so far, lol).

Odiegirl, are you planning on putting a door on the cut down 6 in cab by the sink or just leaving it open?

Dawn

I have about 23 inches between the lazy susan and a 33'' sink base. I would like to use 15''-16'' for trash but that leaves me a little room to for another cabinet?? I was thinking of using it to hang dish towels?? I was planning on putting cookie sheet and tray storage in the island but I have put off attempting the island and may just buy a free standing one for now. It is all these little details that get me. I need to study the installation and the various modifications people have done over at IKEAFans.