My opinion: hire someone experienced in Ikea cabinets, OR put them together yourself. In our last kitchen, I put all the cabs together with the help of a young friend/kid we paid like $10/hour (but I was right there with him.) The carpenters hung the boxes. Since they'd never worked with Ikea cabinets before, they did not use the Ikea wall hardware, and they swore and cursed over the (foreign to them) legs and toekicks. Ikea cabinets are different from standard ones, and these guys didn't take the time to read the directions and do it right. So they just screwed the boxes to the walls. Thanks goodness I put the boxes together, they probably would have just screwed those too!!! I think it would be worth your while to find an experienced installer who knows Ikea cabs. Especially if you choose not to put them together yourself. But it's kind of fun, actually!! get 2 or three friends and a couple bottles of wine and make a party of it! You should be able to get recommendations for installers from your local Ikea. Or search "Ikea" in the labor section of craigslist.

Hi Nora New, the kitchen planner that came out was Jenny I think and the contractor I ended up using was Michael Early construction. He is on houzz, just search under pros, you can see his previous projects. I'm not sure he's still a designated Ikea installer still, but I'm sure he can tell you. What I heard was that Ikea grossly underestimated the demand and that they were having major out of stock issues and therefore projects being delayed. Not sure what the situation is now. I also had good experience at the kitchen department in San Diego, they were really helpful. BUT this was my experience, I don't know anyone else personally who's gone through Ikea so I can only tell you my own experience. I have not used Ikea for bathrooms, my kitchen was the last project that I was dreading to start, I had already done bathrooms with other contractors. ikea installer vs. outside contractors, I think it's your personal choice. There are a few contractors that don't like to work on Ikea cabinets so I think you just have to do your research. I'm happy with the result. Good luck to you and let me know if you have any more questions. also there's another thread started by Marcia Dorherty (I think) that has a lot of detail about Ikea kitchens, check that out, it might be helpful.

Problem is Joe, without the toggles (or more fastening points) cabinets on rail systems will exert too much torque and bend the rail itself between the fastening points. While this isn't likely to make them fall off the wall , it will make it difficult or impossible to keep the cabs plumb if the rail flex exceedes the adjustment in the hanging bracket - which is very possible. This usually happens where two cabinets join together and there are two brackets pulling on the rail. And guess where thet usually happens ? Right in the center of rail fastening points. Murphy's law. It's also happens at the end of an open cabinet run where there is no stud to fasten the rail too. There , you must use something like a togglebolt. Or your cabinet will just flap in the breeze. Just use the bolts or similar, the cost and time savings Joe is advocating by not using them is just too great a risk. Joe , would you hang 6.5 feet of traditional wall cabinet by only 3 screws ? I doubt it. And if say you would then your hack, which I don't think for a even a second.

Since mine was a gut job, my contractor's subs were still there so basically they just moved to work in another room while Traemand was doing their thing. You can get an estimate from Traemand without any obligation, even before you buy your cabinets - Ikea sends them your kitchen drawings and in a few days they tell you how much to install. They don't calculate by linear feet - they look at how many base and uppers you have and the thing that drives up the installation price are the drawers. They cost more to assemble and install than cabinets. They put on any Ikea hardware for free and charge $7 a knob/pull if it's not Ikea (needless to say I went with Ikea!) I had an island (an L really) and got charged an extra $100 to secure it to the floor. My electrician had to run the wires for under cabinet lighting before Traemand came in and then he has to come back to finish connecting the wiring, otherwise your under cabinet wires show. If you buy a stock/laminate countertop from Ikea, Traemand will install it, otherwise Ikea contracts out with a stone yard to do that (I actually used Home Depot and just arranged for them to come template the day after Traemand). Contractor installs appliances last and plumber does dishwasher and line to fridge for icemaker/water filter. Yes, Traemand will do all toekicks and filler, although my contractor needed to remove the toekicks for the floors to be refinished, but I have hardwood. Hope this helps - I just had everything done a month ago and still am in the process of finishing so it's all fresh in my head.