Island Installation (no plumbing/electrical moves)
Handis island installation in pure carpentry scope is the cabinet-trade work that sets a stock or pre-built kitchen island in the middle of a kitchen with no plumbing supply or drain, no disposal, no dishwasher, and no new outlet or under-cabinet lighting circuit on the island itself — from $2,000 for a stock island install to $6,000 for a custom-built island with a stone counter. The 1962 Issaquah ranch where the homeowner wants the open floor between the kitchen and the dining room to become an island with bar seating. The L-shape kitchen where the peninsula was knocked out two years ago and the room has felt unfinished ever since. The new-build kitchen where the cabinet order arrived complete but the island assembly was not included in the delivery scope. Pure carpentry — shim to level on the actual floor, scribe to any wall or peninsula the island attaches to, secure through the toe-kick into joists or a slab, counter on top. Adding a sink, a disposal, a dishwasher, or a new outlet on the island routes the project to a different scope path entirely (Sinks & Fixtures hub or a licensed Washington L&I electrician for a new circuit). We are honest on the booking call about which scopes fit pure carpentry and which need the sub.
Service
How a Pure-Carpentry Island Installation Works
Six sequential steps from the floor-location layout through the final counter set — the actual sequence we follow on every no-plumbing-no-electrical island install.
Floor-Location Layout and Clearance Confirmation
Island footprint marked on the floor with painter's tape, walked with the homeowner to confirm clearances (36 inches minimum walk-around, 42 inches preferred). Floor-joist direction verified with a 1.5-inch hole-saw test bore at the corner of the footprint on a joisted floor; slab marked for masonry anchors on a slab-on-grade build.
Island Cabinet Assembly (RTA) or Inspection (Pre-Built)
RTA island cabinet assembled per manufacturer specification in a staging area (dining room or garage). Pre-built island inspected against the packing list, any damaged or missing pieces flagged for replacement order before install proceeds. Every joint checked for square with a framing square.
Shim to Dead-Level on the Actual Floor
Island cabinet set on the marked footprint, high point of the floor identified, toe-kick shimmed at every low point with cabinet shims. Cabinet top verified dead-level across the entire island with a 4-foot bubble level and a laser level if available.
Scribe End Panel (Where Island Meets a Wall or Peninsula)
For islands that meet a wall or attach to an existing peninsula on one side, scribe the end panel to the actual wall or existing cabinet face with a compass transfer and a belt sander. The cabinet sits flush against the wall or peninsula the entire length with no visible gap.
Secure to Floor Through the Toe-Kick
On a joisted floor, structural lag screws sized to the cabinet line driven through the toe-kick into floor joists located by the test bore. On a slab-on-grade floor, masonry anchors set with a hammer-drill and Tapcon (or similar) concrete anchor. The island does not move when leaned on.
Counter Set, Doors Hung, Walkthrough
Counter installed on the island — stock standalone counter installs same-day, templated stone counter returns from the fabricator 1 to 2 weeks after the cabinet set and requires a second visit. Doors hung on the manufacturer hinges, drawer fronts attached with manufacturer clips, three-way reveal adjustment. Walkthrough, one-year project warranty starts.
Island Installation Pricing
Final pricing depends on island size, cabinet line (stock, RTA, pre-built, custom-built), counter type and lead time (stock standalone counter installs same-day; templated stone requires a 1-2 week fab lead time and a second visit), and whether the island is full-standalone or attaches to an existing peninsula or wall (which adds the scribe step). Adding plumbing, electrical, or appliances on the island moves the project out of this pure-carpentry scope. Request a free estimate for an accurate quote.
Send a sketch of the kitchen with the planned island position and the cabinet line you have picked — we will quote the install.
Why Handis for Pure-Carpentry Island Installation
Every island install we have ever been called to fix was secured into the toe-kick with cabinet screws into nothing. The first person who leaned on it shifted the island a quarter-inch toward the dining room. The second person broke the toe-kick away from the cabinet at the front. The fix is to demo and re-set with structural lag screws into floor joists. The right answer on day one is to find the joist direction with a hole-saw test bore, mark the island footprint to land secure points over the joists, drive lag screws through the toe-kick into the joists. The island does not move when leaned on. After enough islands, every common floor-condition failure mode has a fix in the truck.
Estimate
Tell us the kitchen size, the planned island size and position (sketch is helpful), the cabinet line you have picked (IKEA Sektion, Cabinets to Go, Lily Ann, Diamond Now, pre-built custom, or other), the counter type (stock standalone, templated quartz, butcher block, stone), and confirm there is no sink, disposal, dishwasher, or new outlet on the island. We send a clear estimate for the pure-carpentry install. If your island is meant to have any of those, we re-route the quote through the right scope path.
Customer Reviews
Pure-carpentry island installation reviews from real Handis customers.
Stock 60-inch island in our 1962 Issaquah ranch. Pure carpentry — no plumbing or electrical, just the cabinet and a quartz top with bar seating overhang on the dining-room side. The tech did a hole-saw test to find the joist direction, secured the island with lag screws into joists, scribed where it meets the wall on one end. Two days. The island is dead-square on a floor that is a half-inch out across the run.
72-inch RTA island, IKEA Sektion line, with templated quartz top. Pure carpentry scope — we already had the sink on the perimeter run and did not want one on the island. Tech assembled the RTA over a day, set and scribed on day two, templated on day three. The quartz arrived ten days later and installed in a half-day. Looks like a custom shop did it.
Custom-built 60-inch island with a black-walnut butcher-block top, in our 1929 Wallingford bungalow. Pure carpentry — no sink, no electrical, just the cabinet. The floor in the room was sloped about an inch from one end of the island footprint to the other; the tech shimmed every low point and the counter is dead-level. Three days end-to-end.
Wanted a sink on the island originally but Handis was honest on the booking call that pure carpentry would not cover that — we needed a licensed plumber sub for the in-wall supply and drain. They quoted both options (carpentry only or with the plumber), and we picked carpentry only and kept the perimeter sink. Final island is exactly what we wanted, no surprise costs.
Cabinets to Go 48-inch RTA island in our slab-on-grade basement kitchen — concrete floor. The tech hammer-drilled for Tapcon anchors instead of joist lag screws, set the island dead-level on the slab, scribed both end panels. The island does not move when I lean on it. Worth the proper anchor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Handis pure-carpentry kitchen island installation.