Stock / RTA Cabinet Installation
Handis stock and RTA cabinet installation is the cabinet-install trade that puts a full or partial kitchen in for a fraction of the cost of custom or semi-custom cabinetry — from $4,500 for a partial run to $12,000 for a full kitchen of 25 to 40 cabinets including ready-to-assemble (RTA) box assembly. The homeowner who ordered a full IKEA Sektion kitchen from the kitchen-planner tool and needs every box assembled and every cabinet installed level, plumb, and scribed to walls that are not square. The first-time-buyer who picked Cabinets to Go for the budget and wants a professional install. The investor who ordered Diamond Now from Lowe's for a rental kitchen and needs it set in three days before the next tenant. We assemble the boxes per the manufacturer instructions (RTA assembly takes two-thirds of the install time on most lines), set the cabinets on a level rail or directly on a shimmed toe-kick, scribe end panels to the actual wall, plumb the run, secure to studs with the manufacturer-spec screws, hang the doors, install the drawer fronts and pulls. Any in-wall plumbing or new electrical circuit routes to the appropriate licensed Washington L&I sub.
Service
What Does Stock / RTA Cabinet Installation Include?
Stock and RTA cabinet installation is the cabinet-install trade that puts a full or partial kitchen in for a fraction of the cost of custom or semi-custom cabinetry — RTA box assembly, level-rail or shimmed toe-kick setup, end-panel scribe, plumb, secure-to-stud, door hang, drawer-front attach, and pull install — from $4,500 for a partial run to $12,000 for a full kitchen of 25 to 40 cabinets. The work breaks into RTA assembly (the time-eater on most lines), level-line establishment, cabinet set, end-panel scribe to the actual wall, plumb of the cabinet face, secure-to-stud, door and drawer hang, and pull install. Any in-wall plumbing (sink, disposal, dishwasher rough-in) or new electrical circuit routes to a licensed Washington L&I plumber or electrician on a coordinated subcontract.
Brand Lines We Install
The brands we install most often — IKEA Sektion (the most-shipped RTA line in the country, flat-pack delivery, full assembly required), Cabinets to Go (RTA shipped flat-pack, mid-tier price), Lily Ann (RTA shipped flat-pack, premium budget option), Conestoga (premium RTA, factory-finished doors and drawer faces), Diamond Now (Lowe's stock, partially-assembled box, full doors and faces in the box), KraftMaid Vantage (stock line at big-box retailers, mostly pre-assembled). The brand decision drives the assembly time — IKEA Sektion and Cabinets to Go are pure RTA and consume the largest share of install time on box assembly; Diamond Now and KraftMaid Vantage arrive mostly-assembled and install faster. We help you choose on the booking call.
RTA Assembly per Manufacturer Specification
RTA boxes ship flat-pack with the side panels, bottom, top, back, and shelf as separate pieces with the European cam-lock or screw-and-dowel joinery hardware in a separate bag. Assembly takes 30 to 90 minutes per cabinet depending on the brand and the box size — IKEA Sektion is the slowest because of the EUR-style cam-lock joinery, Lily Ann and Cabinets to Go are mid-pace, Conestoga is the fastest premium option because of the screw-and-dowel system. We assemble in a clean staging area (the dining room or the garage), check every joint for square with a framing square, and bring the assembled boxes into the kitchen for set.
Level Line, Toe-Kick Shim, Cabinet Set
Establish a level reference line across the kitchen with a laser level (or a 4-foot bubble on a chalked line if no laser is available), measure down for the standard 34.5-inch base-cabinet top height, mark the high point of the floor, shim the toe-kick at every low point along the run so the cabinet top is dead-level across the kitchen. Set the corner cabinet first, scribe the end panel to the perpendicular wall, secure to studs. Set adjacent cabinets one at a time, clamp face-to-face at the stiles, screw the face frames together (face-frame cabinets) or the cabinet sides together (frameless cabinets like IKEA Sektion), shim and secure to studs at every cabinet.
End-Panel Scribe, Plumb, Secure-to-Stud
Almost no kitchen walls are plumb — a quarter-inch out across a typical run is normal, half-inch is not unusual on older homes. We scribe every cabinet end panel to the actual wall with a compass transfer and a belt sander before the cabinet is screwed in for good. Cabinet face plumbed with a 4-foot level, secured to studs at the manufacturer-spec screw locations (typically the rail behind the wall, with cabinet screws sized to the cabinet brand). Where a stud does not land behind a screw position, we use rated heavy-duty toggles or relocate the screw to a stud position. Wall plugs that come in the cabinet box are not used for secure-to-wall on a loaded cabinet.
Door Hang, Drawer-Front Attach, Pull Install
Doors hung on the manufacturer-spec European concealed hinges (most stock and RTA lines ship with soft-close hinges out of the box), three-way adjusted for reveal alignment across the kitchen. Drawer boxes set into the cabinet on the manufacturer-spec under-mount or side-mount soft-close glides. Drawer fronts attached to the drawer boxes with the manufacturer's clip system, centered on the box and aligned to the doors above. Pulls drilled with a jig set on a single sight-line across the kitchen — see the Cabinet Hardware Upgrade page for the jig method. Final walkthrough, three-way adjustment, one-year project warranty.
How Stock / RTA Cabinet Installation Works
Six sequential steps from delivery inspection through the final reveal adjustment — the actual sequence we follow on every RTA install.
Delivery Inspection and Staging
Every box opened and inspected against the packing list. Damaged or short-shipped pieces flagged for replacement order from the supplier before any assembly starts. Boxes staged in a clean room (dining room, garage, or unused bedroom) for the assembly phase.
RTA Assembly per Manufacturer Specification
Flat-pack boxes assembled per the manufacturer specification — IKEA Sektion uses the European cam-lock system, Lily Ann and Cabinets to Go use cam-lock plus screws, Conestoga uses screw-and-dowel. Every joint checked for square with a framing square before the cabinet ships to the kitchen.
Level Line, Toe-Kick Shim, Corner Cabinet Set
Laser level (or chalked level line) established across the kitchen at the standard 34.5-inch base-cabinet top height. High point of the floor identified, toe-kick shimmed at every low point along the run. Corner cabinet set first, scribed to the perpendicular wall, secured to studs.
Adjacent Cabinets Set, Face-to-Face Screwed
Adjacent cabinets set one at a time, clamped face-to-face at the stiles (face-frame cabinets) or sides (frameless cabinets), face frames or sides screwed together, shimmed and secured to studs at every cabinet. Plumb of the cabinet face verified with a 4-foot level on every cabinet.
End-Panel Scribe, Wall-End Final Cabinet Set
Final end-of-run cabinet scribed to the perpendicular wall with a compass transfer, sanded to the line with a belt sander, dry-fit again, secured. End panels at exposed cabinet ends scribed the same way. The cabinet face plumbed and the cabinet top dead-level across the run.
Doors Hung, Drawer Fronts Attached, Pulls Drilled, Walkthrough
Doors hung on the manufacturer hinges, three-way adjusted for reveal alignment. Drawer boxes set into the cabinet on the manufacturer glides. Drawer fronts attached with the clip system, centered on the box. Pulls drilled with a jig on a single sight-line. Walkthrough, three-way adjustment, one-year project warranty starts.
Stock / RTA Cabinet Installation Pricing
Final pricing depends on cabinet count, brand (IKEA Sektion and full-RTA brands carry a higher assembly time than partially-assembled Diamond Now or KraftMaid Vantage), kitchen layout complexity, and whether any in-wall plumbing or electrical sub work is in scope. The cabinet purchase is separate from Handis labor and is your supplier order. Request a free estimate for an accurate quote.
Send the cabinet line, the cabinet count, and a layout sketch — we will quote the install.
Why Handis for Stock / RTA Cabinet Installation
Most stock and RTA installs we are asked to redo were set on a floor that nobody bothered to level. The cabinet top wanders by an inch across the run, the counter sits at a noticeable slope, the doors all hang slightly off because the boxes are not square to each other. The fix is not minor — it is to demo the run and re-set on a level rail. The right answer on day one is to find the high point of the floor, shim the toe-kick at every low point, set the cabinet top dead-level across the kitchen, and scribe every end panel to walls that are not plumb. Done right the first time, the kitchen reads as factory-installed and the counter sits flat. After enough RTA installs, every common assembly-and-set error mode has a fix in the truck.
Level rail or shimmed toe-kick before any cabinet sets
Establish a level reference across the kitchen with a laser level (or a chalked level line on a 4-foot bubble level for jobs without a laser) before any cabinet goes up. Find the high point of the floor, shim the toe-kick at every low point. The cabinet top reads dead-level across the entire run — counters sit flat, doors hang square, drawer fronts close to the same reveal at the top and bottom.
Scribed end panels — no caulk-fill at the wall
Bathroom and kitchen walls are almost never plumb. We scribe every cabinet end panel to the actual wall with a compass transfer and a belt sander before any cabinet is screwed in for good. The cabinet sits flush against the wall the entire run with no visible gap. Caulk-fill on a tapered gap is the cheap shortcut that reads as off in six months; scribing is the right answer.
Face-to-face screwed at the stiles, secured to studs
Adjacent cabinets clamped face-to-face at the stiles (or sides on a frameless box) and screwed together so the face frames sit perfectly flush — no shadow line between cabinets, no offset at the door reveals. Every cabinet secured to studs at the manufacturer-spec screw positions. Where a stud does not land behind a screw, we use rated heavy-duty toggles or relocate the screw to a stud. Wall plugs are not used for secure-to-wall on a loaded cabinet.
RTA assembled per spec — every joint checked square
Every RTA cabinet assembled per the manufacturer specification in a clean staging area before it ships to the kitchen. Every joint checked for square with a framing square before the cabinet is moved. Cabinets that are out of square at assembly compound into doors that hang off and drawer fronts that do not align — we catch the issue at assembly, not after install.
Three-way hinge adjustment, free 30-day follow-up
Every door reveal adjusted three ways after install — height, depth, side-to-side — so the reveal on the top of every door matches the reveal on the bottom across the entire kitchen. Reveals settle slightly under door weight in the first month; we offer a free 30-day follow-up adjustment so the kitchen reads perfect after the settle. Bundled in the quote.
Insured, background-checked, one-year project warranty
Handis carries general liability and workers' compensation; every technician has cleared a background screening before the first job. The one-year project warranty covers our install — RTA assembly, set, scribe, plumb, secure, door hang, drawer-front attach, hinge adjustment, pull install. If a cabinet shifts out of plumb, a door reveal goes off-square, a hinge soft-close fails, or any of our install or adjustment work fails inside a year, we come back and fix it at no extra charge.
Estimate
Tell us the cabinet brand and line (IKEA Sektion, Cabinets to Go, Lily Ann, Conestoga, Diamond Now, KraftMaid Vantage, or other), the cabinet count, a layout sketch (galley, L-shape, U-shape, with or without island and pantry), and any known constraints — an out-of-plumb wall, an out-of-level floor, a sink and dishwasher rough-in that needs to be re-coordinated with the cabinet positions. We send a clear estimate with the install steps and any licensed-sub portion called out separately.
Customer Reviews
Stock and RTA cabinet installation reviews from real Handis customers.
Full IKEA Sektion kitchen install — 28 cabinets, including pantry and a corner cabinet. Handis built every box at our staging in the dining room (the EUR cam-lock joinery is no joke), set them on a level rail across the kitchen, scribed the end panels at both ends of every run, plumbed the faces. Four working days, every door has a clean shadow line.
Cabinets to Go RTA install in our 1962 Issaquah ranch — 18 boxes. Floor was out of level by an inch across the run, walls out of plumb by half an inch. The tech shimmed the toe-kick at every low spot, scribed both end panels, and the counter sits flat. Three days.
Diamond Now from Lowe's for our rental kitchen — 14 boxes, pre-assembled, no RTA. Handis set them in a day and a half, scribed the end panels, hung the doors. The cabinets are not as nice as our custom ones at home but the install is professional and the rental tenant is happy.
Conestoga RTA — 22 cabinets with the screw-and-dowel system. Tech said this brand assembles faster than IKEA because of the joinery type, and that was the case — assembled in a day and a half, installed in two days. The factory-finished doors look custom. Worth the upgrade from IKEA on our budget.
Partial Lily Ann install — just one wall, 8 cabinets. Coordinated with the plumber sub for the new sink supply and drain. Two and a half days end-to-end. The wall is now beautifully scribed even though the plaster was 5 degrees out of plumb at one end.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Handis stock and RTA cabinet installation.