Tools

• You'll need basic carpentry tools, including a level, stud finder, shims, drill and bit. It also helps to have an extra set of hands, so consider enlisting a family member or friend.
  
  

Remove

• It's easiest to work in an empty room, so remove all existing cabinetry, furniture and appliances. Then use a pry bar to remove base trim and other moldings.
  
  

Prepare

• Inspect your walls for any highs or lows; sand the high spots and fill in low ones.
  
  The best way to end up with a level row of cabinets is to draw reference lines on the walls, marking each cabinet location. Determine the highest point on the floor. Then measure up 34 1/2 inches from this point and draw a horizontal line. The top of the base cabinets will rise to this line. Then mark the locations for the wall studs. When you attach the cabinets to the wall, you will need to drive the screws into the studs.
  
  Draw a second horizontal line 84 inches from the first one you made. This marks the top edges of your wall-hung cabinets. Their bottom edges will fall 30 inches below that. Hang a temporary 1-by-3-inch ledger at this point.
  
  

Install

• To avoid confusion, number the cabinets, their doors and drawers. For easier handling, remove the doors and drawers. If you have wall cabinets to hang, start with them. Begin the installation in a corner, balancing the cabinet on the ledger as you drill pilot holes, and then 2 1/2- to 3-inch screws through the cabinet's hanging strips. Check the face frame for plumb and do not fully tighten the screws until the last cabinet is hung. Position adjoining cabinets tightly together.
  
  For base cabinets, begin in a corner, make sure the cabinet is plumb and level (use shims as necessary), drill pilot holes and attach the cabinet to the wall. Proceed with adjoining cabinetry, making sure frames are aligned.
  
  Replace cabinet doors and drawers.