Before demolition: design, permit, order
The kitchen is finished on paper before anything is torn out. Layout, cabinet drawings, appliance models, tile, counters and fixtures are chosen first. Then the permit: in the City of San Diego a same-footprint kitchen with no added fixtures can use a no-plan permit, and the combined plumbing, mechanical and electrical permit is $440.82 per dwelling unit. Moving a wall or adding a sink sends the job to plan check.
Cabinets are ordered next, as the gate item. Swell builds frameless cabinets in its own San Diego workshop with about three weeks of production after approved drawings; vendor guides published in 2026 quote 4 to 6 weeks for semi-custom lines and 8 to 12 weeks for fully custom shops. Demolition waits until the cabinets have a delivery date.
Demolition, rough-in and inspection
Demolition removes the old cabinets, counters and flooring. Plumbers and electricians then rough in the new lines while the walls are open: circuits for the range and dishwasher, island power, moved supply and drain lines. On a San Diego slab, relocating a drain is quoted at about $3,000 to $8,000 per line in local guides published in 2026. The rough-in inspection happens before the walls close.
Drywall, paint and the flooring decision
Drywall is patched, primed and painted while the room is empty. Then the question homeowners ask most: before or after the cabinets?
Hardwood and tile usually go in first. The floor runs under the cabinets, toe kicks land at the right height, and a future layout change does not expose bare subfloor. The trade-off is more material and protecting the new floor for the rest of the job. Floating floors such as luxury vinyl plank usually go in after, because heavy cabinets pin a floating floor. Dishwasher and range openings are then sized to the finished floor so appliances can be pulled later.
Cabinets, then template, then counters
Cabinets are set level and plumb, scribed to the walls and fastened. Only when the boxes are fixed and the sink and cooktop are on site does the countertop fabricator template. The time from template to installation is set by the fabricator and written into the schedule. The kitchen has no counters during that gap; a temporary plywood top is common. Backsplash tile waits for the counters.
Backsplash, appliances, trim and punch
After the counters, the backsplash is tiled and grouted, the plumber sets the sink and dishwasher, the electrician installs outlets and under-cabinet lighting, and appliances slide in last. Where a permit applies, the final inspection follows, then a punch-list walkthrough: doors aligned, drawers adjusted, caulk, touch-up paint.
Where schedules slip
San Diego contractors publish about 6 to 14 weeks of construction in 2026; the slips come from a short list.
- ◆Selections made after demolition, so trades wait on a tile or a faucet.
- ◆Cabinets ordered after demolition instead of before.
- ◆Hidden conditions in older homes: galvanized pipe, undersized wiring, past water damage.