How Should I Prepare My Kitchen for New Countertops

Stylish kitchen featuring granite countertops, white cabinets, and a tiled backsplash

Two base cabinet runs that look the same from the doorway can differ in level by enough to move a seam. Prep for new countertops in Jackson, MS starts with the cabinets, and the list below runs about as long as the one at countertops jackson icfem 2008 does, because every item on it has cost somebody a second trip. Most of it is done by the owner or the cabinet installer before the template crew arrives, and the order matters as much as the items.

Cabinets first, then templating

Spacious modern kitchen featuring white cabinets, granite island, and stainless steel appliances.

Templating happens after the base cabinets are installed, fastened and level. The template records the cabinets as they sit, so a box that gets shimmed, shifted or re-fastened afterward makes the slab wrong. A kitchen that is not built yet cannot be templated, whatever the schedule says. If a cabinet is still loose, fix it before the visit, not after.

Fixtures on site

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The sink, faucet and cooktop should be in the house, or at least their spec sheets. Cutouts are sized to the actual fixture, not to a catalog guess. An undermount sink in granite or quartz needs the real bowl dimensions, and the reveal gets decided at the template visit. Faucet hole count matters too, since the drilling is done in the shop and cannot be undone.

Disconnects and clearing out

Plumbing under the sink is usually disconnected before the old top comes off. Gas ranges are pulled out by someone qualified to disconnect them, not by the installer with a wrench. Empty the cabinets completely. Removal and setting can jar contents, and the installers may need to reach inside to fasten or shim. Drawers come out and get stacked somewhere dry.

Old top and backsplash

A tile backsplash glued to the old top is often damaged when the top is pried loose. Plan for backsplash repair or replacement, and expect some patching of the wall behind it. Old tops do not always come off clean, and nobody should promise that they will. Setting new stone over an existing top is not a shortcut either. It needs checks first for level, support and fastening.

Dishwasher and access

Dishwashers are typically fastened to the underside of laminate or wood tops. With stone, side mounting brackets into the cabinets are commonly used instead, so the machine should be pulled forward or the brackets on hand.

Then clear the path from the door to the kitchen. A stone slab is carried on edge and cannot be tilted flat around tight corners. Move furniture, take a door off its hinges if needed, and keep the route open. Older hallways around Hinds County often turn sharply, and a long piece may not make the corner. That changes seam placement, and it is better settled at the template visit than on install day. The same visit settles overhang at the dishwasher and the edge profile, whether an eased edge or a bullnose.