How long does it take to order and install custom cabinets in NB?

From initial design consultation to finished installation, custom cabinets in New Brunswick typically take 12 to 22 weeks total — with 8 to 16 weeks for fabrication and 3 to 5 days for installation. The timeline depends heavily on design complexity, your cabinet maker's current workload, and whether your project involves any structural or mechanical changes that need to happen first.

The process starts with a design and measurement phase, which usually takes 1 to 3 weeks. A good kitchen designer or custom cabinet shop will do an in-home measurement, discuss your layout preferences, door styles, finish colours, and storage needs, then produce detailed drawings for your approval. In Moncton, Fredericton, and Saint John, several local cabinet shops handle this in-house. If you are in a more rural area, expect an extra week or two for the initial site visit and follow-up revisions.

Once you approve the design and place your deposit (typically 40-50% down), the fabrication phase begins. Custom NB cabinet shops generally quote 8 to 16 weeks for production, depending on the season and complexity. Simple shaker-style painted MDF doors sit on the faster end, while intricate glazed finishes, built-in pantry systems, or unusual wood species push toward 16 weeks or longer. If you are planning a summer renovation, ordering by February or March is essential — cabinet shops get their heaviest order volumes in spring, and lead times stretch accordingly.

Installation Timeline

Cabinet installation itself takes 3 to 5 days for a typical NB kitchen (10 to 12 linear feet of base and upper cabinets). This includes scribing cabinets to walls that are not perfectly plumb (extremely common in NB homes built before the 1990s), shimming, levelling, securing to studs, and installing all hardware. Crown moulding, filler strips, and decorative panels can add another day.

However, installation cannot begin until all prerequisite work is complete. If your renovation involves electrical upgrades (moving outlets, adding circuits), plumbing rough-in changes (relocating the sink or adding a dishwasher line), or structural modifications (removing a wall for an open-concept layout), that work must be done, inspected, and closed up before cabinets go in. In New Brunswick, rough-in inspections through your municipality or Regional Service Commission take 1 to 3 weeks to schedule in cities and 2 to 5 weeks in RSC areas, so factor that into your overall timeline.

After cabinets are installed, countertop templating happens — the fabricator comes in to laser-measure your installed cabinets for a precise fit. Quartz and granite countertops then take an additional 3 to 6 weeks to fabricate and install. This means your kitchen will be without countertops for that period, so plan accordingly.

To keep the project on track, finalize your appliance selections before ordering cabinets — cabinet dimensions must match appliance specs exactly. Order appliances 4 to 8 weeks ahead, as delivery to New Brunswick takes longer than to major urban centres. A realistic start-to-finish timeline for a full custom kitchen renovation in NB is 5 to 7 months from first consultation to cooking your first meal.

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Looking for experienced contractors? The New Brunswick Construction Network connects homeowners with qualified professionals:

• Gionetterenovations
• Thirty Four Renovations