Install Base Cabinets on an Uneven Floor

Job Overview

This project qualifies you to install one base-cabinet run over an uneven finished floor: positioning each cabinet against the Project 03 reference lines, checking it level and plumb, shimming it at approved load points, joining it to its neighbor, and securing the run to wall framing with structural cabinet-mounting screws. The finished work product is a level, plumb, aligned, joined, and structurally secured base-cabinet run — inspected against a long straightedge and accepted for fillers, panels, and countertop templating in Project 08 and Project 09.

You will verify the Project 03 reference lines and floor high point, confirm the cabinet sequence, inspect each cabinet box, position and level the first cabinet at the controlling corner or high point, shim it at approved load points, check the face-frame alignment, clamp and join each subsequent cabinet, locate studs behind hanging rails, and secure every cabinet to framing with structural cabinet screws, correcting twist, rocking, separated faces, and wall gaps before the run is accepted.

This project assumes Project 01 issued an approved or conditional cabinet-installation readiness decision, Project 02 established a protected and organized work area, and Project 03 established the floor high point and every controlling reference line for this run. It sits immediately before Project 05, which installs the wall-cabinet run above or adjacent to this base-cabinet run, and before Project 08, which fits fillers, end panels, and toe kicks once every base, wall, and tall cabinet in the room is permanently secured.

Skills You Will Demonstrate

• CB-019 — Position base cabinets against the Project 03 reference lines in the approved sequence, beginning at the controlling corner, high point, or controlling cabinet.
• CB-020 — Shim cabinets level and plumb using stable, noncompressible shims at approved load points.
• CB-021 — Align cabinet faces and face frames flush across the run before joining.
• CB-022 — Fasten cabinets together using approved cabinet-connection screws without damaging finished faces.
• CB-023 — Secure cabinets to wall framing using approved structural cabinet screws at verified stud or backing locations.
• CB-024 — Inspect base-cabinet alignment for level, plumb, face alignment, run length, and countertop-support readiness.

Where This Skill Fits

The floor high point and reference lines confirmed in Project 03 control where this run begins and how each cabinet is shimmed. Every later component in the room — the wall-cabinet run in Project 05, the fillers and toe kicks in Project 08, the countertop template in Project 09, the sink opening in Project 10, and the doors, drawers, and hardware in Projects 12 and 13 — depends on this base-cabinet run being level, plumb, aligned, and permanently secured before it is concealed by fillers or countertops.

The leveling, shimming, joining, and structural-fastening method used here — establishing a controlling starting point, checking level and plumb before shimming, shimming only at approved load points, joining adjacent faces before fastening to the wall, and locating studs before driving structural fasteners — is the same method used for wall cabinets in Project 05 and tall cabinets in Project 06.

Scope and Intended Use

This project covers:

• verifying the Project 03 reference lines, floor high point, and cabinet sequence before positioning cabinets
• inspecting each cabinet box for square, damage, loose joints, and correct designation before installation
• positioning, leveling, and plumbing base cabinets beginning at the approved corner, high point, or controlling cabinet
• shimming cabinets at approved load points using stable, noncompressible shims
• clamping and joining adjacent cabinet faces or boxes using approved cabinet-connection screws
• locating studs or backing behind cabinet hanging rails and securing cabinets to framing using approved structural cabinet screws
• maintaining specified appliance, corner, filler, and wall clearances throughout the run
• verifying the completed run for level, plumb, face alignment, and countertop-support readiness with a long straightedge

This project does not authorize the learner to:

• select cabinet dimensions, cabinet quantities, or run sequence independently of the approved cabinet plan and cabinet schedule
• fasten cabinets to drywall alone in place of verified stud or backing locations, or substitute drywall screws for structural cabinet screws
• trim or remove shims, install fillers, or template countertops before the run has passed the Acceptance Standards inspection
• proceed with installation over an unresolved floor, wall, or service deficiency identified in Project 01 and not yet corrected

Any cabinet box found damaged, out of square, or with a loose joint at the start of this project must be set aside and reported before it is installed into the run.