Choose what you are keeping, not just the new style
Start with the room’s actual problems: inadequate storage, poor work surfaces, worn cabinets, missing ventilation or inconvenient connections. Decide whether sound cabinets can stay, whether a like-for-like replacement solves the problem, or whether the layout must change. These are different scopes and should not be compared using the same headline price.
Measure the room and record doors, windows, ceiling changes, service points and appliance models. A 10 × 12 ft kitchen is about 11.15 m², but floor area says little about cabinet runs, countertop edges or the work needed for a relocated sink. The CHBA planning material supports starting with a defined result rather than ordering isolated products first.
Find the boundary of the installation quote
A cabinet supplier’s installation service may cover fitting furniture without completing all the connections that make the kitchen usable. For example, IKEA Canada’s published scope distinguishes cabinet and appliance fitting from electrical, plumbing and HVAC connections; its listed standard countertop scope also excludes stone and custom laminates. Read your own quotation rather than assuming another supplier has the same terms.
| Interface | Clarify in writing |
|---|---|
| Old kitchen | Who disconnects, removes, carries out and disposes of it? |
| Walls and floor | Who repairs substrates and delivers the surfaces the installer requires? |
| Appliances | Who confirms fit, provides connections and checks operation? |
| Ventilation | Who checks the route, discharge and equipment compatibility? |
| Countertop | Who measures, templates, supplies, cuts and reinstates the sink connections? |
| Finishing details | Who supplies fillers, end panels, trims, handles and touch-ups? |
Put each operation in one agreement. If your general contractor includes cabinet installation, remove that same operation from another order before paying for it twice. Conversely, a delivery containing all the cabinets does not mean you have commissioned their assembly, fixing or adjustment.
Compare two complete scopes, not a relocation surcharge alone
| Cost category | A: retain locations | B: change layout |
|---|---|---|
| Design and measurements | 1,500 | 2,500 |
| Protection, removal and disposal | 1,500 | 2,500 |
| Cabinets and hardware | 11,000 | 13,500 |
| Countertop package | 4,000 | 5,000 |
| Appliances | 6,000 | 6,000 |
| Cabinet installation | 3,500 | 4,000 |
| Defined plumbing, electrical and ventilation work | 2,500 | 7,000 |
| Substrates, floor and finishes | 2,000 | 3,000 |
| Delivery and final cleaning | 1,000 | 1,500 |
| Taxable subtotal | 33,000 | 45,000 |
| Ontario HST: 13% | 4,290 | 5,850 |
| Tax-included package | 37,290 | 50,850 |
| Contingency: illustrative 10% of package | 3,729 | 5,085 |
| Permit/review allowance, final amount | 600 | 1,000 |
| Temporary cooking arrangements, final allowance | 800 | 1,200 |
| Total funding for this example | 42,419 | 58,135 |
B requires $15,716 more funding in this invented comparison. That difference includes products, associated work, tax and the chosen allowances; it is not simply a fee to move one pipe. A real comparison needs priced alternatives for your property. Keeping locations can still require repairs or approvals, so it does not automatically reduce those lines to zero.
Make measurements match the state of the room
There is a useful distinction between preliminary measurements for design and dimensions accepted for an actual order. Ask each supplier what must be finished before their final measurement. IKEA Canada’s measurement service, for example, describes finished walls and ceilings and present service connections as preparation conditions. Another supplier may set different conditions for its service.
Record the drawing version, appliance codes and who accepts each dimension. Ask the countertop fabricator when templating happens and what cabinet, sink and appliance information must be ready. Do not treat a preliminary plan as the final cutting instruction. A later change in floor build-up, wall finish or appliance model can affect more than one supplier.
Protect the sequence before removing the old kitchen
- Confirm the layout and exact appliances before the relevant service work is designed.
- Check the actual scope against municipal requirements; obtain required decisions and approvals.
- Agree how the room will reach each supplier’s measurement and installation conditions.
- Confirm the order, lead time, complete delivery and storage plan.
- Schedule installation, countertop work, connections and inspections as linked activities.
- Plan temporary cooking, cleaning and access until the agreed usable result is ready.
Toronto’s permit guidance is a local starting point when the property is in Toronto. Electrical work commissioned in Ontario requires the appropriate Licensed Electrical Contractor. A supplier’s availability does not establish that the room or the other trades are ready. Avoid promising a move-in date based only on a cabinet delivery estimate.
Keep tax and cash requirements consistent
The worked table uses the CRA’s Ontario HST rate for a specified taxable package. It does not treat every Canadian purchase or fee identically. Mark each real quote as tax-included or before tax, and confirm separately how permits, delivery or service charges are shown. If you change a pre-tax allowance, update the related tax once.
A cabinet deposit belongs against that cabinet order, even if installation is still weeks away. Keep the order value and paid amount separate. Record expected credits for cancelled items as pending until they are confirmed, and cash refunds as pending until received. Available cash is not increased by a return you merely hope a supplier will accept.
Accept the usable kitchen, then retain its records
At handover, compare the final plan with what was supplied. Check normal opening of doors and drawers, access to shutoffs and filters, appliance fit and the agreed demonstrations of operation. Have the responsible specialists complete their checks; a tidy countertop does not establish correct concealed work.
Record a defect with its location, expected result, photograph, responsible person and follow-up date. Keep final specifications, operating instructions and supplier contacts. Use stages and recorded payments in Reno Pro or your register to follow the actual sequence. The finished result should connect the cabinet order, the building work and the specialist installations into one kitchen you can use and maintain.
Sources and scope
- IKEA Canada — Kitchen measuring service
- IKEA Canada — Kitchen installation service
- City of Toronto — When do I need a building permit?
- Electrical Safety Authority — About Licensed Electrical Contractors
- Canada Revenue Agency — Charge and collect the GST/HST: which rate to charge
- Canadian Home Builders’ Association — Before starting a renovation
Sources reviewed on 18 October 2026. All amounts are Canadian dollars (CAD). Worked figures and contingency percentages are editorial teaching examples, not market averages, quotations or prescribed allowances. Ontario and Toronto rules are identified where used; check the rules and requirements for your property and jurisdiction.