Kitchen decisions
Removing upper cabinets while keeping the base units
Can upper cabinets be removed without including the rest of the kitchen?
A partial cabinet removal should identify every upper unit, connecting trim and adjacent tall unit separately. Base cabinets, countertops and appliances can be listed as retained, but their condition and the carry route still need review. The decision is where the connected joinery ends, not simply which doors disappear.
Planning guidance by MetroPoint Demolition. Site conditions and the agreed professional scope determine the final removal.
Compare the boundaries
Upper boxes
Identify the exact run and any bridging cupboard over an appliance.
Connected trim
Crown moulding, fillers and end panels may connect removed and retained units. Give each a separate instruction.
Tall units
A pantry or appliance tower is not automatically part of the upper run. Confirm its status on the same elevation.
Use an elevation rather than a room label
Number the visible cabinet faces on a photograph and give the installer the same numbers. Mark integrated lighting or wiring as a trade dependency, not as joinery that the removal crew can disconnect. Empty the selected units before assessment; do not loosen fixings to see how they are supported.
The newly exposed wall may have unfinished areas, old fixing holes or a different paint line. Ask the renovator whether those areas will be covered by new cabinetry, repaired or left visible. A cabinet-removal scope can then stop at the agreed unit boundary without implying that wall repair, painting or replacement installation is included.
Questions for the assessment
- Does the over-fridge unit leave?
- Are crown mouldings continuous across retained units?
- Who repairs the exposed wall?
Choose the next step
Read the matching service scope and exclusions, then describe what you want removed and what must remain. Your service choice can be corrected in the form.
Discuss this removal boundary