Before cabinets are ordered, check the appliances with the doors open

A range can fit into its opening and still prevent a neighbouring drawer from working. A refrigerator can look correct in an elevation while its doors need more room than the picture suggests.

Before cabinetry is ordered, have the selected appliance models reviewed with their installation documents and the measured room. The useful question is not only “Does it fit?” It is “Can we install, open, use and service it as intended?”

Collect the model numbers and current manufacturer documents for the refrigerator, range, dishwasher, microwave and ventilation equipment involved. Include panel specifications for integrated appliances where relevant.

Do not substitute a similar model's diagram because the advertised width is the same. Ask the person responsible for the cabinetry design to confirm which documents the plan uses and how later substitutions will be reviewed.

The face of a cabinet is not the front of everything installed beside it. Handles, knobs, doors and surrounding trim may extend beyond the surface represented in a simple drawing.

Ask to see those projections at corners and beside tall units. The installation instructions and actual selections determine what is required; a generic clearance copied from another kitchen is not enough.

Review the refrigerator doors and internal drawers, the dishwasher door, oven access and nearby cabinet drawers. Discuss how the intended user will stand, reach and move while using them.

This is especially useful where an appliance meets a perpendicular run of cabinetry. A room can look comfortable with every door closed while the working arrangement tells a different story.

Ask who will confirm electrical, gas, plumbing and ventilation requirements, where applicable. Cabinetry planning should be coordinated with the qualified trades responsible for those systems.

Do not alter an appliance, remove handles or change service locations to resolve a conflict without the relevant professional and manufacturer guidance. The purpose of the checklist is to expose questions early, not to prescribe a technical workaround.

Keep a simple selection register: appliance, model, document revision, drawing reference, open question and person responsible. When a model changes, identify which parts of the design need another look.

A sign-off should refer to a defined set of drawings and selections. An informal message approving a photograph leaves more room for misunderstanding than a shared record of the actual information reviewed.

The Cranbrook drawer photographs show why cabinetry should be considered in use, with its contents and moving parts visible. They do not establish clearances for your appliances, but they prompt the right kind of review.

Before ordering, ask to walk through three moments: taking a tray out of the oven, unloading the dishwasher and opening the drawer beside the range. Have unresolved fit questions answered on the plan.

Careful coordination cannot promise a project without surprises. It can make the decisions, responsibilities and remaining uncertainties much clearer before the cabinetry is made.