Step 4: Order your countertops.

Now is the time to get the installer in to take an accurate measurement for your countertops. Some installers call this process “templating”. In addition to linear measurements, the installer will also suggest the best place to locate any seams between pieces of the laminate countertop. For more information please read our article “What to expect from an installer”.

Once you’ve ordered your countertops and the templating is complete, your installer should be able to schedule an installation date. Expect it to take about 3 weeks before your countertops are ready to be installed. This time frame will be about the same whether your dealer does the fabrication and installation or you hire a contractor to do it.

If your kitchen project involves getting new cabinets, those cabinets have to be installed before final measurements are made for the new countertop and before the laminate is ordered. There’s no way around this, if you want everything to fit perfectly. So if this is what you’re doing, figure three weeks from the time the cabinets go in until the countertop is installed.