Why appliances come first — on paper
Cabinets are built around exact appliance dimensions: the 30″ vs 36″ range decision changes the run, a counter-depth fridge changes the surround, a panel-ready dishwasher means the panel ships with the cabinets. Since cabinets are the longest lead in the project and can't be finalized without spec sheets, the practical rule is:
Appliance decisions gate the cabinet order. You don't need the range in your garage — you need its spec sheet PDF in your cabinet designer's inbox. Selection deadline: before cabinets are finalized. Delivery: weeks later, on purpose.
Lead times by tier
- In-stock mainstream brands: days to 3 weeks. The warehouse either has your model or the next container does. Easiest to time precisely.
- Popular models in popular finishes: 3–8 weeks. Backorders concentrate exactly where demand does — the fridge everyone wants is the fridge on backorder.
- Pro and luxury lines: 2–6 months. Built-to-order ranges and column refrigerators can out-wait custom cabinets. If the kitchen is designed around one, order it the same week you commit to the project.
Whatever the tier, confirm the real date on the order confirmation and put it on the project's ordering timeline next to everything else — an appliance that slips is only a crisis if nobody was watching the date.
The delivery-timing move
Order early, but schedule delivery for the install phase — the last week of the project, after floors and counters are in. Most retailers will hold a purchased appliance in their warehouse or let you set a delivery window; use it. Appliances that arrive at demo spend two months in a garage collecting dents, and a range walked across brand-new floors is a risk with no upside. Two exceptions worth knowing:
- Verify on arrival even if installing later. If the unit will sit at a warehouse, confirm the model/finish on paper; if it must sit at your house, uncrate and inspect within the return window — discovering freight damage in week eight is too late.
- The dishwasher and floor height. If flooring is going down after cabinets in your sequence, flag it — a dishwasher installed before a taller floor can be physically trapped. Your installer knows this dance; the phase order exists to prevent it.
After they're in: the two-minute record
The day each appliance is installed, record the model and serial numbers and register the warranty — it's two minutes per unit while the sticker is still findable, and it's what makes a recall notice or a warranty claim years later painless instead of archaeological. A permanent home record with your appliances, their manuals, and their purchase receipts is the kind of thing nobody regrets keeping.