Hey all. After searching the site with no results, I’m looking for some insight into how to install kitchen cabinets with furniture feet. After installing a crown point cabinetry kitchen with furniture feet last year as an apprentice, this question has plagued me because our lead didn’t have a good system for it either. The furniture feet were preapplied at the factory and not left long for scribe. We ended up starting the installation at the low point of the floor, level line from there, and cutting/scribing the feet to that line. Shimming the cabinet fronts so the feet didn’t touch the floor was unacceptable. Looking back, this was playing a dangerous game with appliance height specifications. I don’t have a good answer. Can anyone explain the systems they have in place for building and installing a kitchen with furniture feet? Think devol kitchen where stiles run to the floor. Thank you in advance.

Hi Derek,

At the company I work for, we build and install this style cabinetry almost exclusively. We make our typical base cabinets 34-3/4" high so that gives a bit more room to take off some height without creating appliance issues. We have all the appliance specs at the time we generate drawings and verify their requirements. We also verify the site conditions prior to manufacturing. With new construction, there are rarely issues that require adding a scribe to the base of the cabinet but on remodel projects, we do have to build that in on occasion.

We add a 1/2" scribe to the wall stiles and build the cabinets 24-1/2" deep with the back recessed 1/2" typically which gives an additional scribe at the back that can be remove if needed (it is rare we use it though).

The install process is time consuming for sure, scribe to the floor, scribe to the walls, scribe the finished ends... but it is something that many of the architects we work with require and so it has become our standard and one of the things that sets our work apart.

Thanks for the detailed response Ken.

When installing in a remodel where the floors may be quite a bit out, I assume you are starting at the low spots and scribing as needed? This entails cutting the cabinet carcass as well.

Great idea to build the cabinets taller than usual to allow space to scribe.

If you have the option, make the feet an applied (non load-bearing) trim item.

If you don't have that option, and your manufacturer isn't going give you extra height for scribe cutting, and your clients are not going to accept a shimmed-up foot with a gap under it, then you probably are selling them the wrong line of cabinets. I honestly do not know what I'd do in that case other than have to make a custom shoe mold type thing that blends in to hide the gap.