Process Guide
By ColorUp Cabinets · Updated September 30, 2026 · Greater Houston
A template visit captures the as-built kitchen — walls, runs, sink and faucet locations, overhangs, edge intents — so the shop fabricates to that file, not to a homeowner sketch alone. ColorUp laser-templates once cabinets are set and level; templates go to fabrication without casual field-fitting later. Schedule is confirmed after material, template, fabrication, and site-readiness review on /facts/. No invented day-count SLA on this page.
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CABINETS
What does the template visit decide?
The laser file is the cut. A sketch is not.
No public day count. If the kitchen changes after template, say so in writing before the shop cuts.
Site-readiness checklist (high level)
- Boxes set, level, and stable for the selected material
- Sink model on site or specs locked enough for cutouts
- Edge, overhang, and splash path decided enough to template
- Finish sequence agreed if painting or refacing is in the same project
- Access paths clear for the template visit
Template vs homeowner measurements
A tape sketch or phone measure helps early planning conversations and rough area talk. It is not cut authority. DIY measure education lives on how to measure countertops — useful for early quotes, not for CNC files. The professional template is the fabrication input.
What “cabinets ready” means
Service leaf language: once cabinets are set and level, we laser-template the run — sink cutouts, faucet holes, edge profile, overhang. If you are painting or refacing, coordinate so the template reflects final counter-line conditions. The full before/after philosophy is on paint before or after new countertops; Soft or racked boxes fail the keep-cabinets test first: keep cabinets with new counters.
What the visit typically captures
- Runs, corners, overhangs, and edge profile intent
- Seam discussion tied to layout and material
- Sink and cooktop locations; faucet holes as scoped
- Notes for outlets and obstacles when splash is in scope (full-height craft detail: slab-backsplash post)
Plumbing disconnect and reconnect are included only when the written project records say so — same rule as the service FAQ.
After template: fabrication to install (expectation, not SLA)
Lead time depends on material availability, slab approval, fab queue, site readiness, and trade coordination. Your project schedule confirms the sequence. Install sets stone, seams per plan, sink as scoped, then handoff and care by material. Competitors who advertise fixed “template + 5–7 business days” are describing their own marketing — ColorUp will not adopt those integers here. Combined paint + stone calendar thinking belongs on the schedule sibling in this batch.
Cut authority
If the kitchen changes after template — moved sink, new overhang, different splash height — say so in writing before fabrication. The file is only as good as the kitchen it measured.
Painting, shop doors, and template timing
When doors are at the Porter shop for Renner 2K spray and boxes are finished on site, the counter line still has to be set and level before template. Shop time for doors is part of the painting schedule (typically three to five production days for painting after sequence review) — it is not a stone SLA. Kingwood 77345 remains the brand home; the shop address is not a public map pin.
If old tops are still on during early paint work, sequence protection matters. If tops are already removed, confirm the boxes remain braced and level for the template tech. Undermount sink decisions should be locked enough that cutouts are not guesses — see the undermount cutouts guide in this batch.
After install, material-specific sealer and use instructions arrive at handoff. Natural stone care is not the same as quartz wipe-down. Ask for the care sheet; do not invent a reseal calendar from a blog.
Frequently asked questions
Is my phone-measure sketch enough to cut stone?
No. It supports early conversation. The laser template is cut authority.
Should painting be done before template?
It depends on sequence and protection. Use the dedicated order-of-work guide; template needs cabinets set and level either way.
How long after template until install?
Confirmed in your written schedule after material, fab, and site-readiness — not a public day count on this page.
What if I change the sink after template?
Cutouts may need a re-template or fab change. Confirm in writing before the shop cuts.
Do you field-fit on install day?
Templates go to fabrication so install follows the plan. Casual field-fitting is not the model.
Template when the cabinets are ready
ColorUp laser-templates set, level cabinets, fabricates in the shop, and installs to the documented plan — schedule confirmed in writing.
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