A kitchen renovation puts two trades on one small floor, and the order changes the price. For a floating floor, check the product's own instructions before deciding how to sequence fixed cabinets and an island. Nail-down floors use a different installation method, and both sequences end at the same awkward spot: the dishwasher. Here is how the flooring before or after cabinets decision plays out on the floors in our vinyl flooring collection, with the rates and box prices we quote.
Flooring before or after cabinets depends on how the floor is held down
The deciding question is not the colour or thickness of the plank. It is whether the floor is fastened to the subfloor or left floating on top of it.
| Floor in the kitchen | Installation | Cabinet and island sequence |
|---|---|---|
| Riche Flooring Heavy-Duty 8mm SPC vinyl plank | Click-lock, floating | Check that product's installation instructions; sequence not established here |
| Riche Greige Oak 10mm SPC vinyl plank | Click-lock, floating | Check that product's installation instructions; sequence not established here |
| Goodfellow Canyon No.019 12mm laminate | Click-lock, floating | Check that product's installation instructions; sequence not established here |
| Verita European Oak engineered hardwood | Nail-down into the subfloor | Your call; confirm with your installer |
What each kitchen route costs per square foot
All four are in stock, and every price is a live box price divided by the coverage in that box. A 10mm plank can cost more per square foot than an 8mm one at the same box price because each box covers less floor.
| Product | Spec | Method | Box price | Per box | Price per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riche Flooring Heavy-Duty 8mm SPC Driftwood Mist | 8mm, 20mil wear layer | Click-lock | $59.00 | 16.55 sq ft | $3.56 |
| Riche Greige Oak 10mm SPC | 10mm, 20mil, EVA pad | Click-lock | $59.00 | 11.82 sq ft | $4.99 |
| Goodfellow Canyon No.019 12mm laminate | 12mm, AC5 | Click-lock | $69.99 | 20.18 sq ft | $3.47 |
| Verita European Oak engineered hardwood | 3/4 inch, 3mm top layer | Nail-down | $97.00 | 19.42 sq ft | $4.99 |
Prices checked October 7, 2026. Box prices and coverage come from our current catalogue.
Labour is where the two sequences separate. Our house rate is $1.50 per sq ft for click-lock vinyl and laminate, and $2.00 per sq ft for nail-down engineered hardwood. Condo click-lock is $2.00 per sq ft; nail-down engineered hardwood has no standard condo rate, so that is priced after viewing.
Why fixed cabinets affect some floating-floor instructions
The published instructions we found are specific to the floor types they cover. NWFA says: "Floating-floors should never be installed where future fixed cabinetry (such as kitchen islands) will lock the floor down, as these are considered “fixed vertical obstructions.”" That guidance is for floating wood floors. Goodfellow's Oceanic laminate guide says: "Heavy objects (e.g., kitchen islands, cabinets) should not be placed directly on floating floors." That instruction is for its Oceanic laminate, not every floating vinyl product.
For the wood floors covered by NWFA's guidance and the Oceanic laminate covered by Goodfellow's guide, plan for fixed cabinets and the island to be in place before installing the floating floor around them, following the applicable instructions for the expansion space and edge trim. For Riche click-lock SPC, confirm the fixed-object rule in that product's installation instructions rather than assuming the other products' guidance applies.
Does the weight of the island change the answer?
For floating wood floors, NWFA states: "A point load on a single board of more than 600 lbs can keep the floor from floating." That is a wood-flooring instruction, not a published load limit for every vinyl or laminate product; check the instructions for the floor you select.
When instructions differ for fastened floors
Floorify's guidance concerns its gluedown vinyl floors and says those floors "can be generally installed under heavy objects, like a kitchen island or built-in cabinet, without the need for an expansion gap around fixed furniture." That product-specific note does not establish a rule for other glued floors or for nail-down wood.
The Verita engineered oak listing specifies nail-down only, and our house installation rate for that method is $2.00 per sq ft. If you are weighing whether to run it under the cabinet footprint, confirm the sequence with the flooring and cabinet installers before ordering: a 3/4 inch floor changes the finished height beneath the cabinets and dishwasher opening.
Check dishwasher clearance against its installation instructions
Before setting the finished floor height, check the selected dishwasher's installation instructions and measure the opening against its stated requirements.
If the countertop is set off the old floor or subfloor, added flooring thickness reduces the available opening height. A dishwasher may not slide in or its door may rub the countertop if the finished clearance is too small.
- Floating floor, cabinets first: cabinets and countertop sit on the subfloor, the plank runs around the toe kick and under the opening, and the appliance lands on the new plank.
- Nail-down floor, floor first: the oak raises the whole kitchen, so cabinets, countertop and opening are all set off the finished wood.
- Either way: measure the opening after the floor is in, and keep the plank clear of the levelling legs.
A dishwasher that will not clear the countertop is fixed by adjustment rather than by flooring. Cabinet and door trimming are not part of our per-square-foot rates, and door shaving is quoted after we see the door.
Laminate in a kitchen adds an underlayment line
Laminate and engineered click-lock floors are the two cases where our quote adds underlayment: $50.00 per roll, each roll covering 200 sq ft, in full rolls only. A 400 sq ft kitchen has a waste-adjusted area of 420 sq ft, so the quote carries three rolls. Floating vinyl is different where the listing states an attached pad, as the Greige Oak 10mm does.
A 400 sq ft kitchen, with and without the cabinet footprint
The kitchen below is 400 sq ft in a house, with a 32 sq ft cabinet and island footprint. Flooring all 400 sq ft is what happens when the floor goes down before the cabinets; flooring around them means paying for the 368 sq ft that stays visible. Both use the same arithmetic: area plus 5% waste, boxes rounded up to whole boxes, material as boxes times box price, labour on the waste-adjusted area, underlayment for laminate at $50.00 per roll, then 13% HST on the subtotal.
| Route | Boxes | Material | Labour | Underlayment | Subtotal | HST | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floating SPC, 8mm Driftwood Mist, 420 sq ft | 26 | $1,534.00 | $630.00 | $0.00 | $2,164.00 | $281.32 | $2,445.32 |
| Floating SPC, 10mm Greige Oak, 420 sq ft | 36 | $2,124.00 | $630.00 | $0.00 | $2,754.00 | $358.02 | $3,112.02 |
| Floating laminate, 12mm Canyon, 420 sq ft | 21 | $1,469.79 | $630.00 | $150.00 | $2,249.79 | $292.47 | $2,542.26 |
| Nail-down engineered oak, Verita, 420 sq ft | 22 | $2,134.00 | $840.00 | $0.00 | $2,974.00 | $386.62 | $3,360.62 |
Re-run on 386.40 sq ft of exposed floor, the same routes come to $2,255.03 with the 8mm plank, $2,855.06 with the 10mm plank, $2,349.72 with the laminate and $3,065.46 with the nail-down oak. Flooring around the cabinets saves $190.29, $256.96, $192.54 and $295.16 respectively, because the waste allowance and box rounding eat into the difference. In a condo the click-lock labour rises to $2.00 per sq ft, adding $210.00 to each floating route before HST.
What is not in these numbers
Every figure above is material, labour, underlayment where it applies, and HST. Removal and disposal of the old floor, delivery, condo access, baseboard and transitions, door shaving, subfloor levelling and cabinet work sit outside them and are confirmed at quote.
For the wider schedule, our flooring installation cost guide covers rates for every material we install, and the renovation order guide for paint and drywall handles the other trades that run alongside this one. The kitchen flooring guide for Toronto homes compares vinyl, laminate and wood, and our nail-down versus floating engineered hardwood comparison covers the fastening methods.
Frequently asked questions about flooring and kitchen cabinets
Should the floor go under the kitchen cabinets at all?
The answer depends on the exact floor instructions. NWFA advises against fixed cabinetry over the floating wood floors covered by its guideline, and Goodfellow gives the same direction for its Oceanic laminate. For the Riche click-lock SPC featured here, check its own instructions before deciding whether the floor may run beneath cabinets.
Can you put a kitchen island on a floating floor?
NWFA's cited rule covers floating wood floors, and Goodfellow's cited rule covers its Oceanic laminate. They do not establish a rule for every floating vinyl product, so check the selected product's instructions before fixing an island in place.
Should the flooring go down before or after the dishwasher goes in?
Check the selected dishwasher's installation instructions and measure the opening after accounting for the planned flooring and countertop height.
Is laminate flooring laid before or after kitchen cabinets?
Check the installation guide for the specific laminate before setting the cabinets. Goodfellow's Oceanic guide says heavy objects such as cabinets and islands should not be placed directly on its floating laminate; do not assume that wording applies to every laminate collection.
Can I install new flooring without taking the cabinets out?
Yes, where the selected floor's installation instructions allow it. For a floor with a fixed-object restriction, the cabinets stay in place and the planks are installed around their footprint instead.
Get a kitchen flooring quote in Toronto and the GTA
Send us your kitchen measurements, the building type and a photo of what is on the floor now, and say whether the cabinets are staying. We will price the sequence you are planning with the arithmetic above. You can request a flooring quote here or visit the showroom to compare the planks side by side.
Top Floorings Depot
3781 Victoria Park Avenue, Unit 1, Toronto, ON M1W 3K5
www.topfloorings.com
Call: 416-499-0117
Text: 416-770-8819