How to Hang a Kitchen Cabinet on a Wall

Hanging kitchen cabinets properly is an important part of any kitchen installation or renovation. Improperly hung cabinets will be easy to spot: they will not be properly level. To reduce the difficulty of the installation process, use a ledger board to keep the cabinets level during installation. An assistant to help lift and steady the cabinets is also essential for this project.

Step 1: Decide how far you would like the kitchen cabinets to sit above the kitchen counter top. Mark the distance on the wall with a pencil.

Step 2: Use a level to draw a line at your pencil mark. By using the level, you ensure that the kitchen cabinets will be installed at the level all the way around the room.

Step 3: Install a ledger board above the line on the pencil mark. Drill through the ledger board and into the studs underneath the drywall. You may need a stud finder to locate all of the studs.

Step 4: Lift the kitchen cabinet and place it onto the ledger board. Look for the mounting rails within the cabinet at the top bottom and bottom rear of the cabinet.

Step 5: Screw through the mounting rails and into the studs behind the kitchen cabinets using 3 1/2 inch wood screws. Only insert the screws enough so that they will hold the cabinet into place: do not screw them in until they are flush with the mounting board.

Step 6: Check to make sure that each kitchen cabinet is completely level and where you would like it to be. Screw in the wood screws until they are flush with the mounting board. Add additional screws; anywhere the mounting screws intersect the studs there should be a screw.

Step 7: Screw into the mounting rails on the sides of the kitchen cabinets and into the underlying studs.

Step 8: Remove the ledger boards that were holding the wall kitchen cabinets into place.

Step 9: Patch the resulting holes from the removed screws with joint compound. Sand down the patches until they are flush with the wall. Paint the wall or finish it with a kitchen backsplash, depending on your design plans.