Pro Handyman Blog

If you are installing a new base cabinet, you certainly want to make sure the top of the cabinet is level. This way the countertop is level and things won’t roll off of it. I have seen cabinets so out-of-level that the drawers all slide open on their own. Wow, maybe next time try a level.

If you have never installed a vanity cabinet before, it is not difficult. Leveling the cabinet takes away the imperfections of the flooring and the walls. Some cabinets come with open backs, so that the plumbing will enter the cabinet with no modifications to the cabinet. On other cabinets, you will need to cut openings so that the drain piping and water supply lines and valves can enter the cabinet.

Once you are able to push the cabinet to the wall, use a level and see how far out-of-level the cabinet is. Take a reading front-to-back, and side-to-side. Use shims under the cabinet to get the top level in both directions. This will take some time, since when you adjust the side of the cabinet, it may throw off the reading of the front of the cabinet. Make small adjustments and then take a final reading to make sure the surface is level in all directions. Once you are happy with the readings, use cabinet screws and secure the cabinet to the wall studs.