--- title: "Get the space ready — Appliance Guides" description: "Everything worth having ready before delivery: an opening that matches the maker's cutout drawing, a clear path through doors, stairs and floors, and the water…" url: "https://applianceinstallation.center/guides/installation-and-setup/" --- The opening, the path in and the rough-ins # Get the space ready guides. Everything worth having ready before delivery: an opening that matches the maker's cutout drawing, a clear path through doors, stairs and floors, and the water, drain and exhaust rough-ins the new appliance will need. ## Get the space ready, guide by guide. Most of what decides whether an installation goes smoothly is settled before the appliance arrives. The opening has to match the installation drawing, the route from the truck has to be wide enough and strong enough, and the water, drain and exhaust connections have to be waiting in the right places. This section is about getting the space ready. [All 18 guides](https://applianceinstallation.center/guides/) 5-minute read ### [Cutout dimensions and the spec sheet: reading the numbers before cabinets are built](https://applianceinstallation.center/guides/cutout-dimensions-and-the-spec-sheet/) Product size, opening size and the clearances above and beside the appliance are three different sets of figures. How to read them on a spec sheet before anyone cuts a cabinet. 6-minute read ### [The delivery path: doors, stairs and floors between the truck and the opening](https://applianceinstallation.center/guides/the-delivery-path-doors-stairs-and-floors/) Every doorway, turn and stair the appliance must pass, the weight the floor has to carry, what to inspect before the crew leaves, and how the old unit should leave the house. 6-minute read ### [Water, drain and exhaust rough-ins: what must be in the wall before the appliance](https://applianceinstallation.center/guides/water-drain-and-exhaust-rough-ins/) Supply stubs, drain heights, air gaps, standpipes, laundry exhaust openings and hood ducts: the rough-in figures the installation instructions give, and why they are set before the walls close. ## The opening, the path in and the rough-ins. The guides take those three in turn. The first explains how to read a spec sheet: the difference between product size and opening size, flush and proud built-in fits, and the clearances above a cooking surface. The second walks the delivery path from the curb to the opening, including floor strength, inspection on arrival and how the old appliance should leave. The third covers the rough-in: supply stubs, drain heights, air gaps, standpipes, laundry exhaust runs and hood ducts. The figures come from the makers' installation instructions, from GE, Whirlpool, True, Sharp, LG and Vent-A-Hood among them, and from EPA on disposing of old cold storage units. Every guide places its sources next to the numbers they back, and each figure applies to the model it was taken from, so check your own model's instructions before building to it. Owners, designers and contractors planning a remodel will get the most from this section, ideally while walls and cabinets are still open. Each guide ends by saying which preparation an owner can do, such as measuring, clearing a route or marking zones, and which belongs to the plumber, electrician, duct installer or appliance installer. [Not sure where to start?](https://applianceinstallation.center/guides/#start-here) ### The short answer Cutout dimensions and the spec sheet: reading the numbers before cabinets are built Appliance cutout dimensions are the opening sizes printed in the installation instructions, not the product's own size: a 30-inch freestanding cooking appliance measuring 29 7/8 inches wide needs a 30-inch opening, a dish care machine a 24 by 24 by about 34 1/2 inch space, and a built-in column a different opening for flush or proud fitting, plus the clearances above and beside each. ### The short answer The delivery path: doors, stairs and floors between the truck and the opening The appliance delivery path is every doorway, hallway turn, stair and floor between the truck and the final opening. ### The short answer Water, drain and exhaust rough-ins: what must be in the wall before the appliance An appliance rough-in is the plumbing and ducting set before installation: a hot water stub and 1 1/2-inch cabinet holes for dish care, a cold line in the maker's tubing for an ice maker, laundry valves within 4 feet and a standpipe at least 39 inches high, a 4-inch rigid metal laundry exhaust within the length chart, and a full-size metal duct to the outside for a hood. ## When reading is not enough. If the checks in these guides did not settle it, the visit picks up from there, stop by stop. [What installations cost](https://applianceinstallation.center/cost/) 1. 01 The opening and the hookups, checked first 2. 02 Connected the way the instructions say 3. 03 Set in, leveled and secured 4. 04 A first run with you there ## The problems these answer. Each has a page of its own, with the causes in the order worth checking. [All 17 problems](https://applianceinstallation.center/problems/) Problem ### Unit Too Big for the Opening: Cutout, Depth and the Delivery Path 6 causes, cheapest first Problem ### Door Not Closing Flush After the Install 6 causes, cheapest first Problem ### New Appliance Not Level: Rocking Cabinets and Uneven Gaps 6 causes, cheapest first Problem ### Drain Backing Up After an Install: Plug, Loop and Standpipe 6 causes, cheapest first For the heart of your home. ## Questions about get the space ready. ### When should appliance installation planning start in a remodel? Before the cabinets are ordered. Opening sizes, service zones and exhaust routes are easy to set while walls are open and expensive to change once the finishes are in. ### Which document gives the real opening size? The installation instructions for the exact model number. Product pages usually give the appliance's own dimensions, which are smaller than the opening it needs. ### What stops a delivery most often? A doorway, stair or hallway turn narrower than the appliance, or an opening built to the product size rather than the cutout size. Both are found in minutes with a tape measure a week ahead. ### Can the old appliance's connections be reused for the new one? Some can, if they are in the right place and the right size. Gas connectors and old laundry exhaust ducts should be replaced, and water, drain and electrical connections must match what the new model's instructions ask for. ## The other sections. Split by what you are trying to find out rather than by which part of the appliance it concerns. [All guides](https://applianceinstallation.center/guides/) Why a brand-new appliance misbehaves in its first days ### [When a new install goes wrong](https://applianceinstallation.center/guides/common-problems/) - [Why a new appliance acts up on its first run, and which quirks settle on their own](https://applianceinstallation.center/guides/why-a-new-appliance-acts-up-on-its-first-run/) - [Install shortcuts behind early service calls: the steps a rushed hookup skips](https://applianceinstallation.center/guides/install-shortcuts-behind-early-service-calls/) - [When a new built-in will not fit its opening: height, width, depth and the fixes](https://applianceinstallation.center/guides/when-a-new-built-in-will-not-fit/) Measure first, then read the first week ### [First checks and setup codes](https://applianceinstallation.center/guides/troubleshooting/) - [Measure before you order: the opening, the swing and the hookups](https://applianceinstallation.center/guides/measure-before-you-order/) - [The first week after installation: what to check, and on which day](https://applianceinstallation.center/guides/the-first-week-after-installation/) - [Setup codes and demo mode on a new appliance: when the display is the whole story](https://applianceinstallation.center/guides/setup-codes-and-demo-mode-on-a-new-appliance/) Who installs it, which fuel, which front ### [Decisions before the install](https://applianceinstallation.center/guides/choosing-and-comparing/) - [Store delivery install or an independent installer: matching the route to the job](https://applianceinstallation.center/guides/store-delivery-install-or-an-independent-installer/) - [Gas or electric when the kitchen changes: what each fuel asks of the install](https://applianceinstallation.center/guides/gas-or-electric-when-the-kitchen-changes/) - [Panel-ready or finished front: what each choice asks of the install](https://applianceinstallation.center/guides/panel-ready-or-finished-front-for-an-install/) The first month of a new appliance ### [After the install](https://applianceinstallation.center/guides/maintenance-and-prevention/) - [Break-in habits for a new appliance: the first bake, the first ice, the first load](https://applianceinstallation.center/guides/break-in-habits-for-a-new-appliance/) - [Keeping the install records and manuals: the paperwork a new appliance leaves behind](https://applianceinstallation.center/guides/keeping-the-install-records-and-manuals/) - [A one-month check on a new install, once the floor and the fittings have settled](https://applianceinstallation.center/guides/a-one-month-check-on-a-new-install/) Connectors, leak tests, brackets and circuits ### [Gas, power and water at the install](https://applianceinstallation.center/guides/safety-and-food/) - [Gas connectors, conversion kits and the leak test: what happens at a gas hookup](https://applianceinstallation.center/guides/gas-connectors-conversion-kits-and-the-leak-test/) - [Anti-tip brackets and why they are required, from the cooking line to built-in columns](https://applianceinstallation.center/guides/anti-tip-brackets-and-why-they-are-required/) - [The circuit and outlet a new appliance needs, group by group](https://applianceinstallation.center/guides/the-circuit-and-outlet-a-new-appliance-needs/) Not sure which section? ### Start from your question The four questions most visits start with, each with the guide that answers it. 18 guides Where to start Where to start --- **[Read on the site: Get the space ready — Appliance Guides](https://applianceinstallation.center/guides/installation-and-setup/)** **[Book a visit with ApplianceInstallation.center](https://applianceinstallation.center/schedule/)**