A step-by-step Palm Beach County kitchen demolition prep checklist — what to clear, who to notify, HOA rules, and what your kitchen will look like when the crew leaves.
What to Do Before the Demo Crew Arrives
The day before a Junk Force kitchen demolition Palm Beach County crew rolls into your driveway, thirty minutes of prep on your end shaves hours off the job and prevents most of the mid-day surprises. Palm Beach County homes — especially the older builds in Delray, Lake Worth, and West Palm Beach — hide a lot of things behind cabinets. A little planning up front keeps demo day smooth.
This checklist is what we hand every homeowner who books a kitchen demo. Follow it and the crew hits the ground running.
Step 1 — Empty the Kitchen Completely
Remove all food from pantries, cabinets, and the refrigerator. Anything perishable goes to a cooler or a neighbor's fridge. Anything shelf-stable goes into labeled boxes in another room. Spices, oils, and open containers do not survive drywall dust — assume everything gets coated if it stays in the room.
Empty every drawer. Kitchen drawers hide surprising quantities of small hardware, birthday candles, decades-old rubber bands, and the occasional set of car keys you thought you lost in 2019.
Step 2 — Disconnect and Move Small Appliances
Toasters, coffee makers, air fryers, stand mixers — unplug and move to a garage shelf or an unaffected room. Large appliances (fridge, range, dishwasher, microwave) stay in place; the Junk Force crew disconnects and hauls them as part of the demo. If you're keeping the fridge for the new kitchen, tell the crew when they arrive so they roll it to a safe holding spot.
Step 3 — Cover Adjacent Areas
The crew brings plastic and floor protection for the immediate work zone, but if you have adjacent rooms with valuable furniture, an open-concept dining area, or an entertainment setup near the kitchen, throw a moving blanket or a plastic drop cloth over anything that would suffer from a light coat of dust. South Florida open floor plans let dust travel further than you'd expect.
Step 4 — Notify the HOA in Advance
Every gated Palm Beach County community — Olympia, Versailles, BallenIsles, Mirasol, PGA National, Boca West, Admirals Cove — requires advance notice for renovation vendors and a Certificate of Insurance on file. Junk Force sends the COI to your community manager as soon as you book. On your end, submit the standard architectural review or work order form your HOA uses so the gate has vendor names on the visitor list. This takes ten minutes and avoids the truck sitting at the gate on demo morning.
Non-gated Palm Beach County neighborhoods generally don't need notice, but a quick heads-up to immediate neighbors about a truck in the driveway is a courtesy that pays back.
Step 5 — Confirm Parking and Access
The truck needs driveway or curb space close to the kitchen entrance. Move personal cars into the garage or to the street. Clear a straight-line path from the kitchen to the truck — no bikes in the hallway, no laundry hampers blocking a doorway. Every extra step the crew takes with a cabinet on their shoulder is time on the clock and wear on the property.
What to Expect on Demo Day
A standard Palm Beach County kitchen demo runs about one working day with a two-person Junk Force crew. Cabinets come out first, followed by countertops (scored and lifted in sections to avoid stone splitting), then appliances get disconnected and rolled out, backsplash tile comes off, and flooring is pulled if it's in scope. Debris loads directly into the truck as it comes off the wall — there is no pile sitting in your driveway.
At the end of the day the crew sweeps the space, wipes the framing, and hands you a broom-swept kitchen ready for your contractor to walk in the next morning.
Questions to Ask Your Demo Crew
Is your COI on file with my HOA? Are you handling the appliance disconnect or do I need my plumber first? Is the flooring included in this scope or a separate quote? Will you cap the plumbing supply lines temporarily until the finish plumber returns? What happens if the crew finds asbestos in older tile adhesive? Junk Force answers all of these during the on-site walkthrough — the goal is zero surprises on demo day.
Related Reading in the Demo Cluster
For the DIY vs pro decision see kitchen demolition vs DIY in Palm Beach County. For where every piece of the debris pile ends up see what happens to demolition debris in Palm Beach County. Vetting a crew before hiring is covered in how to find a reliable demo crew in Palm Beach County. Doing a bathroom instead? See the bathroom demolition guide for Palm Beach County. Also useful: our full interior demolition Palm Beach County service page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a Palm Beach County kitchen demo take? Most standard kitchens run one working day with a two-person crew, debris hauled the same day.
Do I need to disconnect the appliances myself? No — the Junk Force crew handles appliance disconnection and haul-off as part of the standard scope.
What if my HOA needs paperwork? COI goes to your community manager the same day you book. Call 561-913-2023 to schedule.
Can I stay in the house during demo? Yes, but the kitchen area will be closed off and dusty. Plan meals accordingly for the day.