Cabinet Knobs and Pulls Installation — New Holes Drilled on a Jig
Fifty new pulls in a box and a kitchen of doors with the old holes in the wrong places — drilled on a jig, straight and matched, one afternoon.
Cabinet knobs and pulls installation with new holes: JMB Builders sets up a drilling jig so every pull on every door and drawer lines up, fills the old holes where the new hardware will not cover them, and drills clean without tear-out. Often done with cabinet painting. Priced per project by the piece count, quoted from your photos within one business day, Twin Cities metro.
- Priced per project by piece count
- Jig-drilled so every pull lines up
- Old holes filled or covered
- Quote from photos in 1 business day
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
New cabinet hardware looks simple until the first pull goes on crooked. On a full kitchen there can be forty or more pieces, and every one has to sit at the same height on the doors and centered on the drawers, or the eye catches it across the room. That is jig work: one setup per door style and drawer size, then every piece drilled from the same reference.
The old holes are the other half. A new pull rarely has the same hole spacing as the old one. Old holes that the new hardware will not cover get filled with wood filler or a glued plug, sanded flush and touched up, or covered by a backplate if you would rather not paint. That is why this job pairs well with cabinet painting: fill before the paint, drill after.
We drill from the face with a backer to stop tear-out on the inside, use the right screw length for each door and drawer front, and check that nothing hits a hinge or a drawer box.
What you supply
- The knobs and pulls, with a few spares
- Where you want them: on the doors, the drawers, and centered or at the edge
- Photos of the kitchen and a close-up of one door and drawer
- Whether the cabinets are being painted, and by whom
What JMB supplies
- Layout agreed with you on one door and one drawer before any drilling
- Drilling jig set per door style and drawer size
- Clean holes drilled from the face with a backer
- Old holes filled and sanded, or covered with backplates you choose
- Correct screw lengths, including breakaway screws cut to fit
- Photos of the finished kitchen in your job folder
- Touch-up or full cabinet painting when you want it, quoted as its own line
How it is priced: per project
Quoted in writing from your photos within one business day. What moves the number:
- Number of knobs and pulls
- New holes vs. reusing existing ones
- Old holes to fill and touch up
- Mixed door styles and drawer sizes needing more jig setups
- Long appliance pulls or through-bolted pulls
- Painting the cabinets on the same job, quoted as its own line
Send the pull's hole spacing (center to center) and a photo of one existing door with its hardware.
How long it takes
A standard kitchen: half a day to drill and install. Add a day when old holes are filled and touched up before drilling.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized quote within one business day. We only come out to measure first when the job needs a tape measure — no pressure, no games.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Situations and options
Hardware only
Existing holes reused or new holes drilled, with old holes covered by backplates. Fastest version.
With cabinet painting
Old holes filled before the cabinets are painted, new holes drilled after, so nothing shows. The cleanest result.
Bathrooms and built-ins
Vanities, laundry cabinets and built-ins done in the same visit with the same layout, so the hardware matches through the house.
Cabinet Knobs and Pulls Installation — New Holes Drilled on a Jig: questions, answered
How do you install cabinet pulls that need new holes?
We set the layout on one door and one drawer with you, then set up a drilling jig so every piece is drilled from the same reference. Holes are drilled from the face with a backer behind them so the inside does not tear. Old holes the new pull will not cover are filled first.
How do you fill old cabinet hardware holes?
Wood filler or a glued wood plug, sanded flush. On painted cabinets the filled spot is primed and painted to match. On stained cabinets filled holes can show, so a backplate that covers them is often the better choice. We tell you which from the photos.
What if my new pulls have a different hole spacing?
Then new holes are drilled, and the old ones are filled or covered by a backplate. If the new spacing is close to the old, one hole can sometimes be reused, but new holes that close together can split the wood, so we drill both new.
Where should cabinet knobs and pulls go?
Common layouts: knobs on upper doors at the bottom corner opposite the hinge, pulls on lower doors at the top corner, and pulls centered on drawers. Some kitchens center pulls on the rail. We lay out one door and one drawer and you approve it before drilling.
Can you install cabinet hardware after the cabinets are painted?
Yes, and it is the right order. Fill the old holes before painting, drill the new holes after the paint has cured, so the drill does not chip fresh paint. If we paint the cabinets, we schedule it that way.
Do you install hardware I bought online?
Yes. Buy whatever hardware you like and order a few spares in case one arrives damaged. Check the included screws are long enough for drawer fronts; we bring longer ones if not.
Recent JMB work, from our job log
59 installs recorded across 30 Twin Cities communities since Dec 2025. Window and door installs for homeowners and for the builders and dealers we sub for. Counts come straight from our job log; no customer names.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough. You hear back within one business day. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
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Read morePage reviewed September 26, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All finish carpentry pages
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