Five Templating Mistakes That Cost You Thousands (And How to Stop Them)

Templating looks like a craft skill but it's mostly a process problem. Most templating losses come from the same five mistakes.

1. Not photographing the existing space

Take 30 photos. Every cabinet edge, every wall plumb, every plumbing rough-in. When fabrication has a question two weeks later, you have the answer in your phone.

2. Skipping the floor-level check

Use a 4' bubble level on the cabinet tops. If you're more than 1/8" off across an island, your seam will fail or your scribed edge will fight you. Document the high points.

3. Verbal change orders

Customer says "actually, can we move the sink 2 inches left?" Get it in writing. A photo of you and them pointing at the new mark is enough.

4. Single-piece templates on multi-piece jobs

Tape together templates that span seams. The seam location is a fabrication decision; templating just records the existing geometry.

5. Trusting builder-supplied measurements

Never. Always re-measure. Builders are optimistic about square.