How to Install a Recessed Smooth Sink in a Vanity

Measure the height and width of the vanity base. Mark those dimensions onto the wall where you plan to install the vanity. Locate and mark the wall studs within the dimensions of the vanity, using a stud finder.

Place the base so it touches the pipes protruding from the wall. Trace around the pipes onto the back of the vanity. Pull the vanity back away from the wall.

Cut openings for the pipes with a hole saw attachment on a drill. If the vanity base doesn’t have a back, omit this step.

Set the vanity base into its position against the wall. Place a carpenter’s level on top of the cabinet to check for levelness both side to side and front to back. Add wood shims under the cabinet, as necessary, to level it.

Secure the nail strip on the inside back of the vanity to the wall studs with wood screws long enough to penetrate the studs at least 1 inch.

Slide the faucet through the top of the vanity sink. Secure it in place with the nuts from the assembly kit. Tighten the nuts by hand, then tighten them one-quarter turn with an adjustable wrench.

Fasten the supply lines to the faucet’s connectors. Tighten one-quarter turn with an adjustable wrench after hand-tightening them.

Roll a small amount of plumber’s putty between your hands until it forms a thin rope. Wrap this around the underside of the drain flange. Push the drain through the opening on the top of the sink and into the putty. Attach the bolt that holds the drain assembly in place by hand, then use the adjustable wrench to tighten it one-quarter turn.

Wrap plumber’s tape around the threaded end of the drain assembly’s tail piece. Screw the tail piece into the drain piece you attached in Step 8. Set the pop-up lever portion of the tail piece so it points toward the back of the sink. Connect the pop-up lever to the lift rod following the manufacturer’s directions for the drain you selected.

Attach the P-trap to the drain where it emerges from the wall using the nut attached to the P-trap. Hand tight the nut.

Run a bead of silicone caulking around the top of the vanity cabinet. Set the all-in-one recessed sink in place, pressing it firmly into the silicone caulking. As you set the sink top down, the tail piece should slide into the P-trap on the drain. Tighten the nut on this end of the P-trap by hand.

Connect the loose ends of the supply lines to their appropriate connectors under the sink. Make sure to connect the hot line to the hot water supply and the same for the cold. Turn water on to the sink and watch for leaks. If you see leaks either in the water supply or drain assembly, tight the appropriate connector an additional quarter turn.

Seal the edge of the vanity where it touches the wall with a bead of silicone caulking. Dampen your finger with water to form a smooth seal. Replace the doors and drawers.