Hood before range for sure---we had to have a ladder where our range goes in order to get the hood in! We're tiling up to the hood, though, and doing it at the very end. May have to move the range to do it, but hopefully not. I think you'll be okay if you wait---it would complicate things a lot to try to do it before the counters, I think, since you want the backsplash to come right down and meet the counter. With a lot of precision across the board, you could try to do the backsplash first, but I think it would be a gamble.

We recently had granite counters installed and I think the backsplash might well have been damaged if it had been in place. The granite was big and heavy and tricky to slide. Perhaps it would work better with wood or lighter weight counters. But having watched the counter installation process, I would really suggest waiting to do your backsplash until after the counters are in. That way you can also get the tightest seal between your backsplash and the counter at the back corner, where a spill might easily roll.

Depending on the style of tile you are using, and depending on how precise your various installers are, you could tile the backsplash down to x-number of inches above your countertop and then finish it after the counter-top is installed.

There are a lot of measurement factors to take into consideration and it could either work and everyone be happy, or it could come back to bite you and you will wind up making concessions to get everything to fit together. You might have to grind down the bottom row of tiles to get them to fit or you may have a slightly thicker line of caulk/grout, etc. to close the gap.

What range are you installing that it has to go in before the counter-top is installed? Are you sure about this? Most of the ranges that I'm aware of slide in after the fact and depending on the style, the sides/edge sit atop the counter-top....or there is a minimal gap remaining due to the style of the appliance.

Pepper
~ Floor being finished today.

why does the range have to go in first? What happens if the range dies in 5 years....do you have to rip out the granite to replace the range? I agree that you need to have the range on-site before the granite install so they make the opening the right size, but you need to be able to remove the range with the granite in place.

Thank you for the responses. Some great ideas here.

First, I like the idea of tiling down to near the counters and finishing after. The tile will be 3x6 with one row of 6x6 --trimmed to fit the available space -- at the bottom.

Second, I thought the stove had to be installed first. May-be not.

Thanks again!

We tiled to the ceiling as well.

Our hood went up and came back down a few times. I don't remember why we had to put it up and then bring it back down more than once (for the tiling), but we did. We wanted the wall tiled entirely behind the hood and chimney in case we ever need/want to replace the hood.

When we tiled, our counters were already in, as was our first range (returned and replaced after the BS went in). DH pulled the range out so the tile guys could tile the wall behind the range ~6" below the range's surface. Some range manufacturers require a non-combustible wall surface behind the range, down about 6" from the range top, so that's something you might want to check out.

Here is the order of installation
1. Cabinets first
2. appliances
3. counter top templating
4. Counter top installation
5. backsplash installation
6. hood installation

backsplash usually goes in after granite