I am renovating a house. New hardwood floors are going to be installed today throughout the house, including in the kitchen. I am also having a beautiful new kitchen installed at the end of next week. My GC plans to sand and stain/finish the floors after the kitchen has been installed. I just informed my kitchen builder of these plans and he is very unhappy, to put it lightly. He insists on having the floor sanded and the first 2 coats finished before he installs the cabinets and then hardboard placed on top while he installs the kitchen. (Then the last coat done after he leaves.) He is convinces his new cabinets will be ruined during the floor finishing process. My contractor refuses to do it in this order as he is sure the floors will be ruined if they’re finished before the kitchen is put in.

Who is right here?

Also, if we do it the contractor’s way, how can I protect my new (expensive) kitchen during the finishing process?

There are new products that can protect the floor from workers, it's like thick card board. This can go under the cabinets as they are installed. Base shoe will cover any gaps after the cover is cut back with a utility knife. I've used Kraft paper and taped the edges to protect against water damage and it was good for the six months it took to finish the kitchen and get back onto my schedule. The only disadvantage to putting on the last coat after sitting for a while is to get proper adhesion for the last coat because the finish has completely cured and the final coat doesn't etch the surface to stick which could cause peeling in the future. A screening will not always create enough tooth for the final coat to adhere. The mechanic needs to be careful with preparation for the final coat after the floor has sat a while. Covering the floor and then taping the joints will keep air way, this will delay curing.

Thank you for your answer! My GC refuses to finish the floors before the kitchen goes in. There is no convincing him. How can I protect my kitchen cabinets from getting chipped or stained from the finishing process?

The General ought to cover the cabinets starting with tape around the bottom where finish can get smeared from stain or coats of finish. Kraft paper may be taped to the front of the cabinets. Is base shoe going to be installed after the seal coats and before the final coat of finish?

Thanks! The GC has agreed to sand and stain the floors before the kitchen goes in. They’ll do the last coat after the kitchen is finished. The flooring company told us that we can cover the floors with Masonite after 3 days. I have been reading online though that cure time is a lot longer than that. Should I be concerned that covering them so soon will damage the new stain? Or is that what that last coat is for?

After a few days the first coats will be hard. The finish will not be completely cured and covering the floor will retard further curing, but will protect the floor better if the edges are taped together. Sometimes little rocks or dirt can get under the sheets and cause damage.
Scuffing after the covering has been removed will be prep for the final coat.