Custom cabinets less expensive than showroom/big box?

16 years ago

Hi -- I've read in several posts here that some folks have saved a lot of money by ordering custom cabinets from a local cabinetmaker, rather than going with a kitchen showroom or big box store.

I'm curious to know under what conditions that is true -- does it depend on what area of the country you live in, rural vs. city, etc? Does it depend also on what kind of cabinets you want?

I live in Northern Virginia and would like simple, but good quality, all-plywood construction maple cabinets with a very simple door (simple looking, that is -- I have no idea how simple the doors are to construct, but I'm thinking something Shakerish w/ a natural stain). The molding will be simple crown molding, and I can't think of too many bells/whistles beyond good quality drawers, including a few pot/pan drawers, and a pullout pantry. It strikes me that everything in my area is pretty expensive, so I'm kind of dubious about the "local" cabinetmaker thing.

Can anyone shed some light for me? I went to Home Depot and priced KraftMaid cabinets, just to get a ballpark on what they'd be. It ended up being around $11K, but of course that was a very preliminary set of stuff (minus molding, toe kicks, etc.). Thanks for any advice, experiences, etc.

That said, I'm looking forward to putting my existing layout together to show all of you creative kitchen geniuses! Would love to get some in put on that.

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natal

16 years ago

We researched Kraftmaid, Ultracraft, Brookhaven, and Woodmode. We looked at custom work by 3 different local cabinet makers and in the end chose local. Price was lower and we got exactly what we wanted. For paint grade maple with natural finished birch interiors, including 4 cabinets in the laundry room, and a stained cherry hutch, we paid at least $3,000 less than any of the manufactured cabinets. I'm sure that varies across the country, but it's worth investigating before you make a decision.

Our GC was pretty much out of the loop when it came to our cabinet decision. Our cabinet maker built the cabinets and then they were sent to a painter for finishing. The cabinet maker did the install and the painter came back to do touchups.

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Comments (6)

piasano
16 years ago
Well, you might try this: www.homeko.com

You would need to hire a cabinet-maker to put the cabinets together, but the quality seems good, the prices are VERY good, and they have a simple maple Shaker style.

Barbara
Fori
16 years ago
I've roughly compared prices to Brookhaven, Ikea, Scherr's, and a local SF area cabinet guy (I suspect the bay area is as overpriced as NoVA). Very rough comparisons of course because by the time we get a quote we have a new plan but our space is small enough it can't change TOO much!

The custom guy was about the same price as Brookhaven BUT did a lot more custom stuff for the price, like weird sizes, custom depths, and creative strange things. His price also included installation, which the BH didn't. I don't think my BH quote included any custom sizes--I think it's possible with that line but the KD at that particular shop kind of ignored our wishes...

Ikea was less than a fifth the price, but of course wasn't all custom fitted to our space and doesn't include installation.

Scherr's was about 2x Ikea for a paint-ready cabinet. So, fully custom, but unassembled and unfinished.

I'm not sure how Brookhaven compares to Kraftmaid on the price (or quality) scale, but I did like that my custom guy would do full custom (very helpful in a small space) as well as installation for around the same price. He sounded a little skittish about frameless though so we may go with Scherr's. They're helpful and have some great customer reviews. If you're willing to do a little DIY OR pay your GC to do some extra work, it might be worth asking them for a quote.

Some people here have picked out their cabinets at a bigbox store and then ordered them online for less. So, even if you decide to go KM, you can still shop around.
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You need to decide what you can afford to have replaces at your expense, and the most important...which of the things is the one you hate the most and cannot live with! Is the bathroom counter top muddy green because of lighting or lack of natural light or was the wrong color ordered? Ask to see the builders invoice. The kitchen cabinets are really big and will be the hardest to fix once you are in and living in the house. This is one that would be hard to let go, maybe you and the cabinet guy can work out a plan. You need to reread the contract or spec sheet, if it does say bull nose and curved corners and not OR, or say choose between the 2, then again, you may want to hold their feet to the fire. I would recommend being very carful in your approach and make sure you have the facts and don't assume anything, because in the end the builder will win, but with a delicate approach and playing the "we" card may get you everything you want!!! Good luck!!!
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How long depends:.... -On brand, all have some sort of expedited service. The fastest are around ten working days to ship- they will be paying an upcharge for expedited service/make afters. Usually 35%. -On shipping- most won't (and you don't want) a parcel service, needs to be a truck. -Install- should be scheduled for the week of delivery-template for a day or two after- all scheduled ahead of time (like now) Personally I doubt you can get a decent cabinet maker to beat that schedule (even less likely if cabinets are anything but natural). None of us (KDs) are immune to mistakes. For my own if it is a single cabinet and a simple alteration I do the work myself. On framed cabinets that is rare and limited to decreasing the depth of the cabinet. Frameless are easier, safer, to alter. Most times I prefer to eat the expense and lose money. Client gets a better product. Often I. arrange to do the installation or pay someone I know do it to address time issues. I know it stinks to have to deal with it. I have systems in place that generally prevent mistakes but they are not called " on purposes".
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We had our kitchen priced at a big box store. Then we called some custom places. Custom was half the price! The guy we ended up going with is so easy to work with and you don't end up with a bunch of filler pieces because they can just make the cabinet the exact size that you need (true custom places can anyway some order in the boxes and make the doors). The other great thing about our guy is that we went from melamine to solid wood and the price upcharge was only about $500. We went from 36' to 48'' uppers and it didn't add any additional cost. We went frameless and it was the same price, he said it is cheaper to make since it is less material! We had him make us a sample cabinet to get a feel for quality since it really can vary from place to place. His quality is amazing, really sturdy and feels very upper end. Pullout shelves, $25 a piece. Raised panel doors add $25 a door since it is more material. The price difference is amazing and the nice thing about finding a small company that is easy to deal with is that they don't really charge you a bunch more for the trendy stuff just the actual cost diff. in material prices and labor.
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The door offerings are the same whether PB standard or Vantage All Wood. It's the box that is upgraded. Vantage boxes are NICE. Wood interiors, no vinyl, no PB. If you just want PLYWOOD ends on the exposed ends of your kitchen, You can order KraftMaid with specific cabinets that have plywood ends. That would be less money than Vantage but you get added durability. You can also upgrade to FLUSH finished plywood ends....even thicker and nicer to see and fits better with installation. Thicker door frames aren't necessary for added quality and just add weight and more strain on the hinges. If you're doing a shaker style with a reversed raised panel....that has a thicker center panel. This would be a good choice if you are doing a knotty or rustic wood.
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mommyto4boys
16 years ago
I think it depends on so many things. I too priced kraftmaid at HD and it was going to be 20,000+ without installation. I'm sure most custom cabinet builders here (OHIO) would charge more. I however was extremely luck to find a referral from my neighbor. I'm having an amish man make & install everything for me. I took pictures at HD for him and he copied the door beautifully. They are solid, rasied panel, cherry wood. Labor and install 11,500. Disadvantage is he has no phone, lives 90 miles away, etc. But, the savings has been worth it for us! So to make a long story short if you can find someone who is not so commercialized you can save BIG too!
teched
16 years ago
Hi scootermom

I am in NoVa too. I do not think KM is all plywood. We are ordering Shilo (all plywood semi custom) for Kleppinger Designs. Lots of selection and very good design people. We did 3 baths with Reico. Reico carries several semi custom brands as well, but we were consistently let down by the design staff. You may want to check out Washington Checkbook. The online version has a community ratings spot for all kinds of kitchen pros and products. You do have to be a subscriber.
sarschlos_remodeler
16 years ago
I was very impressed with the rough estimate that I got from Scherr's. About 1/2 the price of what I was getting for local custom and KM from HD (cabs alone). My GC won't install cabs designed/built by others, so my DH and I would have some work to do if we went that route, but I'm mighty tempted.

Custom cabinets less expensive than showroom/big box?

natal

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