I would be inclined to go with someone local. They'll actually come to your home, talk with you, etc., and you'll be supporting a local business.

I know what you mean. I guess I should mention that the bigger company is actually also a family-owned firm, and we met and talked with the owner.

In general you get a more custom fit with a local guy, but can get slightly more bombproof finishes with a bigger manufacturer, who has the facilities to do catalyzed varnishes, etc. On the other hand, the finish might not be as lovingly done.

My preference is also the smaller local carpenter. I had an A+++ experience with mine.

It doesn't sound as if you can lose, really, if you like both products and makers equally. :-)

We chose local individual custom guy because we wanted to be able to ask questions, make requests, etc. of the one directly responsible for the cabinets. Also, his quote was lower for inset, with a layout with more cabinets, than what we got from the distributor for fewer cabinets in overlay style. Our GC also uses him for his kitchen jobs, which is a high recommendation, though we are working directly with him on our project rather than thru GC. Because of this, we didn't look at his work before we talked to him, but did see examples before we sent him the 50% deposit.

If you have direct access to the ones making the cabinets with either of your choices, quality is the same with both, and the quotes are comparable, it would come down to (for me) personality.

It's really going to depend on the individual cabinetmaker and the big brand you are talking about.

We used Crown Point for our kitchen cabinets. I can't imagine a better experience all the way from working with the designer through the delivery and after. The quality was excellent. The delivery was just when they said it would be when we ordered the cabinets. CP has an excellent reputation for taking care of its customers. There was a lot of quality control---we worked with a designer but then another designer looked over the design and was able to offer a few suggestions. Then someone in charge of building the cabinet looked over the plans. There was one cabinet I designed that needed some special attention to the engineering. CP is small enough to be a family-run business but large enough to have quality people for each step of the process. We had good installers that were able to do what a hands-on cabinetmaker would do, scribe the cabinets for our uneven floors. When I first measured for our cabinets there was as much as a 4" difference in floor to ceiling height at various places in our kitchen. We evened out the floor as much as possible but there were still lumps and bumps.

It seems that most people on this forum have had great experiences with their local cabinetmaker. But since their service really depends on the individual, you'll have to check out the ones you are considering and make sure they have the same views as you as far as craftsmanship and aesthetics. We had a not-so-great experience with our locally made bathroom cabinets. We didn't like the premade boxes the cabinetmaker used or some of the design choices he made. As far as value for the $, we felt that the CP cabinets were the better choice (again, this is based on just one experience.)

I'm usually all for strengthening local communities by using local businesses. CP is only about 1 1/2 hours from us and we were able to visit. It's located in an old mill town and I felt it was a fine thing to have our dollars spent there.

I pretty much agree with cirucspeanut. As long as you do your homework, either can be an excellent choice.

Re what Circuspeanut said about finishes, my local custom cabinetmaker arranged for a factory varnish on the plywood for my cabinets.

I would never trade my experience with him, and with the other local custom cabinetmaker I've used.

When we're starting with equal quality and result, I think the big difference is the depth of the conversation. The dialog with an artisan yields more than just here's the order, now fill it. You might get that with a designer, and designers have their own levels of creativity and expertise, but I like talking directly with the craftsman. He said he could make anything I asked for and has come through with it, including hardware that would make it work.

That's if you can find a top quality craftsman. Just as with the factories, there are all levels of quality, experience and competence among cabinetmakers.

Local can be great, but get plenty of references and really check out the shop. We went local and it has unfortunately been a disaster. The workmanship is not worth the cost, and now he won't deliver the remaining cabinets unless we give him a cashier's check for the balance (not part of the contract). So we may have to find someone else to finish the job.

Of course, large companies can be problematic as well. Just check out the company and make sure your contract is specific to your needs. Good luck!

Like scullykat, I also just finished a disappointing experience with a local cabinetmaker; but I have found another bigger local shop that looks great. If you go with a small shop, research the state of their business- have they been laying off or hiring- how many jobs do they have going now- how is their cash flow- etc. Most importantly- do not sign anything that commits you to payment until you have a stain and wood you like, the design has been measured and proven installable, you have a payment schedule and what forms of payment will be accepted, and how refunds will be made if necessary. Tell the cabinetmaker these are your requirments for the project, and do not let them pressure you.(If they do- bad sign- go elsewhere). Do not sign a proposal or estimate - only sign a contract with these details. And ask if there is a design fee upfront and pay for this separately, so you have rights to the design. One thing to consider about a bigger brand- they often have full doors done with the stain choices so you can more easily and quickly get an idea of the finishes and the stains available- a big plus. Good luck!

It may depend on what type of cabinet you are going with. I wanted inset for my kitchen and the local guys just couldn't compete on price. Also, they didn't have enough experience doing it. The big guys have things done with computers. I toured both Crystal and Plato and there is no way the guys could do what they both do. The cuts are exact and the finishing is amazing.
If I were doing full or half overlay I would go with the local guy. It doesn't have to be exact like inset to look good and you will get good pricing.
I went with my local guy for my laundry room and bath. He was able to bring my cabinets to another shop for finishing and I am very happy with them
My kitchen cabinets are inset and I went with Crystal. I liked a particular door style and the finished sample door was amazing. My kitchen cabinets will be installed mid March. Good Luck and just get plenty of quotes.

It's important to know that a majority of cupboard customers all choose essentially the same thing, so that if you are looking for an oddball design, be sure that you're a good match with a custom shop. I have touted the shop we're working with and have no particular reason to think that the cupboards won't be good, but I can definitely say that I anticipated more customization from them than they can deliver.

We priced the same bank of plain "shaker" cupboards from one of the better brands at Menards, Thomasville at HD, a semi-custom company I can't recall name, and two custom local companies. This shop met the HD and Menards on roughly comparable product but with much better drawer construction. Then together we started changing the plan somewhat.

One of the best things in our new plan is that this shop has decided to create a large box instead of the two smaller boxes in the position each side of the range hood, plus incorporating the spacer area between the box and the wall, giving us an extra 8 inches within the box to the side of the second door. This will allow us to put more large items and irregularly shaped items into the cupboards, esp. the top shelves where less-used stuff is stored because there won't be a divider panel between the two sections on each side. From the floor, it will look like the two sets of cupboards are symmetrical. All four doors will be hinged on the side away from the stove so that there is no door that smacks against the range hood. Yes, I know that the shelves inside will be very wide, but I'm not worried and I doubt that I will do much custom repositioning of them anyway.

Another good thing is the willingness to include four (yes, count them! four!) custom pullout cutting/bread boards. The shop knows how to do this in such a way that the cupboard frame will be able to handle the meat pounding and other downward pressure that I know will be applied by moi and DH.

The contact man has a lot of on-the-job experience so he says "I've done that" or "that usually doesn't work so good" and it helps me understand. He is very patient. When I walked in with the items which I wanted to embed into the stove-side countertops (knife unit and utensil tubes) he understood and counseled as to how to work up two shallow-depth drawers to compensate.

His software doesn't seem to be as fancy as the big company software, so I don't have lots of printouts of elevations from various perspectives, but he does email me a PDF with the latest changes in it, always b&w.

But...
He is best at the most common styles. I suspect he can rather easily set up a router to make custom designs on slab cupboard fronts. But the custom applied trims on the inside of various doors that I see in catalogs and store displays are not ones that he frequently makes. These things put him out of his element and is discouraging me from making them. He is best at doing the most common things in a custom way. This does not bother DH at all but it has disappointed me. Also, he says that he has trouble making a toekick drawer that really works well, that these don't always work out as being up to the shop's standard of quality, so he's reluctant to give it another try.

On the positive side of things, he has a KD client on the other side of town (he keeps her name anonymous) who has set a standard of quality that he constantly quotes. "The KD would say that here [fill in topic] I should [fill in solution]"and I find is almost always good advice, which I am tapping without extra cost.

Both of the custom shops that we approached had been enjoying the lush years of the pre-recession building boom. They did a lot of stuff for condo units, stores, etc. Now, out of necessity, they're going after small projects with homeowner contractors in order to give their employees some work. It's a new thing for them, I think, especially the part of the story in which they let the amateur contractor pick up part of the work, esp. the finishing and the planning. They're going to have to learn how to listen and how to give advice gently.

To rookies who are just starting on this journey and are talking to such a local shop, be sure to watch out for...

1) whether the bid includes sales tax, transportation, storage, wood finish, deadline date, hauling into the house and dodging damage to floor, and the exact cupboard style you think you have stipulated
2) whether you will do part of the installation, the finish, the countertop and if so, how much they will counsel you or help set you up to succeed
3) what their web of local contacts is...who else do they scratch backs with, such as designers, glass people, finish people, drivers, wood suppliers, etc.
4) whether you or the shop will buy and install the custom inserts such as lazy susans or specialty drawers and whether these are in the bid
5) the quality of the hardware: closure device, rails, knobs if they're provided
6) the drawer box construction
7) the amount of guidance in design and advice you will need
8) how the shop proceeds with the bidding process, including when the money is due and whether it's by check or what
9) how the shop will deal with decreased personnel in this economy--fewer drivers, fewer specialists, fewer people to answer phone or respond to email, more demands on each individual's time, even the complication of an obscure address for the construction site, etc. [These shops don't have dedicated delivery staff who know the entire city because they do this day in and day out]
10) their understanding of your top priorities: deadline? color and finish? trim? kitchen design? or whatever

Pay attention to the way they court you and answer your queries, etc. If they are slow or seem eccentric in the beginning part, what does that tell you? Do you have the kind of personality who can be understanding of this? Also, take a look at yourself and how you present your side; in these almost intimate interpersonal situations, you have to think of things from their pt of view--Have I scared him so he won't make suggestions any more? Does he understand that I want/don't want his input? etc.

When we were near to shaking hands on the deal, I asked, "What should we do if there is a problem?" We also shook hands on the answer to that. Basically, he said that he would address and fix the problem. Not long after that, he arrived for a remeasure that uncovered a 9-inch measuring error in the computer diagrams. The diagram was too short. He gulped, said, "we'll still honor the quote" and we readjusted the plan. I am not sure that the big box companies would do that.

A bonus because we look to be good to work with: He has offered us a chance to be guinea pig on a new product for $100, a new kind of plywood that has birch instead of plastic for the insides of drawers, etc. We said yes, we'd try it. His publicity person has indicated that they might want to use our kitchen for advertising. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Stay tuned.

Thanks so much for all the advice!

My only other worry is how do you know you are getting what they tell you? If I say I want the best quality mdf or plywood, etc., I feel like a big brand factory is guaranteed to deliver on that. They only use X and that's what you're getting. But sometimes I feel like a local cabinetmaker says yes yes yes, we can do this, we can do whatever you want, but how do you know they are using the best materials??

Thanks!