Go to a high-end appliance store. The kitchen displays are often cabinets from local custom cabinetmakers. It is a good chance to see the quality of their work and get ideas.

Two of the cabinetmakers I considered, were praised on the GW KF, just ask. Folks are glad to share experiences.

The cabinetmaker who is doing our kitchen is one who did a kitchen for a GW member. I saw the company's cabinets at the appliance showroom, learned what a good company they are to work with, and looked at the cabinets again at the appliance store before I contacted the cabinetmaker.

Good luck!

First, we are not in your area. We are located in Superior, WI. However, we have done custom work as far away as Walnut Creek, CA. We would be able to make the doors out of any type of wood with the hinges and hardware that you desire. If we were doing the whole job we would paint or stain the mouldings to your specifications in our shop.

If you have any interest go to our website and fill out the contact us form for personal call.

Here is a link that might be useful: Rob's Custom Cabinetry

The guy we hired to coordinate our remodel/addition knew of a local cabinetmaker he had used before. The same cabinetmaker was used by friends who built a house. He was highly recommended and he certainly delivered!

A lot of 'cabinetmakers' order doors and drawer fronts from shops that specialize in those things, while the cabinetmaker specializes in building the boxes, putting things together, and installing. That's what we did for our kitchen...DH built the boxes, but we ordered doors, drawer fronts, and drawer boxes from a shop that does only that. We got their name from a custom cabinetmaker who uses them. They are a family owned shop who has the equipment and set up to do a good variety of profiles and do the joinery in an accurate, efficient, and affordable manner. Is there a reason you want them constructed by a cabinetmaker?

I was advised to use a local cabinet maker by a GC who came out. He said a local cab maker can compensate for any uneveness in the cabinets by making one door slightly larger, smaller, etc. He said it's best to work with someone locally that can be onsite to accomodate for little issues that could potentially become big issues. If I order with someone locally, and he does all of the measuring, and it doesn't come out right, then he will fix it. If I order over the internet, and something goes wrong, then I'm stuck with it. Also, with someone local I can see examples of their work before placing an order. Non-local I just have to go by a picture on the computer. Please, anyone, correct me if this thinking is wrong. I'm so ready to get this done and I just don't know what the best way would be to do this.

I build custom cabinets and furniture in Los Angeles. I mostly build my own doors because everything I do is non-standard. However, there is nothing wrong with a cabinet maker outsourcing doors, if fact, in some cases it could be better. The large companies that build just doors have specialized, very expensive, very accurate equipment. Some are better the others but clean corners, tight joints, square and flat doors are what you should be looking for. The cabinet maker and his reputation should be responsible for the quality control not you. The drawbacks with out-sourcing are they all tend to use very similar profiles. That said, these profiles are similar to the look of the lower to middle-end national brands and that's why they're used. Second, when it comes to stained wood doors they're not going to be as discriminating as a custom guy should be at selecting matching boards. With the finishes like the ones on the national brands sold a HD and Lowes this doesn't matter. They do much to hide the wood with conditioners, toners and glazes. Of course, with a painted door, matching the grain wouldn't matter. There inferior quality shows up in a different way with paint cracking at the stile and rail joint.

This leads us to the other thing you have to worry about once you get your doors. Having the finish done. The two things you notice on a cabinet door is the door style and the finish. The finishing skills of most custom cabinet shops are not on par with their woodworking. Some have finishing departments and do a good job. Some outsource their finishes. Some do a crappy job and say "what did you expect for the money". Quality finishing is a specialized and complex trade all to itself. I spend a good part of my time perfecting finishes and replicating the finishes of the highest price cabinets on the market so I can speak to this with experience. I will also be outsourcing some of my doors but they will be custom profiles that I will specify and be very involved with at every step.
John

Great comments/advice and help from John.

I strongly agree about your reasoning to deal with someone local (I would never do something like this by internet), and get help with accurate measuring if you need it. The place we dealt with was local and we could order each door to measurements to the nearest 1/16".

If the local cabinetmakers you had come out take responsibility for making sure everything is done right and to your specifications/wishes, does it matter where they get the doors?

No, I suppose then it wouldn't matter where they get the doors. As long as they are done well I don't care if they are outsourced or not. I'm just afraid the local guy wouldn't take resposibility for the quality of the outsourced work, and as John said, would say, "What did you expect for the money?" since outsourcing is cheaper than having the local guy do it. I have considered just painting my builder grade oak doors, but I want something more substantial than what I have. I am just afraid I will pay a decent amount of money only to get worse quality than what I currently have. And I don't really have a lot of trust in the guys who have been out for estimates. They just don't seem "professional" if you know what I mean. I can't cite anything specific, just a feeling. How do I find someone who's not just an amateur trying to get the job they may not be qualified for? I just don't know where to start. I don't have anyone to give recommendations since I don't have friends or family who have had such a job done before.

The GC didn't have someone he usually works with and whose work he approves? If you hire the cabinetmaker, you are entrusting him to get you a quality product, so if he outsources, fighting to get you a good product (if it comes in wrong or less than satisfactory) is his responsibility. This is what John said, and I agree:

"there is nothing wrong with a cabinet maker outsourcing doors, if fact, in some cases it could be better. The large companies that build just doors have specialized, very expensive, very accurate equipment. Some are better the others but clean corners, tight joints, square and flat doors are what you should be looking for. The cabinet maker and his reputation should be responsible for the quality control not you."

You aren't necessarily 'going cheap' to choose such a route, but maybe efficiency and accuracy for a lesser price instead. Local recommendations are the best, and since your GC suggested it, I'd start looking to him first. Best wishes.

This is probably just going to be in the nature of an amen to previous posts, but there is nothing particularly wrong with a cabinetmaker having the doors and drawer fronts done by others in a factory. I personally will not do that under any circumstances (because I want the satisfaction of doing my own work), but what John said about the quality of the doors and drawer fronts is exactly right. What you need to determine, I suppose, is WHY the cabinetmaker wants to outsource these items. If the answer is because he is not particularly competent at making them himself, then you would do well to look for someone else to do the work. Others will say that it's because it is more cost effective for them to take that route, and there is a lot of merit in that answer.

However, that said, if the cabinetmaker is not particular competent, his getting factory-made items may not be sufficient, as he may not know enough to check for the items John referred to in his post.

Finally, if you do not have a good feeling about the cabinetmakers you have interviewed, LISTEN TO YOUR GUT. Get someone who impresses you with his knowledge, and more than that, for his feeling about cabinetmaking itself. There's a lot that goes into this line of work, and only a particular breed of cat need apply.

You said you were very, very ready to move forward on this project, but I would recommend taking your time and making sure that you have the right person to do the work. Don't look for a low price; look for someone who will do work that will lift your spirits every time you enter your kitchen. You will surely get what you pay for.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cabinet & Furniture Trends & Information

I interviewed 2 cabinet makers. One recommended by a KD no longer in the biz, and the second I found via the internet but local to my area.

I liked them both. Each offered features that I liked individually to his plan.

It was seeing a kitchen done by each of them that sealed the deal for the first cabinet maker. Both did lovely work of the exteriors, but the first guy's work was heads above in the things you didn't see till you opened the doors & drawers.

I feel I definitely made the right choice. He has been wonderful every step of the way.
Whoever you talk to definitely see their finished work.