NOTHING costs $50! How many hours of labor do you think it will take to make it and finish it? Then there's the cost of materials. $685 is probably a bit high but $50 is ridiculously low.

Are you painting it? If so, you might be able to get away with something quite cheap like an IKEA wall shelf, but it will probably be fairly flimsy compared to your cabinetry. Having had a lot of custom work done recently by a carpenter friend who massively undercharged me, I hear you on being amazed at what this stuff really costs -- but I would expect more in the line of $200-$300 for such a piece. Good luck!

I didn't ask for it to be finished, but with the right tools and someone who makes cabinets all day...I would guess an hour. The biggest reason is that it would take us longer then an hour is because my father-in-law's woodshop is 1 1/2 hours away. We are not talking anything fabulous, it is a stain grade plywood box with shelfs. A sheet of cabinet quality 4x8 (which is more than enought) sheet of plywood at lowes cost $18. If they didn't want to do such a small job than say that. And this is the reason why it is better just to do things yourself.

I think the right price is somewhere in between. Maybe he'll knock off 15% since he's doing the rest of the kitchen.
Some uber-custom stuff I've built has billed-out at over $1100/ft. But that's me. I don't do hardly any work in that stratosphere.
Casey

As I said, you are forgetting front edges on the cabinet and on the shelves. It would take my experienced cabinet-making dh certainly more than an hour to do a nice job for this cabinet.

The plywood at Lowes is NOT nice plywood that you would buy for cabinets for refinishing - that is nice to use on your floors or other work - and it depends on the width he is using. And, so if you are saying it cost $18 for the plywood, and you need to throw in another $10-20 for materials, that means you are giving him $25 for his time... that's not reasonable - if you've ever bought tools, a good saw blade (my husband loves those $$$ freud) can run between $50-100 and they don't last very long so you have to get them sharpened or buy new ones and tools are $$$ (have a house full)...and that is at least a couple of hour job if not longer if you want it properly measured and perfectly done - in a hour, he can probably quickly throw something together per your measurements, run a bead of glue and air gun it but at that point, you are just as well off with the ikea ones as suggested. I could see $250-300, but you need to consider his time to purchase the wood/supplies, if he has to measure at your home, measure/cut the wood, put it together, and at least lightly sand. If it is so easy, why don't you try it, let us know how it comes out, and go from there - we are DIY, and can tell you, nothing takes as long as we "think" it should - try at least 4-10 times as long. Reasonable to me is $250-350 for custom - but if he is a high end shop, what he is asking may not be unreasonable (we didn't go custom so I have no clue what custom costs).

we are a high end shop and we would charge that for a finished piece, but then again we would charge that for an unfinished piece. I am sure that if you are not picky or if you are skilled you could make that piece yourself. I would say somewhere in the area of 100-150 in materials. Small jobs are tough to price you want to be fair, but if it takes you 1/2 day to layout, setup, make, finish and clean up, what is a fair price to charge. In that same time you could be making 10 cabinets for another job. Or selling another job for 30,000. If the shop is big and they are paying low wages and knocking cabinets out in bulk, then they can afford to make it cheaper. It would not look as nice, but again it is all in you expectations. Again our shop won't touch much for under $500.

A sheet of cabinet quality 4x8 (which is more than enought) sheet of plywood at lowes cost $18.

You're pricing a softwood plywood--not the hardwood veneered stuff. Even the Lowe's, HD, hardwood veneer ply is over $50 a sheet for 3/4''--closer to $60 after you get finished paying for it. Plus the time to go get it (an hour at the very least), vehicle investment & operating expense and the joy of loading it onto the cart, into your truck & unload it back at the shop. All by yourself. Unless you have a helper who probably expects to get paid. (Slinging 4x8 sheets of plywood isn't fun.) And at $50 per sheet, that's not the Good Stuff, either. Plus the hardwood to trim out the edges... Oh--and good sawblades to cut it? It's easy to spend $100 bucks or so for one quality sawblade. Self-employed? Then you get to pay 15.3% into Social Security! Insurance for all your tools & workshop? And liability? And Workmen's Comp for your employees? Trust me, this is just the tip of the Costs of Being Self-Employed Iceberg.

Oh! After you get the thing built, then ya' gotta' deliver it cuz John Q Homeowner can't haul it in his Prius. That's at least another hour out of your workday--time you could be using to do some of that paperwork the government so loves for you to.

jra-

you can get approx prices of custom cabinets at cabdir

http://www.cabinetrydirect.com/price_classic/price.shtml

I haven't seen there name around here lately, but they'll make whatever you want...or they used to. i purchased my kitchen from them

Have you considered using a semi-custom line that offers this cabinet (ie. KraftMaid), order it unfinished in your wood...then stain it to match? It would be difficult to stain those cubbies, but if you aren't too particular, it might work.

KraftMaid does offer this in a 42". I don't know the price of this, but I would guess it would be around $250 to $300. If they had a stain that matched, that would be even better...but that's unlikely.

Kompy

Ps. Here's a picture from their spec book. It comes in all three heights.

Kompy again. Forgot to copy the written specs from their spec site. Here it is:

5/8" wood veneer or laminate construction
Quartersawn oak door styles are standard oak
Recommended installation is between two cabinets
Note: This cabinet features "frameless" type construction
Reduced Depth (RD) not available in laminate door styles

Hope this helps.

Is the price in addition to work the cabinet maker is already doing for you, or is it a "small" job? If you are only asking him to make the one cabinet, I can understand the high price (although I still think it is very high). However, if it is part of a whole kitchen and this is just a last minute add in, it seems ridiculously high. We had a cabinet much like you describe built for our kitchen. It has a beautiful finished end panel on the right side and although I don't have an item by item breakdown (I was lucky to get a number pulled out of his head at the end of the entire project), this cost no where near that much.

If this is the only think you need built, I'd say you may be better to go it alone if you have any woodworking skills or do as kompy suggests.

I do it for a living and would not open the door for 50 bucks.

You are looking at 150 in materials.(nope, not exagerating)
half day actual building @ 60 hr = 240 (come watch)
Finish materials 75 (don't forget stain, sealer and top coat)
Finish time 2 hrs @ 40 hr = 80 (done in an osha approved both)
That puts you at 545 without tax and delivery and set up.

If he is very good at what he does, it is not that bad of a price.

If you want something less than professional, buy ikea or build it yourself. You can't even fill up my truck half way for 50 bucks. lol

Kenneth

I understand not wanting to do small jobs, but then say that. I requested no finishing and no delivery. For a small job I don't think that he needs to buy a whole new saw blade and I don't think that I need to pay insurance for the month. Granted my estimates were low, but geez...and for the record, all of the other estimates I have got since then have been for $100 to $150.

I don't find kenrbass' estimates out of line, so without finish, it's still a $300-400 job. Overhead divided into each job done is legitimate and necessary. (I would want him using a new blade.) I don't know how someone can pay for any of their time building this for $100-150, but that's up to them. I hope you get the quality materials and craftsmanship you want for that price. I really do wish you the best. I know it's tough to get everything for an affordable price, but we DIY'd our whole house and I am more familiar with high material costs than I ever wanted to be. My dh has done some cabinetwork as a 2nd job in the past, and I've gotten after him for charging too low like that, not covering our overhead well enough and undervaluing his time and our family time.

I do hope your kitchen turns out great! Best wishes.

I don't think it's necessarily a case of him not wanting to do the job, it seems to me more of a case of making it worth his while. It actually doesn't sound all that unreasonable to me. I'd have expected somewhere in the range of $500.

If you've gotten other estimates in the $100-150 range, then why not just go with one of those? My guess is that it's because you're wondering what the quality will be of the $100 guy's work. Yeah. I'd wonder too.

One thing I've learned over the years is that good quality is worth paying for. Sure it's just a small wine cabinet, but it's going to have to be in there with the rest of your brand new kitchen. You don't want there to be an obvious difference in quality. And that difference could easily show up in a couple of years (if not right away) if the quality of the work doesn't stand the test of time.

The only real way to guarantee quality and price is to do the job yourself. Then you'll know how much everything actually does cost and how much time is involved, plus if you're skilled, you can control the quality of the workmanship.

But if you're going to have it done, be careful of who you hire. I'm not saying the $100 guy's work will be bad. What I'm saying is that you seem to be questioning it, otherwise you'd have already hired him and you wouldn't have bothered to post here. At least, that's my take on it.

If you contemplated making it yourself, I'm surprised you thought a cabinet maker would make it for $50, even $80. I have no idea what kind of plywood you are buying at Lowe's for $18, but I'm sorry, I CANNOT believe it is 3/4" thick, cabinet/furniture quality good 2 sides. I just CANNOT!!!

I wanted to order 2 wineracks exactly like you want. I looked on my order form (we decided to scrap them), and it says $262.90. Now, because my KD was not the most organized (she was fired shortly after writing up our order), I honestly cannot tell you if that was $262.90 each or for the two of them! This was for made in China maple stained plywood. I am still waiting for a quote from a carpenter for a 13" wide 39" high upper with 4 boxes (for wine bottles) on top and 2 shelves (for cookbooks), finished in maple plywood. I'll let you know, I would assume it would cost more to build than your single wine cabinet- so it would be interesting to see where it falls compared to your quote- which I think is high.

I'm at the office now, so I checked on vertical wine cubby pricing for you.

KraftMaid 6x42, any wood, any finish or unfinished: $244
Medallion 6x42, any wood, any finish or unfinished: $277

That includes freight to my showroom or UPS to anywhere.

Kompy

At the Lowes near my house, $17.87 will get you something called "11/32" 4X8 BC PINE ULX EXTERIOR".

Sounds pretty.

Don't feel bad, I too am frequently surprised at what things cost. I have been skewered a few times myself for being way out of touch with what to expect. I am always surprised when people actually get offended, though. I don't know any woodworker that replaces the blade on the saw for each cabinet he makes, esp a small one like this. That just seems silly. I am sure they do require replacement more often than we expect, but not for each small job. I might imagine they would use a new one before starting each large job like a full kitchen, and have to replace them more often if they are using a harder wood. But a blade just for one or two of these small cabinets seems like a bit much.

Of coarse, as someone who takes of care sick people, sometimes dying people, and only makes half that (Oh yeah, I get an additional 25% when I work Saturdays, Sundays and major holidays like Christmas), I am always a little surprised by the 60.00/hr the cabinetmaker charges and the 80.00/hr the plumber charged, although if self employed they do have their own benefits to pay for. Thinking that the "average Joe" knows and understands your hourly charges, though, is a mistake. It is certainly educational to find out, but the lack of knowledge is not meant as an insult. Many people base their exceptions of what the labor will cost on their own experience with or as a skilled laborer and that may be way off. It is not necessarily that the labor is not "worth" that, just that they don't experience those income levels and so they don't expect it and may not be able to afford much of it.

One way I have found to cut costs and get a good job done is to ask around if there are any people who work for larger places, like a construction company, that will make something for you on their free time. It is the last thing many want to do, but there are people who welcome the extra income. A young, fully licenced electrician did my kitchen after work for more than he makes per hour at work but much less than I would have been charged if he was sent over by the large company he works for, or any other electrician during the usual work day, for that matter. He wants to buy his first house, and I want my electrical done to code for something I could afford...a marriage made in heaven, it turns out. My nephew is a Ford mechanic and he does the same thing. He can't do body work, but he will certainly do brake pads, exhaust and other work as well as you would get at the Ford dealership for a much better rate during these times of lack of available work (yes, people are cutting down on dealership repairs and putting things off or going someplace cheaper in this economy.) If you have any connections to the local schools, the local high school shop class might do a project, also. They have the equipment, and the instructor usually does one or more examples that they work from.

If you have the equipment and skills to do a good job yourself, I would definitely do that. At least you know exactly what you need and want, and won't be disappointed with something that is not what you expected, as many here to seem to be with custom work when they don't get the quality they expected for the price, even when they seem to have done their homework.

Sue

I'd check the quality of the $100-$150.00 pieces. Shucks even the IKEA wine cubby linked above is more than what you figured a custom made piece would run you.

Basically, I suspect that if you'd ordered a bigger kitchen, that wine cubby would have come to about half that price because a lot of the incidentals get factored into and spread over the overall job. Do one lone project, and you wind up loading those incidentals on the one item. Economies of scale and all that. Heck even I work that way ... I don't build a thing!

To answer your original question... you're bit naiive but don't worry - it can be an endearing quality ;)

jra,

We just got our estimate- ( a few days late).

sorry I'm late with this, it's been one of those weeks.
Here are the numbers you are waiting for;
Cut existing panels to allow for glass panes,stain and finish.
Fabricate upper end cabinet as discussed for cook books and wine storage, all Maple, finished to match existing.
Fabricate 4 drawer fronts and 2 doors as discussed, all Maple, finished to match existing...............................Total.....$965.00 + G.S.T

This fellow is an experienced finish carpenter- his quote for a 48" vanity cabinet for us was $1740.00 (to give you a comparison)

So, I think your quote for $685 is way too high. Hope you have luck getting something more reasonable. (But I wonder at the quality you'd be getting for those $100-$150 quotes).

there is a difference between a finish carpenter and a cabinetmaker!

Sorry I will clarify, there is most notably a difference in the equipment they are using, when I make a cabinet I am using on average over $50,000 in equipment. A finish carpenter may be knocking it out on $1000.00 worth of equipment. My product will be better, but who knows in the end if the consumer will even notice. I have computer design programs I must use, throw another 10,000 in for that, and then healthcare, you don't even want to know what that is. A cabinet shop like mine just has higher expenses. That being said I would say try making the cabinet yourself, that way if it does not come out as you would like you may appreciate the high cost more, although if you pay that much it better be TOP QUALITY!

mcr1,

Sorry, my mistake in the terminology- my carpenter is a cabinet maker!

I am not trying to start a debate or continue one, but your figures are off - as DIY, we can't even touch 1/2 decent tools at under $1000 for our projects when you start adding them up, plus supplies... and that's with me going to HD, Lowes and other stores still after 3+ years of moving in several times a week. I don't even want to guess what we've spent on tools - worth every penny but the cheap ones don't last, so any mid-range person doing this kind of work is going to be spending at least $5000+ on ok tools as a beginner and that's not including saw blade replacements (especially once you start buying one frued and realize they are worth it, etc)....and you go through those things quickly. I don't want to think about what we spend a month - its all worth it in the labor costs we save and once you own the tools, most last. The original poster is being unrealistic and needs to try DIY, then she'll understand - if you want custom, you're going to pay, so if you have the skills, and don't want to pay, you DIY, like us, or you buy semi-custom (or a combination of both). But, not to expect someone also to make a profit, is not reasonable too.

Sue, as DIY, I can honestly say, saw blades don't last as long as one things - cheap ones wear very quickly and good ones don't last long but cut better - you can get them refinished but it still is about half the cost of a new blade. We go through multiple blades frequently as I am always grumbling about it and then each of the saws use different sizes or styles - and you need multiple says to do even basic molding or cabinetry depending on the skill and perfection level (I got the perfectionist husband) - and that doesn't include all the drill bits, etc. And, don't forget the electricity, etc. to run all the machines. If someone can find some frued's cheap, please let me know, as my husband has a bunch of ones he doesn't have on his wish list and when we priced them each are running about $100 or more.

"A sheet of cabinet quality 4x8 (which is more than enought) sheet of plywood at lowes cost $18."

Ugh ...............WRONG! Your impression of cabinet grade ply is not the same as the industry's generally accepted standard. Muli layered furniture grade ply with 2 smooth defect free faces is 40-50 a sheet even at the home centers. Unless of course it's on clearence. How much gas and time are you going to spend getting that 18/sheet plywood? How much vehicle depreciation/wear&tear have you factored for the trip? probably on a buck or 2 but it counts.

Now I'll grant you you can make a wine rack out of cheap ext. grad ply and paint it up with 1.99 spray can paint but.......

No one has brought up the subject of profit. Isn't this cab guy entitled to one? What's fair?

Reasonable?
Acceptable?
Unfair?

"And this is the reason why it is better just to do things yourself" Hold on, did you build your own house? Preform medicine on you or your family? Ever go out for a meal? Have dry cleaning done? Handled you own legal work? DO you make your own clothes? Grow your own food?

Get a reality check. You can ALWAYS shop price and find a lower cost producer or preform/make something for less $$$ yourself ESPECIALLY if you undervalue your time and incorrectly omit overhead expenses that are paid out of your normal exsistence.

You can make a pretty good hamburger at your house for about 3 dollars in material, lets leave out the fractional costs used to produce it like the grill/cooktop, gas/electricty, pans, toastr/oven for the buns, knives for perp, water for cleanup, plates to serve, ref. to store stuff till your ready for it.

You can also get a burger that cost's over a hundred buck's at Mssr. Boulud's place in New York.

You might opt for a 99 cent double cheese burger from McDonalds.

Or, mabey something nicer at Chili's for around $8.95.

Vast degree in quality and price. Following your logic we'd conclude that Chili's is better than Daniel Boulud's, Your place is better than that; and the golden arch's is the best of all. Let's not forget to moan and belly ache that your place has too high an overhead to do a burger, Chili's is way off the scale and DB must be smoking crack and ripping off the public. To Chili's & DB : "Why can't you guys just higher less educated poor english speeking teenie bopers to staff your places? Why can't all of you just get cheaper costing meat and buns and lessen your rent so I can have a burger at your palce for 99 cents?"

Here is a link that might be useful: Lowe's cabinet grade plywood

Gosh, jra2127- I bet you're sorry you asked! Sheesh. So what, you were naive and didn't know what the actual cost would be. You're human. I think the price you were quoted was high. I wouldn't pay it.

I say make your own! :)

As a cabinetmaker, I would say that the price he gave you is high. Though $50 is also crazy low. Without going into all the reasons for pricing, I would say the price should be somewhere in the middle. Unfortunately a very small job like this is oftem more trouble than its worth, at least if the shop not starving for work. The cost of materials is not that high, maybe $50, the time perhaps 3 hrs billable all-together, the total cost perhaps $350. My opinion FWIW

I think mikebeth's estimate is right on, I was reading this thread for the first time and I was coming up with an amount between 350 and 400 in my head.
Expensive but more reasonable than what he quoted.

Individual small jobs done separately from a big project always cost more; one example is tiled backsplashes done later after the rest of the kitchen has been in place for a while, numerous threads pop up on how consumers are sticker-shocked by the cost of the backsplash vs the cost of tiling a whole floor.

jra, are you going to go with the other estimates in the 100/150$ range ?

Gosh, I admitted my $70-80 was off, but wow. I did get my cabinet done for $150. It was beautifully done and exactly what we wanted. He said that it was a simple project and took him less then a day. Also, when I told him about the $685 estimate he said that he wished he had the nerve to rip people off like that. So, it pays to find someone who doesn't want you to help pay for a fancy showroom. Also, you don't need a fancy showroom to be able to do good work.

Jra,

The reason everyone gave you a hard time is because you did unknowingly insult a lot of tradesmen. We know what the proper materials really cost, and the amount of time it takes to construct a cabinet. Sure, it looks like just a box, but it takes time to make something that will last the long haul, and isn't thrown together with a bunch of drywall screws.

The $18 plywood comment certainly made me roll my eyes, as did your last post about the completed piece. It took him less than a day? It should be no more than an hour at that price.

I agree you dont need a fancy showroom to do good work, my shop is proof of that. The $685 price was a bit high, even for me in NY... But you're obviously not seeing the whole picture. The costs of running a business are really up there. I pay for my license, insurance, shop rent, electricity, heat, garbage collection, the cost of the tools, and why is profit a dirty word? How else can a business grow?

Your new cabinetmaker is obviously an amateur. The fact that he claims the original guy tried to rip you off just shows he has no idea how to run a business. I'll give him a year before he's working the plumbing aisle at Home Depot. You helped steer him towards that horrible fate.

Congrats on your new cabinet.

Alex

The 'less than a day' comment also made my jaw drop. Alex and the others make valid points. Your carpenter did you a favor, but he really hasn't learned yet, the value of his time and expertise.

I'm glad you got your cabinet done.

I've noticed on prior projects we've done that when I realize I'd like to add something before the job is finished, the cost always seems a bit high. I have learned from that and have prepared a strict list of what I want when we start ordering the cabinets, counters, etc.. As far as the cabinets go, the kitchen and buffet in the DR will be one bid- additional cabinets in the FR will be another. It will help me keep track of what costs what and I may even have to hold off on the FR cabs.

As for making a profit-- of course businesses need to make a profit. We all know that. But I believe you can be ethical and look out for your best financial interest at the same time.

Alex, I don't know where the OP lives, but to project your business costs in NY on someone who may not live in a place with anywhere near the same cost of living may not be applicable at all, even if they had the overhead of a shop like you, which I though she said they DID NOT. So how can you expect they would have the same overhead costs or need to charge any where the same price you do? I live in CT, and the property taxes can vary by more than 25-30% from one town to another, and taxes vary even more from state to state, as does the overall cost of doing business. It is the purpose of any business to make a profit. But whether one person requires a profit of 100% or 500% is going to vary, and no one is required to demand the same profit as someone else. The OP said the person who made her piece set his own price, she didn't exactly hold a gun to his head and demand he make it for that price or else, and being disdainful of what he produced when she is satisfied with it and you have not seen it baffles me. I am glad she went to a local person who gave her a price she could afford and made a piece that she is satisfied with. Everyone on that end appears happy with the conclusion. Why give her a hard time about it? You make it sound like she did something wrong by agreeing to purchase the cabinet and not insisting he charge more or threatening to take her business elsewhere if he didn't up his price!

Geeez

Sue

I thought Alex's comments were spot on & don't see how he's projecting his costs on anyone else. In fact, Alex said: The $685 price was a bit high, even for me in NY...

And he goes on to explain: But you're obviously not seeing the whole picture. The costs of running a business are really up there. I pay for my license, insurance, shop rent, electricity, heat, garbage collection, the cost of the tools, and why is profit a dirty word? How else can a business grow?

And about that 'less than a day' to make the wine cubbie. People tend to get caught up in the time it takes to actually construct something without allowing for the builder's time in the details of discussing materials, methods, supply runs, collecting, and general jackjawing with the customer. I'd be really interested in knowing how much total time he had invested in that $150 job.

I will part with Alex over the Lowe's comment because there is a possibility that the guy who built the cubbie is picking up odd jobs and doing them cheaply in order to gain experience and exposure. Or could be that he just potters around with the odd job so he can buy more tools. But he isn't going to be supporting a business, growing a business, hiring employees, and paying all the attendant costs without learning how to value & charge for his time.

"Your new cabinetmaker is obviously an amateur. The fact that he claims the original guy tried to rip you off just shows he has no idea how to run a business. I'll give him a year before he's working the plumbing aisle at Home Depot. YOU HELPED STEER HIM TOWARDS THAT HORRIBLE FATE"

Since he seems to be putting part of the blame on her, I find THAT offensive.

I DON'T know what the situation is with the person who made her cabinet or what his overhead is, and neither does anyone else and predicting his failure as a business person and placing part of the blame for that on her is in my opinion out of line. I have certainly come across hobbyists and retired people who like to keep thier hand in it for the pleasure of it, with excellent workmanship who do not have high overhead do not have ANY store front or insurance costs to pay for, much less garbage collection, who can turn out a beautiful product for much less than others and be happy to do so. New England certainly has its share of basement and barn workshops and good craftsman that do not HAVE to earn a living with it, but enjoy the extra money.

REGARDLESS of why he charges what he does, it is simply NOT the OPs fault that he charges less than Alex, that he may be ABLE to charge less than Alex or any one else. Nor does anyone here have the information needed to determine if this guy has a business that is solvent or not, much less to attack his intelligence or business acumen. For example, Oklahoma reportedly has the lowest cost of living in the country right now, and NY is in the top 5. Do any of you really have the knowledge without knowing the persons business situation or seeing the item, what someone in Oklahoma should be charging for a job based on what some in New York with a different business needs to charge?

If you don't have a shop and don't live in NY you might not HAVE to charge 100.00/hr for labor to make a profit. I have also had good craftsman offer smaller simpler items for reasonable prices to show off thier craftsmanship, and in hopes that they will be called when the next big project is planned. Stop in at some of the higher end craft shows and fairs in New England this fall and see what you find. I would not be surprised if you found craftsman selling smaller items such as this for similar prices with thier business cards attached to the back and information on what they can do for larger projects.

And REGARDLESS of his business or profit needs, they are NOT her fault.
Notice I have not said what I think SHOULD have been charged. I don't think any of us can make that determination without any knowledge of his business or where either of them live.
Sue

His time for a day should have been worth more than that...Add materials and overhead and I have to agree that he will be in trouble soon if this is his bread and butter. If it isn't, I hope he figures out quickly that he's not making any money. It isn't, however, the OP's fault. She shouldn't have insisted on paying him more than he asked. Hopefully, he had scraps or something from a previously well-paid job. Loosely figured, I thought it was a half-day's job, but with materials and overhead, I'd hope my dh would charge at least $300, even though it seems like a tiny job, and we don't have a full shop to run. People don't realize that smaller things don't take much less time than a larger piece, because there are the same number of pieces and the same number of steps in the process.

Boy, I'm really shocked at the tone of this thread. Everyone on this forum is always looking for bargains and here the OP gets a good deal on something and a bunch of people act like the OP stole from the cabinet maker. Lighten up people.

I think thread shows that the answers depend on the way the question is framed. The $660+ charge can be a "fair" price for what may actually go into such a project by any number of cabinetmakers, AND you may also be able to find someone who will do it for less, even if for different reasons than that the first person was ripping you off. So if the quick answer is, pay up, don't look any further, you might spend more than you absolutely have to if you are able to look much further afield and establish another person's work credentials and quality; but on the other hand, it seems good to realize that a lot of our "acounting" as homeowners does tend to gloss over all of the hidden tasks of crafting something, because we're used to doing lots of the pre-or post creation of things for ourselves, and because maybe we imagine that craft-persons are doing everything in some kind of top efficiency assembly line AND someone else is paying for gasoline and utilities. So it's easy to try to think that you should only pay for just the things that seem directly related to your order and not any other related overhead, upkeep, material acquisition time,gas, electricity, or anything.

Sort of as if some of the tasks we might do at work were actually itemized, I reckon someone would say, you mean I'm paying $$ for you to file a report? Or whatever.

This is a forum. Keep in mind that we're all tapping away on our computers. It's easy to feel offended by words on the screen. This is a good post discussing what things cost. People here are always talking about 'sticker shock'. Posts like this can maybe help explain.

And I agree the OP shouldn't feel like a criminal for getting a good deal. And it's also fine that others are posting about costs.

Sue, the point of my post was that she got beat up by the others because she came here for advice and didnt like what she heard... Then she came back to brag that she found a sucker to build it for far less than it should have been. (and I dont care where you are in this country, a custom piece like that should be more than $150)

"Since he seems to be putting part of the blame on her, I find THAT offensive. "

Sue, my comments weren't directed towards you, so you need to let it go.

Geeez.

Alex

Such arrogance!

post a picture a please, if you did I think we could keep this thread going for at least another 50 posts!

Yep, it was a bit harsh, RQ... Im usually not like that. I just couldnt believe I came online tonight to see a novel written by Sue.

I agree with Kompy - " I agree the OP shouldn't feel like a criminal for getting a good deal"

AT THE SAME TIME - I think it unfair to lable the OP's first guy as a "ripoff artist" , he/she & you/we have no idea about that guy's overhead, material selection and build time. He may very well be giving them a fair shake based on HIS business. I said earlier that you can always find a cheaper solution- the business world is predicated on it today. Doesn't mean that solution is BETTER or that is doesn't meet your needs.

It's like saying Honda is ripping people off on their 2 door Acura NSX which cost $90k because Mazada sells their 2 door sportster for 25k. Both Asian made sports cars that go fast. The tires alone on the Acura are 5 grand - one fifth of the Mazada's total.

...he/she & you/we have no idea about that guy's overhead, material selection and build time.

I'll add that we also don't have the details on construction methods. There are lots of ways to approach bldg something like a wine cubbie, ranging from just butt joints & nails to considerably more challenging methods like blind mortises with glue to half-laps/ eggcrate joinery...

And while it looks simple to build, actually doing it will reveal that it's a lot more complex than it appears to be. Cuts have to be extremely precise--the cubbies have to be all the same size with very little tolerance for variation--and assembly? Oh boy--you gotta' get all those little squares 'square' and the glue can't be slopping out of the joint or else the wood won't take the stain. Then, if you built it out of sheet goods, you must trim out the front edges with hardwood. Do you butt joint the pieces or do you use some other more complex & demanding method like eggcrate joints? Whatever method, it has to be perfect, or darned close to perfect, because it's a focal point that won't go hiding behind a cabinet door.

I think its important for cabinetmakers to educate homeowners as regards the quality of the materials and joinery that they use. We are not talking about cans of soup here. If you get three bids on a cabinet, they are three different cabinets.

As a cabinetmaker, I shy away from small jobs. They are not good value to the customer. Forget the cost of the materials, what really is important to the cabinetmaker is TIME. If you have to set your machines to manufacture one piece, its exactly the same as setting them for 1000 pieces. With larger jobs there are returns to scale. Likewise If I am installing a cabinet, I would rather be installing a kitchen. My time is more efficiently spent working on larger jobs.

Steve