Cabinet Construction Quality

13 years ago

We've been searching high and low for some quality cabinets which fit in our budget. We're seriously considering Mid-Continent cabinets based on their favorable feedback here on GW. We recently got a quote from a KD and noticed that the specifications were for 3/8" plywood box construction. Is that typical for a mid level semi custom cabinet? This KD also carries some more custom manufacturers who use 1/2" plywood box construction.

Would 3/8 inch be too thin? It seems like most people talk about 1/2 or even larger, up to 3/4".

The Mid-Continent quote came out to slightly more than Kraftmaid (about 5-10%). Is that typical and is MidContinent worth the extra cost? Dynasty, Brookhaven, and Showplace are about 40% more than Kraftmaid in my area.

Thanks.

Comments (10)

twosit
13 years ago
Here is a link that discusses cabinet pricing--not the quality details though.

Here is a link that might be useful: relative cabinet prices
kitellie49
13 years ago
Hello,

I sell Dynasty cabinets and in my area I consistently beat Kraftmaid pricing given by both Home Depot and a local small shop. Shop around! I don't know the Mid-Continent line, but Dynasty at 40% over Kraftmaid is not right. Maybe I need to raise my prices!
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I've been asking myself the same question lately. I found a very good article which was very when looking at cabinets and interviewing cabinet makers. Everyone has their own ideas about "quality" and where to draw the line. What about the material the cabinets are made from? There is a broad range of "quality" in plywood, for example. Personally, I would prefer my cabinets built with domestic plywood (USA) over plywood coming from China where, in my experience, there is no consistency in quality in ANY product from pet food to medical supplies. Here is a link that might be useful: Cabinet Construction Quality
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jd - "If they need to save the about two dollars it would cost to put the whole top on a box I would seriously question the rest of their quality" This downright insane. The extra wood there is not strengthening the cabinet in an appreciable way. It does nothing to help the compressive strength of the cabinet that help carry loads of stone or concrete countertops. It looks spiffy and will help keep jobsite dust out of the cabinets (if you choose to install in a dirty environment) , but lack of a solid top IS NO INDICATION of quality of a cabinet's construction. It could be used as a marketing tool to differentiate you from competitors. The really rich part is that it's a waste of material. It also adds to the weight and shipping and handling costs, so........not very green or organic afterall.
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I'm searching for a mid priced cabinet line.Thought Diamond was it, but didn't like the depth of base cabinet draws, nor did I like their top corner cabinet options. Looking through these forums I found this thread.Not sure if Dynasty "melamine" is better or worse than a standard interior wood veneer. Kraftmaid has the depth of draw,corner cabinets,door style I like, but has not been spoken of very fondly by some who have had them from Lowe's/Home Depot. Help! What to buy, what to buy. When looking on the Omega site they have this regarding the cabinet construction: Quality Inside Out Dynasty/Omega's solid wood case construction makes your cabinetry ready for a lifetime of use. But you don't have to wait a lifetime to appreciate it. Dynasty/Omega cabinets are delivered square, stable and easy to install because we start with solid, kiln-dried select hardwood frames. Unlike many cabinet manufacturers, we produce every door (even our curved doors) on site allowing us to apply the same rigorous quality standards to the doors as we give to the rest of the product.
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jterrilynn
13 years ago
Not to confuse you more on your picks but once you start reading about quality there is really no end, when it comes to cabinet plywood thickness and quality you have to consider ply. Some may have a thick piece of wood but only a few layers of ply so the thickness doesnÂt make it better. Some may have a thinner box but have over seven layers of ply. So I guess what IÂm saying is, that bigger is not always better.
Good luck with your cabinet search, sorry I do not know of the brand you are asking about but IÂm sure others do.
daveinorlado
13 years ago
I have sold Norcraft which is the same as mid continent with a extra company in the distribution meaning there was a large wholesaler between me and the factory. Mid continent dealers have to sell more kitchens to buy it direct. Beating the price of woodmark was not possible with Norcraft as a general rule of thumb. Beating Kraftmaid price was normall possible. I would shop mid continent a little harder and take your written quote from one dealer to another and see if they will beat your first price. Take the second price back to the first and see what they will do. I sell Brandom which has been in business for 57 years with a lifetime limited warranty. I just went to home depot today to call out a customer who was lying to me that I was more expensive then Woodmark. So not true I can do a 50% mark up on Brandom and be withing in a few hundered dollars of Woodmark. I gave a 35% mark up to the customer which is very insulting to say they can get a better price at home depot.

I would cream a Kraftmaid price and day of the week. I do not have the multiplier on Mid continent but it is supposed to be cheaper then Norcraft.
newtoremodel
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks for the info and advice everyone.

Kitellie49 - please tell me you're in So Cal? :)
kitellie49
13 years ago
No, not in So. Cal! As Dave has stated, each line has its own cost factor - Also, I own my own very, very, very small showroom. That means no overhead. I simply don't have to charge what others have do to stay in business. Some customers won't even come in the door because the outside of the building is so small. I have a five good-sized displays, so it works out fine.

I really don't need more. My customers like the "homey" feel of my showroom. The moral of this story is, shop around. Go to small shops! Pricing is very important, cabinet quality is important but you need to connect with someone. I have to say that I have the nicest customers. People are buying "me", not wooden boxes.
paintergirl94
13 years ago
Kitellie, I have a similar situation, and I couldn't have said it better myself!
kordust
13 years ago
Something is amiss here ... that Dynasty, Brookhaven and Showplace are all 40% higher than KraftMaid is not likely.
Maybe the cabinet construction is different (lower grade drawer glides and/or drawer material, cabinets with ends of particleboard vs. plywood, etc.)

I don't buy that this is an apples-to-apples comparison and would suggest quoting from multiple dealers if you haven't already done so.
kordust
13 years ago
OK. I feel a little stupid for not "absorbing" the first posting where it clearly states that they were quoting plywood ends. Something still doesn't seem right about this though.

I'll go slink to my corner now ...
amylucey
13 years ago
We have mid-continent and while we are happy with them (my hubby doesn't like the sheet of laminite that covers the shelves), I wish the Martha Stewart line at HD had been available. You should check it out. Pretty impressive and WAY cheaper than what we paid for MidC.

Ours our MidC / Hartford doors (although I think they are now calling them "Adams") Painted white on all cabs/doors/drawers on the perimeter and the island is maple with a choco glaze.

We just had them installed last month. So far, so good.

When kitchen is done, I'll post pics. Should be done next month. :)

Cabinet Construction Quality

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