? about purchasing cabinets locally versus HD/Lowes

12 years ago

I have read many posts that suggest you get higher quality with lower cost when buying cabinets locally versus Home Depot or Lowes. However, could you confirm whether this is buying straight from the manucturer, or do you mean going through a local supplier of perhaps regional manufacturers? There are only a couple of cabinet manufacturers in Iowa (one being Bertch), but you have to go through a local cabinet supply business to order them. (They also will halp with kitchen design and installation if you so choose.) Or, do you mean there are many mom-and-pop shops that do this work? If so, there are none around my area. Thanks for your feedback!!!

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Comments (4)

John Tebbs
12 years ago
If you look carefully, you may be surprised to find local craftsmen who can build beautiful cabinetry at prices better than or at least similar to big box store prices. In my opinion, you get better quality and that intangible handmade appearance with a cabinetmaker. I live in a fairly small town, and there are at least two doing business here locally. One of them made my daughter's kitchen 5 years ago for $11,000.00, with absolutely beautiful hard maple cabinets, with all 3/4 material. It was a lot of cabinets, with a peninsula, fridge and mocrowave enclosure, pantry and bar area. That included the laminate countertops. Today, I would expect $15,000.00 for him to duplicate it, but still a bargan. We personally have 30 year old Rutt cherry cabinets that I'm having disassembled and refinished by another local craftsman. He's about 3/4 finished, and they look better than they did new, in my oponion. The local cabinetmakers are out there, and are worth searching out, in my opinion.....
Buehl
12 years ago
You're probably hearing about "local custom cabinetmakers". Sometimes you can get quality cabinets & service less expensively through a local custom cabinetmaker, but not always. There is a lot of misleading information out there that makes it sound like all local custom cabinetmakers are less expensive and of higher quality than larger manufacturers (like Bertch, Omega, etc.)

What's the real scoop?

Some local custom cabinetmakers are less expensive
Some local custom cabinetmakers have as good as or even better quality
Some local custom cabinetmakers are good installers, businessmen, etc.

Unfortunately, you may not find all of the above in the same cabinetmaker!

All of this is regional as well...not just the availability/cost/quality/service of local custom cabinetmakers, but also the availability/cost/service of those from the larger manufacturers (quality should be the same, regardless of location for manufacturers).

Here's the "blurb" I usually post when people start asking about "local custom cabinetmakers":

Just a word of caution..."local (custom) cabinetmaker" is thrown around here a lot with the implication they are all superior to or at least as good the various cabinet manufacturers. Some may be, but there is no guarantee. "Local custom cabinetmaker" does not necessarily equate to "high quality" or "low cost". There are many very good custom cabinetmakers out there, but there are many not-so-good ones as well. Just b/c someone is a "custom cabinetmaker" does not make him/her a good cabinetmaker. And, it's not just their skill at cabinetry...how are their business skills? E.g., How are they at meeting schedules? Do they stay within the cost they quote you? How do they deal with issues? What is their warranty? What recourse do you have if they drop the ball? Sometimes you can go "over the heads" of people at cabinet stores or even go to the manufacturer (at least for warranty issues), but you might not have that option with a local cabinetmaker.

If you go this route, be very diligent in your research for the specific cabinetmaker(s) you are considering (they are not all alike):
- Contact several recent references, including at least one who had problems so you can see how the cabinetmaker handled those problems. Ask about:
- How was the cabinetmaker at keeping to the schedule s/he promised?
Did the cabinetmaker stick pretty close to the cost estimate s/he gave them (no hidden fees, undeclared upgrades, etc.)?
Did the cabinetmaker let them (the customer) see a sample of their cabinet door w/finish for approval of the finish, quality, etc. prior to completing the entire order?
How did the cabinetmaker handle construction issues?
How did the cabinetmaker handle installation issues?
Contact several not-so-recent references, ask them how their cabinets are holding up (joints, face frames, drawers, doors, finish, etc.). Try for some at least 5 years old and at least 10 years old....
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I do not have time to read all of this, but want to encourage you to peruse and search this site for lawsuit, shoddy cabinets, etc. There are quite a few of us that ended up in court because we hired the wrong person. Knowing all that I know now, and knowing how the courts operate, I would never give my good CASH money to any small business again. NEVER. Now, IF you use a credit card and have a GOOF-PROOF, most excellent contract with every dot and tittle expressed, numbered, named, excellent drawings and inspiration photos all signed by you AND the cabinet maker so there is no mistaking exactly what you want or expect at the end of the contract, and have a finished sample door style and color (usually half goes to you, half goes to the cabinet maker), THEN and only then would I consider doing business. The credit card company will do and CAN do what no court will ever do without it costing you big dollars, the CC Company can credit you back for bad cabinets or not being satisfied. You see, the small guy has a contract with the CC co. and he is not guaranteed money "no matter what" he does. My case in point is just as suggested you do above, however, I paid CASH. I won in court, but CabFiascoGuy (as I call him here on GW) was incorporated and changed his business name. I would have had to hire another company to chase down his assets. The judge just said to call it even and we both go our own way. I got shoddy cabinets with a hideous finish, not as I ordered, crappy paint job, appliances did not fit, etc. (research my name). I am almost THREE YEARS OUT and am just now finishing my kitchen. I have hired five people to help do different aspects. Repainted four times (another story, but I ended up finishing them myself). Had to have all cabinets taken down, modified, reinstalled. 34 or so new doors ordered (all with a profile I HATE and did not choose.) . So, knowing how crappy it is to get involved with a company with not much to lose except a business name...is not anything I will EVER do again. I will MAKE myself be happy with something from a big box store. An extra month to wait for cabinets should something have to be reordered??? PUH=LEEZE!!! I have the patience of a saint now. I'm so patient now, I haven't bought a new car in almost 7 years because I'm willing to wait until the new models come out...then for a spring sale...then year end...and so on. I was NEVER like this before this cabinet fiasco. Thanks for listening. Be cautious. Even "nice people" can end up in court. Desperate people can do despearate things. Promise you the moon for the right price and persuade you to do business. I cannot afford to ever make the same mistake twice. PS. If a local guy will do business with about 25% down (using cc still), then I would be willing to pay cash once the cabinets were installed and I was smiling. This is about the only scenario I could agree with using a small cabinet maker.
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I don't know about Canada, but in our neck of the woods, this is not the case. I suppose a lot depends on the local competition. When comparing apples to apples, most of what we purchased at HD or Lowes has been lower in price. For instance, cabinets, Schuler/Medallion, Lowes was significantly less the local cabinet shop. Major appliances of the same brand and models were equal to, or less than, other local stores. As far as the faucets and similar items are concerned, they are absolutely identical when you get the same model and brand name. It is true that major retailers often carry stuff with exclusive brand names, and some things are made to their specs, but you can usually discern this because it has a different model number than the national brand. Some plumbing supply stores and traditional yards do not carry these items, but many have started to because they have to compete. Yes, you can save on many things buying on the internet. We did, but do the research and know from whom you are buying. There really is no magic formula. Costs to suppliers for identical items are often based on quanity purchases, so usually it is the seller that buys the most, has the lowest overhead, and smallest markup that will give you the best price. In the early morning I see a lot of plumbers, as well as other trades at HD and Lowes picking up supplies on the way to the job.
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To further clarify antss example, think about the following. You want to compare a 24" base cabinet and 24" upper between cabinet lines. First of all, taking the cabinet out of context of the design doesn't really lead to an accurate comparison. One 24" cabinet on an end of a cabinet run will be treated entirely differently than one in the middle or against the wall and each and every single option will have an upcharge. Then, each cabinet line has "list" price. No one pays list price. The typical % off of list price that a consumer pays has to do with the cabinet line itself, distance from the manufacturer, the volume of the dealer, the showroom location and amount of space of the dealer, the services provided by the dealer, the past year's sales record for the dealer, and a host of other variables. "Typical" discounts from list price range from 30-60%, depending on the countless variables. To say that a consumer "should" only pay 40% of list price is as misguided as to say that a consumer should pay full list price. There are too many variables in the equation for the showroom/KD to even tell you why they charge XX% of list price. Just accept that that's the price, and you may can wiggle 2-3% more if you are providing the design, or other variable that the dealer already has factored in. Contractors who repeatedly spend several hundred thousand dollars with a showroom can typcially get between 3-7% off of the quoted price as long as they don't need more than the simple design services of the staff. So, let's say that Brand X has a list price of $1000 for the 24" base cabinet, and $600 for the 24" wall cabinet. They typially discount 50% off of list price, and since you're not a repeat customer and you're price shopping rather than really wanting to do business with them, that's as much discount as they're going to quote you. 24" base cabinet $500 24" upper (30") $300 OK, take that "estimate" and run with it all around town and compare prices among cabinet lines that you can't really and truly say are exact equals. Find the cheapest and go with them. Then find out that you forgot to price out: Plywood box upcharge 20% $160 Glazed finish 20% $160 finished end panels $450 3" filler for clearance $ 60 % of 8' toe kick molding $ 25 % of 8' crown molding $100 % of 8' light rail $ 60 % of 8' scribe molding $ 20 % of 8' 1/4 round molding $ 40 % of touch up kit $ 2 So, by the time you get through even adding on very minimal finishing touches that don't even qualify as "bells and whistles", that $800 "simple" run of 24" cabinetry costs $1877 in Brand X. We haven't even covered the more complex cabinet modifications and inserts and decorative add ons or even different sized cabinetry or what doing the kitchen A design way versus B design way would impact on price. My cabinet orders for a "typical" medium sized kitchen with nothing fancy for the cabinets can run 12-15 pages long. The manpower hours that such a "detailed quote" takes is nothing short of 100% of actually designing the final kitchen design. Say it's a simple design and it only takes 8 hours of design and going over ever spec and measurement and detail. What I'm producing isn't a "price quote", as such a thing is virtually meaningless without an actual design. This is why I and many other designers require a deposit before design work can begin. If you want a "price estimate", I'll give you a guesstimate based on my experience and the basic number of linear feet of cabinets that you have and your verbal description of what you want in a kitchen and your selection of cabinet line and door. That's really and truly as much as anyone can do without working up a design. I know that can lead to sticker shock for clients, but that's why I try to be totally honest about my guestimates, and that's why mine include those above listed items that most designers won't put in so they can low ball you. And, then you end up adding them anyway, and are shocked and offended when the price more than doubles for your "simple" kitchen. If all anyone is looking for is the lowest price then that's what they are going to get, regardless of any other type of service or competency. If someone is looking for a good value and not necessarily the lowest price, then that's a better outlook and much easier to provide.
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breezygirl
12 years ago
I'm a little confused about your question. If you're asking about buying, say, Kraftmaid from HD vs another place, then I suggest you look at another storefront in town that sells Kraftmaid. However you define "another storefront", it's someplace else other than HD. For me, it was a local cab store that sold KM and another brand as well as hardware, faucets, sinks, etc. I wouldn't call it "mom and pop", just a store.

If you're asking about finding someone locally that will make your cabinets for you in their shop instead of a big factory like KM, I'd say look at them also. I found a local custom cabinet maker who does great work at almost the same price as KM, but his price included installation whereas the KM quote did not. Better product and made exactly to my specifications.

Are there any Amish cabinet makers near you? You'd be surprised what parts of the country they are in and how far they'll travel. Some of the nicest cabs I've seen here were made by Amish. Great prices and nice to work with. Explore that option if you can. Good luck!
artemis78
12 years ago
You probably also have lots of local cabinet shops near you that just aren't especially visible. We had a great experience with a custom cabinetmaker whose name came from some friends, and when I went to go write a review for him so others could find him, there is virtually no sign of him anywhere in the online world except for his business address and license. For over a decade, he's filled his schedule solely through word of mouth, and if we hadn't happened to have friends who were using him, we'd never have known he was there. Even those that were easier to find weren't large enterprises---often just a few people.

It's also sometimes true that you can get stock cabinet lines at local shops for less money/higher quality than at the big box stores, but that really depends on the specific stores where you live and what they sell. It isn't true where I live, but is where my parents live.

? about purchasing cabinets locally versus HD/Lowes

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John Tebbs

Buehl

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