You should get quotes from local custom cabinet makers as well. Don't believe that CA finishes are subpar.

I am on the other coast and those prices are on target for what I see contingent upon quality grade. I can not even get a IKEA kitchen installed for less than 30k due to labor prices.

Do those quotes include labor? I’ve been getting quotes for my cabinets and they are as follows; Medallian Gold for ~18k, Schuler cabinets was about 20k and kraftmaid came in at $12k. My kitchen will be a u shaped and is about 15x9. I’m outside PIttsburgh. So costs must be significantly less in middle America. I’ve been waiting forever for my labor estimates...

Those do include all materials and labor, permits, etc. Labor will include demolition and then there are other trades like electrical and plumbing. Even though we are not really moving anything to a new location, they have to pull permits and have electrical and plumbing inspected.

Local custom shops are definitely out. We have too many friends with custom cabinets with lousy finishes that rub off with a cloth.

Hi OP Frank Hagan. my Kitchen cabinets are NOT Bellmont but the quote I got for the Belmont 1900 was about $22K January 2018. My kitchen dimensions are 22 ft X 16 ft cabinet area, but my kitchen iis actually 22 ft by 33 ft Including dining area.

I did not go with Belmont due to my impression that the Belmont dealer’s salesman/designer in my city was not experienced with my appliances: integrated or built- in 72 inch total Gaggenau columns fridge/freezer/wine cooler and Gaggenau combi steam and another Gaggenau convection over that I wanted flush mounted.

That’s why I did not get Belmont. I actually thought the Belmont 1900 price quote was reasonable compared to Scavolini at $45K, an Italian brand.

If you do a search for Barker cabinets in this forum, you'll find that many people are very satisfied with them,

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/kitchbath/query/barker-cabinets/nqrw

Helen, the prices do include the counter tops (Ceaserstone) and a tile backsplash. We are keeping the lighting we currently have and the flooring as well. There is electrical work to be done due to upgrading to current codes for the location of the outlets.

beckysharp, I like Barker a lot. I just know for this project the WAF will require it to be done by someone who handles the job from start to finish, and acting as the contractor is probably not going to fly for us.

@Frank - Not to be picky but before you can actually compare bids you need a complete design with all specifications spelled out - e.g. the document that the GC will work from in order to actually build the kitchen and that would be used to determine if everything was done.

When you say you have lighting, does this include under cabinet lights? Tiles are available at different price points so unless you are supplying the materials, it would have to specify what tiles or at least an allowance for the price of tiles. Similarly faucets have different prices as do kitchen sinks.

Have you priced out exactly the configuration you want in cabinets. It is those kinds of things which generally increase the price of cabinets so you need to compare apples to apples and also specify exactly what cabinets will be installed.

Your quotes include permits, labor, countertops and backsplash? I don't know what your layout is or what materials you've chosen but I'd be jumping all over that Brookhaven quote.

If Sophie were here, she would say RTA cabinet options are no less expensive than factory assembled cabinets if you have to pay someone to assemble and install. Oh, and she would also say to avoid the "cheapchinesecrapola" in your lowest quote of "imported" cabinets.

Who did the layout for your kitchen? I would want to run it by the Kitchen forum gurus to make sure it's as good and streamlined as possible to minimize costs and eliminate any mistakes.

Thanks, everyone.

The kitchen layout is basically "replace all these cabinets with new ones" with the exception of an additional base and upper cabinet in a little alcove that is currently empty, and removing 30" of cabinets for a range (instead of a drop in stove top). So everyone is quoting on the same base and upper cabinets. All the companies here include under cabinet lights now.

Beyond price, there are two companies we're comfortable with and it will be a decision between them and price will be a factor, but certainly not the only one. I just wanted to make sure that $40k was a fair quote for a 9 x 11 u-shaped kitchen. It seems to be.

$40K sounds great for an entire kitchen remodel.

That does seem high...

Why do you think that finishes in CA don't hold up well? I paid a lot for a conversion varnish finish that is supposed to be very durable...

I have a huge kitchen... around 2-3x yours. It is ~15.5'x22' with a 9'x4.5' island and I paid around ~50-55k for completely custom cabinets with all the bells and whistles. Get some local custom cabinet makers to give you a quote.

The finish is rubbing off when you use a cloth to clean them (one friend and a family member have this problem). One of the local cabinet makers we contacted now only does RTA cabinets for that reason and has given up on custom entirely. It has something to do with the products they can get due to pollution laws here. I'm not sure if painted cabinets would be the same.

I do believe that painted finish in CA might be subpar..from reading this very forum, and from my own experience-we have amazing cabinets..of course they're abused my poor dears(lol) ..but I do believe-from reading here- that paints, varnishes, etc here lack certain binding agents..not that I know what these are..but being gluten free myself, I kinda compare it, in my mind, to not having gluten..for paint))

If one's light on things he'll be fine I believe

I for example am light on things. No ding came from me)) or so I think at least

we have a small kitchen too, and had a high end local cabinetmaker(we did have a special price that made it affordable for us) make it..the guy is a wizard, he made our master bath vanity too. (this one is stained..no problems)

His regular price would be around 23-25K for kitchen our size?(I think similar size to yours, a bit smaller. Much fewer uppers than lowers. As many drawers as we could fit)

I think during all our huge remodel he was the only guy who never made a mistake. Everything was top-notch-communication, execution, everything on time (meaning-long before everything else was ready..lol). No. Mistakes. His installer was great too.

I believe we payed 18K

I don't have any issues, I love our cabinets..except for that fragile finish.

Of course one should know himself.

The thing is-it's not only me in that kitchen.

Maybe I'm also unprepared for these imperfections as I've never had painted cabinets before in my life.

I must add that another cabinetmaker that we knew and liked, gave us much lower estimate. Same exact everything specified.

But our GC wanted to work with the guy he knew for years. understandable..

When you talking about quotes, Are you talking cabinets only? or whole kitchen?

whole kitchen-seems very what it is

just cabinetry..how many lowers, uppers, drawers etc you have planned? no island, right?

We went with the simplest susans for corner cabinets..just one glass cabinet..too few uppers, too many loved ones who can't put things back exactly how they were..

If you go for stain..for sure check local cabinetmakers. Nothing rubs off. We had also custom shelving made at some point..everything's good.

If you go for paint..also check them. weigh how you live. every day. It's more upkeep in general. how much imperfections bother you?

what will be doors shape? more angles, straight lines--more dings. On the edges..

Here is the faqs from my finishing company:

http://freemanfinishing.com/faqs.html

From their faqs:

"Q. Are finishes used out of state more durable than the materials allowed for use in California?

A. No. This is a misleading rumor that some premanufactured cabinet companies and their sales representatives use to help justify their high prices. Customers are led to believe they will be getting an inferior product by choosing a custom cabinet maker.

The truth is, as a moderate size custom cabinet finishing company, we can legally use the same materials they use. BAAQC (Bay Area Air Quality Control) is the governing agency which licenses us to use these finishes. They audit us yearly to ensure we maintain compliance with the Air Quality Standards."

Of course they could just be saying that. All I know is that so far my cabinets look beautiful. The finishing was done at this shop which is down the road from my cabinet maker and was a very expensive part of the cabinets (around 15k I think).

I don't think the SCAQMD has that exemption here in Los Angeles. (Next we'll hear you don't even have water meters!).

I feel you should post your layout and get recommendations. A usual one is to use all or mostly drawers for your lowers. It's possible you'll get other suggestions. Include lighting layout.

No comment

Sophie is harsh but she's often right. There have just been too many concerns about wood products from China, including products claiming to be CARB certified. And wood or components from China are often used in budget cabinets claiming to be America made.

My sister is a realtor who helps people relocate to her area from other states. In some cases she oversees basic kitchen or bath renovations required to pass inspections. She gets a deep discount on Forevermark cabinets, a Chinese import, but tells me she would never put them in her own house. Her house has Ikea cabinets FWIW ( even though I think she could have afforded better).

It's worth avoiding Chinese wood products or components IMO.

Ask your local cabinet makers if they use Sherwin Williams Water White Conversion Varnish or one of their other products Here. that meets KCMA specifications.

Yeah, not going to do a lot of research when two cabinet makers I've contacted no longer do custom cabinets because of the coatings issue. A quick glance shows the VOCs to be around 526 g/l for the Water White Conversion Varnish, but the Cal-CARB counties (like mine) requires it to be275 g/l or less as of 2011 (page 31 in this pdf).

If the prices included labor, countertop and backsplash then you got way better quote than me.

I got $64K for unknown (custom) cabinets that turned out to be Ikea cases. $66 for a mid price cabinet line. $44k from another custom (also Ikea cases). These were all just the cabinets. The true custom company quoted $60k but their finish is only guaranteed for one year. They do finish in house (large operation) but told me that they cannot do conversion varnish due to our AQMD.

I’m in OC. I called all the way out to IE and SD.

I ended up building my own with Conestoga doors and Ikea cases.

They do include everything, except appliances (we are re-using existing where possible, and buying a regular, under-$1000 gas range and under-$500 microwave oven hood).

I would go with just Barker cabinets for about $12,000 in Walnut, but I'm not the only "decider" on this project (there's a reason I've been married 43 years). But installation would add to that price so we're probably up to $20k and still doing a lot of work ourselves. And due to health reasons I'm not that quick any more on DIY projects.

We decided to go with a quote for the high-30's with Omega Full Access (their frameless line). Final price is dependent on a few changes we're making but we're comfortable with the company and the people there (in business 25 years in the same location, great ratings on Yelp, etc.).