Depends entirely on the local custom cabinets.

Local custom cabinets will have plywood boxes, wooden face frame, wooden doors but center mdf. Drawers are wooden and dovetail. Soft closure etc. Which is similar to how Omega is saying their cabinets are made.

Since you have already found out that the construction is similar, you just need to look at the local custom shop's actual work to see how they look. Examples are nice. Looking at his portfolio (if he has one) is nice. If you can talk to someone that he has done similar work for, that would be the best.

Ask about the local shop's warranty, since it is of concern to you. Some local shops don't have warranties, because they don't need them (their work is so good they wouldn't have any problems, and they care enough about their reputation to take care of the rare problem). Honestly, I'm not sure what difference a warranty on a quality cabinet would make anyway. It's not like they move around and get hit by cabinets from other homes (like your car does) or even have a lot of parts (like appliances), or get exposed to extreme conditions (like your roof). The greatest danger to your cabinets comes from your family. And no one is going to cover your three-year-old running his tricycle into the cabinet door, or your partner slopping some cooking experiment on the counter and it dripping down the doors,.

After you've done that research on the local shop, pick the one you like the best, and that you think will be easiest to work with. Even if that one is the more expensive. Since the price difference isn't much, you will have peace of mind that things will be handled well .

At least until something comes up during the renovation (which it will) -- when you will say "I should have gone with the other cabinets". But that will be the emotions of the moment speaking, and not the wise voice that made the initial decision.

Good luck with your project.

Thank you for all the good suggestion @kempek01.

One advantage to custom is no fillers.

What kind of finish are you planning? What kinds are offered? How do they differ between the custom and Omega?

@wiscokid, we are looking at painter gray cabinets. Shaker doors. Face framed. I avoided frameless. Full overlay. My reason to post this question why people will choose Omega over local custom cabinetry, when both are considered being custom. If I go with the omega I will get a cad drawing which will help me to visualize the kitchen. But with local I will get a black and white sketch. But if durability is an issue, I will rather go with the local cabinet guys instead of omega. Also recently I am hearing some extreme bad reviews as well as very good reviews on Omega Dynasty. So I wanted to weigh on what is the real deal with Omega.

I went custom, support local businesses. Whatever I came up with, the cabinet maker delivered...exactly. Currently lead time is 10 weeks in my area.

@User, I am not an expert for sure. That is why I am seeking for advise from experts and experienced people out here. But thank you for your comment. Looks like you are an Omega fan. Which is good.

If you are looking at a painted/equivalent finish, then getting references (not just looking at a portfolio online) and seeing how the cabinets hold up over time and life is essential. We have friends who put in Omega in a painted finish and they have held up beautifully. On the other hand, other friends have very high end custom painted cabinets done locally and the finish was garbage after 2 years or so. Our IKEA cabinet doors look better, and they have said as much (pre-pandemic). They contacted the maker and were pretty much told, too bad, so sad. I think they're still fighting about it. And these are not people to abuse their cabinets, they have no kids and are hardly ever home as they (used to) travel frequently. (REMEMBER WHEN WE COULD TRAVEL!?!? le sigh.)

I would see about getting samples of the finish from the local maker and put it through its paces personally.

@wiscokid, thank you so much for your suggestion.

@User so bad that you are in TN and I am in MN. But thank you.

From one of the FAQs:

Just a word of caution..."local (custom) cabinetmaker" is thrown around here a lot with the implication they are superior to the various cabinet manufacturers. They 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:

• 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 given to the customer (no hidden fees, undeclared upgrades, etc.)?
  -- Did the cabinetmaker let the customer see a sample of their cabinet order 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.
• See actual installed kitchens with the same type of cabinets you are looking for:
  -- Type: frameless, framed overlay (partial or full), inset
  -- Wood species: cherry, maple, alder, oak, etc.
  -- Finish: stained, glazed, painted, etc.
• Look at the construction details: Wall thicknesses, box material (plywood, MDF, etc.), interior finishes, box construction (joining, etc.), drawer construction, shelving, etc.
• What is the cabinetmaker's warranty on his/her products? 5 years? 10 years? 20 years? Lifetime?
• Does the cabinetmaker have a kitchen designer s/he works with or does the cabinetmaker do the designing? Is the cabinetmaker open to working with you as a designer or with a kitchen designer you hire independently from them? [You really should work with a good designer to catch the "details" that might be missed by you and/or us (most of us are not pros)]
• How is the cabinetmaker with "unusual" requests? (Farmhouse/apron sinks, deeper cabinets, deeper drawers, toekick drawers, inset cabinets, etc.)

These are all the same questions you should ask of a manufacturing line as well, but all these things are usually spelled out somewhere and they have staff who specialize in these areas. You usually have some "standard" recourses if there are problems. In addition, their quality, including finishes and construction, are generally pretty consistent (yes, there are glitches occasionally) and they have the advantage for those finishes that are better when manufactured than when done by hand or when require a "clean" room or similar.

I'm not saying don't look into local cabinetmakers, I'm saying be careful. We have had several threads where people have gone this route and have had major issues in all the areas above...construction quality, finish quality, installation issues, difficult to work with, etc. And yes, there have been similar threads from those using cabinet companies (but those are usually resolved fairly quickly once the person gets up the courage to say something.)

If you can find a great local custom cabinetmaker that has wonderful quality at a price you're willing to pay, then by all means, go with them...just do your research.

Good luck!

@Buehl this is extremely helpful. I haven't thought this thoroughly. I agree that there is a preconceived idea that local cabinet guys are better than big maufacturing companies in terms of quality and craftsmanship. We bought a 1994 built house 3.5 years back. We have maple custom cabinetry and they are really holding up so well. Only issues are the old hinges that coming off and the existing kitchen does not have any venting system and therefore we have to go through kitchen remodelling.

If price is all the same, go with the factory custom!!!

"I avoided frameless."

Why? Unless I were doing inset cabinetry, I would choose frameless. The additional interior space, plus no awful stiles, are really great. Plus the more fresh current appearance of frameless cabinetry.

I had Omega in my last house. Pearl white, inset. 15 years, no issues. I still miss that kitchen. But we needed to downsize.

@Shannon_WI, face frame make it sturdier. My existing kitchen has face frame and it does not bother me. I dont have ugly stile though.

FYI...I have a mix of Omega Dynasty and Omega Custom (now called, Omega Pinnacle). They were installed in 2008 and they still look and function as nice/well as the day I installed them. We had a party in 2019 and someone who had never been to my home before thought I had just redone my Kitchen b/c everything looked so nice...she was amazed when I told her I redid it 11 years before.

Note that I do have stained wood, not paint.

I have a mix of Dynasty & Custom/Pinnacle b/c it was less expensive to go with the custom cabinet than it was to modify a Dynasty cabinet. That's one of the great things about Omega, most of the door styles and finishes are available in both lines, so you can mix & match -- a definite budget help!

Finally, they have awesome customer service. I had issues with my KD's company regarding ordering the correct shelf sizes for additional shelves (they kept getting the order wrong). I got so frustrated with them that I called Omega directly. They told me they would take care of it directly and not to worry. A couple of weeks later, my new shelves arrived, and they were perfect -- and at no charge! They said they would deal with the KD's company for payment.

@Buehl I am getting confindence now. I was totally against omega at first.

"face frame make it sturdier."

That is what cabinet makers say when they don't have the equipment for frameless cabinetry. What actually makes cabinetry more sturdy is its quality of its materials, regardless of whether it's framed or frameless. Both framed and frameless can be made poorly, and therefore not sturdy, or both can be made well, and therefore sturdy.

Framed cabinets have a frame that gives support and strength, but this sometimes means that the cabinet itself may be constructed of weaker or thinner materials on poorer-quality cabinets. In other words, just because the cabinets have a frame does not mean it is stronger throughout. It is a cabinet-maker's option to use or not to use a heavier, thicker cabinet with the frame, and the price reflects that.

A frameless cabinet, because it lacks the support on the exterior edge, must be built of a more substantial material. Therefore, a frameless cabinet will have more wood and thicker sides in order to support the weight without the need for a frame. But again, a frameless cabinet made of cheaper materials will have problems, just like a framed cabinet made of cheaper materials will have problems.

In summary, I am not telling you that one is better than another, only that you should not assume that framed cabinets automatically mean they are more sturdy.

There are kitchens that are 20 years old with Ikea frameless cabinets that still look good.

@Shannon_WI I am not an expert and my knowledge is limited to what I read and research through expert and experienced opinion. My sturdier comment is based on this blog: https://www.mainlinekitchendesign.com/general/kitchen-cabinet-ratings-for-2020-updated-reviews-for-the-top-selling-cabinet-brands/. Where it was clearly stated frameless cabinets are ranked B and why they were ranked B. Omega Dynasty framed was ranked A where as frameless is rank B.

@sarah hossain - Main Line Design that you linked has posted on this forum before, and has not appeared very current. Many of his kitchen designs on his website are flawed. However, perhaps his grading of the cabinet brands is accurate, I don't know. It is my opinion that the durability of kitchen cabinets is a function of the quality of its material, rather than whether it is framed or frameless, but that is my opinion. It is always good to get a wide range of opinions, and decide for yourself.

Frameless cabinetry will give you more interior space, and a more current look. If framed cabinetry will make you feel more comfortable about its durability, that is important since this is a big expense. In case this helps, here is a pic that shows the appearance of the different cabinet construction types.

He is full of it, to be polite. He suffers from frameless prejudice. He also invented his ranking system to sell the import products that he carries. He rates those imports higher than any experienced objective observer would. He also rates the exact same product, that carries two different names, differently. That’s the same reason CR is almost useless. When it’s the same Whirlpool washer with a Kenmore badge in it, and it has two different ratings, you know that no one really knows what they are talking about. And that’s exactly what he does with cabinets. It’s marketing. It isn’t real.

@Shannon_WI This photo is not an accurate representation of many current good quality full-overlay cabinet lines. The reveals are much tighter than shown. Here is a full-overlay face frame kitchen.

Bright Open Concept Remodel · More Info

And here's a similar frameless kitchen.

Contemporary French Country · More Info

@Kristin Petro Interiors, Inc. - thanks for posting that. I have not seen full overlay cabinets look as good as in your photo of the gray kitchen cabs, so I am glad to know it is available. What is the manufacturer of those?

@User - yeah, I think the same about Main Line Design as what you wrote, but I was trying to give the benefit of the doubt. But I shouldn’t have, because anyone who designs this kitchen, and actually posts it as representative of the kind of work he does, loses credibility:

I was going to post the same comment as Kristin. My full overlay (Omega Dynasty) are much tighter!

@Shannon_WI The cabinets in the photo are Seville. But I have worked with many cabinet manufacturers over the years and I believe your photo is mislabeled or specific to a particular manufacturer. The first cabinet door is typical of full-overlay for either a frameless or a face-frame line. The vertical reveals between cabinets are a bit tighter with frameless, so I generally use this type of cabinet construction for modern slab-front kitchens where you really notice the reveals. The second door is sometimes referred to as a "modified" or "partial" full overlay. And the third door is often referred to as "standard" overlay.

The kitchen below is one that I designed over fifteen years ago with Omega cabinets, face-frame full-overlay. (Don't judge...Tuscan was hot back then!)

This is all very good information. Thank you so much.

I found omega reviews in this site: https://kitchencabinetsreviews.com/reviews/omega-cabinetry.html. And it horrifies me. Any thought? @Kristin Petro Interiors, Inc., @Buehl, @Shannon_WI.

Take the reviews with a grain of salt...a quick glance and I see someone complaining that the drawers are the "backside of a raised panel drawer". This is called a reverse panel and is considered an upgrade over a 1/4" flat panel. They are also complaining that the drawer fronts are MDF, which is also desirable for a painted finish. Finally, he complains that the drawer fronts are not "integral" to the drawer but rather attached to a drawer box, which is typical for all lines (integral drawer fronts?!). I haven't used Omega in years but when I did, I thought the quality was excellent.

More marketing BS. Just look at the site ownership.

I read some of the reviews and looked at their pictures. I have had none of the issues others people were complaining about. Honestly, some of the pictures looked more like dings or damage caused by installation, not production (maybe an installer is trying to put the blame elsewhere so they don't have to take responsibility for their actions?) E.g., the torn cabinet looks exactly like mine did when the counter installers tried turning a huge piece of stone counter in-place when they realized they had put it on the cabinets wrong...I heard the tear/rip of the cabinets from upstairs! That was NOT Omega's fault, it was the counter installers' fault -- and they paid to replace the cabinet.

Regardless, no one is perfect -- not you, not me, not the reviewers, and not companies. There will be some issues occasionally, it's how they handle issues that is important. My experience is they are wonderful. (While it shouldn't make a difference, sometimes your attitude towards someone can affect their reaction, if you call them and immediately act belligerent or accusatory without giving them a chance, you may not get the best reaction...be pleasant but firm. Remember, you're dealing with people, not computers.)

Be aware that (1) the overwhelming majority of people who are pleased will not post a review, usually only someone who is unhappy will take the time to write a review and (2) you need to check if the reviews are valid (not sure how to do that, but I know on some sites people will "down rate" their competition).

Oh, and Dynasty is NOT custom, despite what one of the reviewers stated -- they're SEMI-custom. The custom line is Pinnacle.

I have used a good local cabinetmaker. One of the advantages to this shop--which doesn't apply to all shops--is that the cabinetmaker installs the cabinets and they know the product pretty well (and can make any last minute modifications at the shop if needed).