kitchen cabinet costs
When planning your kitchen remodel, kitchen cabinets will give you immediate visual appeal, provide functionality, but can also be the biggest cost. Regardless of what your remodeling budget is, the cabinet could easily be half of that expense.
As we wander through the cabinet section of the store, it appears that they are just large boxes with doors. However, we are surprised by the cost. Making cabinets requires skill in having tight corners and seams. If one part is wrong, some other part will not fit properly. The type of wood used and the finish of the wood have a price.
However, you need to get the best possible cabinets for your budget. Here are some ideas of what you can find.
The basics
Before you shop for cabinets, it’s a good idea to determine what type of cabinet you need and familiarize yourself with the terminology used by the vendor.
MDF is a medium density fiberboard cabinet.
Base cabinets are the bottom of the cabinets that sit on the floor. These project the overall design of your kitchen.
Wall cabinets hang from the wall just above the base cabinets. But chances are your design will have some base cabinets with nothing to hang on top of. An example would be the sink area.
Framed cabinets provide a traditional look as the cabinet has a frame around the outside of the box and around each door.
Frameless cabinets will have the doors meeting the other door and will have drawers against other drawers. Looking at the front of the cabinet, you will only see the door or drawer, not the cabinet box itself.
The 10′ x 10′ standard is just a standard measurement meaning 10 feet of base cabinets and 10 feet of wall cabinets. Manufacturers have used this calculation for their standard kitchen cabinets. You can still change this to meet your footage requirements, but it will be a special order instead of the standard measurements.
shopping cabinets
There are also different levels in the purchase of cabinets. Save money by assembling pre-cut parts from the manufacturer. Since cabinets will be the focal point of your kitchen, you may prefer to have assembled cabinets installed by the dealer. The following descriptions will help you make this decision.
RTA or Ready-to-Assemble is provided by the cabinet manufacturer. If the manufacturer does not incur the labor costs to assemble the cabinet, they will pass this savings on to you.
If you are going to use RTA cabinets to cut down on expenses, you need to find your cabinets early in your project. You need time to assemble them and be ready to install after the flooring, painting and wallpaper installation is complete.
Find a room in your house or the base to assemble them. Make sure that once these cabinets are assembled, you can still get them through the door and back into the kitchen. When assembled, they will be large, bulky items to move. You’re going to need several people to move them as well.
Factory assembled standard or RTA cabinets have been fully assembled by the factory and are shipped to the dealer. These are a quick assembly process. If you don’t have the time or talent to put things together, or don’t have an assembly area, this may be for you. The dealer will provide a crew or take care of your installation.
Semi-custom cabinets are also mass produced by the manufacturer. You have a little more flexibility here. You can be specific about the size of the cabinets and choose different finishes, trim and molding. These cabinets will be installed by the dealer.
Custom cabinets are specifically designed, manufactured and installed for you.
While you have a larger variety to choose from, the term custom used here is really semi-custom. A true custom cabinet is possible by hiring a qualified cabinetmaker. You will have an infinite variety at a considerable cost.
cost
Each type of cabinet has a general budget that you can expect. Below are more details on each type and the expected price range for standard 10′ x 10′ cabinets.
RTA cabinets are the least expensive. Frameless box and doors will be ¾-inch melamine and drawers will have metal sides. Since you will be doing the installation, the cost of these is very low, approximately $70.00 per linear foot or $700.00 for your standard 10′ x 10′.
Stock cabinets have a significant price increase with upgraded materials and will be delivered and installed. The wood is usually ¾-inch hardboard front frame and ½-inch particleboard sides with hardboard-framed doors. Since you have a few more choices of finishes or stains, the price can range from $360 to $432 per linear foot or $3,600 to $4,320 for standard sizes.
Semi-custom cabinets are typically ½-inch plywood with a ¾-inch hardwood face frame and are delivered and installed. Drawers are assembled from ½-inch hardwood and doors are frame and panel hardwood. Prices range from $450-$540 per linear foot or $4,500-$5,400 for standard 10′ x 10′.
Custom cabinets offer the same ½-inch plywood with a ¾-inch hardwood face frame and are delivered and installed. Drawers are assembled from 5/8-inch hardwood and doors are frame and panel hardwood. Prices range from $1,200 to $1,400 per linear foot or $12,000 to $14,000 for standard sizes.
Armed with these definitions and what they will mean for your kitchen remodel budget, you’re now ready to shop around for your new cabinets.