Do custom cabinets really cost this much?

[ivwshane]

I was at home depot the other day and I thought I would get a rough estimate of what it would cost for new cabinets for the laundry room I'll be redoing soon.

I asked for two 2'wx46h" cabinets that would have two doors each with one side to be exposed. I picked the style and finish that I liked which happened to be the most expensive (thomasville, cherry) and added some basic molding to it.

I was expecting it to be expensive but doable but when she quoted me over $2000 I was shocked!!

Does that sound about right? I know the style and type of wood can make a big difference in price but it doesn't make sense that two relatively small cabinets can be had for about the same price as a nice piece of wood furniture (like an entertainment center).

I plan on remodeling my kitchen in the coming years but if that's the cost of just two cabinets I'd hate to see the how much the remodel will cost.

[dlminehart]

Well, I wouldn't call a 2'x4' cabinet "small". And each having a side to be exposed adds it's part. Cherry is relatively expensive. I think Thomasville is the real kicker here. It's an expensive brand. Did you check on KitchenMaid or one of the other well-made but less expensive brands? Probably less than half the price.

[ivwshane]

I only picked thomasville because it had the door design I liked.

What I will probably end up doing is making the cabinet carcass myself out of melamine and adding a veneer siding and purchasing the doors in unfinished form from places like rockler.

But if I can find another brand that has the profile that I want for the door for a decent price I might go for it.

[silverfox]

That's high......but cabinets ARE high now days. I think they are INSANELY high. That's why, in this remodel I'm doing, I am going to cover the well made metal cabinets with a frame and bead board to make them look like the same period that this house was built. I was lucky enough to find some metal cabinets that were like the ones in the house so I can do the floorplan that the owner wants and then cover them all. The owner balked at what I had to pay for the used metal cabinets so I sent her out to price new cabinets to fit her design. She now loves my idea.
Mike

[Stan]

quote:Originally posted by silverfox
.... The owner balked at what I had to pay for the used metal cabinets so I sent her out to price new cabinets to fit her design. She now loves my idea.
Mike

heh -- that's one way to settle the matter.

[autiger1]

I would tell you to find a local cabinet company...also - this is for a laundry room....how high end do you want it to be? Find out who the builders in your area are using. Many cabinet makers build the box and buy the doors.

Tom

[JimD]

This sounds like a good reason for more tools! Doors are pretty easy to make too. MLCS probably has the bits to make the doors. It takes time, especially the first time, but if you can wait, it's a lot of fun.

Jim

[ivwshane]

Making the doors doesn't sound like a problem (I would have to learn how to use a router better) but coming up with the wood to make the cabinets sounds like it would be alot of work (as far as I know cherry only comes in raw form so I would have to cut it down to size and plain it and etc).

quote:I would tell you to find a local cabinet company...also - this is for a laundry room....how high end do you want it to be? Find out who the builders in your area are using. Many cabinet makers build the box and buy the doors.

I'm not specifically looking for highend, it just so happens the design I picked was only made by a highend manufacture.

Quality will be important but as long as the cabinets will hold up to every day wear and tear and they look great I don't need to go highend.

[silverfox]

I'd like to see that door if you have a pic. In my travels I may see something like it that may be cheaper.
Mike

[ivwshane]

I'll see if I can dig up a pic for you.

[ivwshane]

It's called the thomasville Langston Cherry (Brierwood is the color).

[JTimmons]

Got to agree with what JimD said.
I'm itching for an excuse to get me a raised panel router bit set. This would be it for me. A chance to run some stuff through the planer and use my saws, ohhh getting a little too excited I better stop. Where's the problem?
Heck even if it came out more expense me doing it verses buying it, the experience itself is worth it. Looking back and saying I did that sits at the top of my list.
I think I speak for everyone here, making saw dust is fun, except for Rod Kirby who seems to like to clean it up more.

[Jim-Iowa]

Cabinets will never be cheap! But given the time and a few tools this is one are where a hobbiest wood worker can save Big Money.
I think you could xpect to save about 1/3 the cost by building your own.
The LOML wants her kitchen remodeled. She has very specific ideas of what she wants in her kitchen, so nothing off the shelf seems to meet all her desires. Custom is the only way she will be happy.
She does not have elaborate tastes, simple country styles will do.

Like you I will need a few and better tools to do the job( better Router, Plate Jointer and a cabinet makers bit assortment).
I`ll make the carcases of Melamine, Jo likes the clean and durable features with no painting.

If you have time you should "Go For It"! You won`t regret it.

I like the style door you chose, simple straight lines that subtley speak for themselves. They should not be difficult to make.

[vaking]

I went through the process of kitchen remodel and the eternal question of "buy vs built" I answered as "both".
1)Nearest BORG was clearing out their display of kitchen models. I picked up one of the displays - got what they estimated as $5000 worth display of Kraftmaid for $500. Since this was a display - there was no customization at that moment. At the end of the project it turned out I used about 80% of it. I bought additionally one more full cabinet and one more front for the cabinet (door and drawer face above the door). I paid more for those extras than for the entire display. The cabinet itself I built since it was in the weird corner - nothing standard would fit. The cabinets I bought were finished with "glaze". This type of finish I could not make myself. I did built few cabinets in that kitchen myself with my own painted fronts, such as sliding spice rack and pantry. I matched the color but not the glaze. Few years after the project I can tell that the glaze finish isn't any better than regular paint. My painted fronts are wearing better than kraftmaid's glaze. If I were to do kitchen remodel again I would have chosen paint or stain. In my experinece: kitchen organization is a big part of cost. Every drawer, every pull-out shelf is an extra cost. This part is totally not visible and I am sure most people here can do that part themselves. Cabinet carcasses might make sense to buy if standard sizes fit your dimensions. Carcass is cheap and you are not likely to make it cheaper building. Working with melamine is no fun for me, I am willing to miss out on this opportunity. Doors and drawer fronts are the most expensive to buy and the most fun to build.

[gugie]

Done two kitchen remodels myself. Both times 90% of the cabinets were purchased, KitchenMaid is a good value. The other 10% were built by me. KitchenMaid doesn't do anything really "custom", just semi-custom. They'll build in incremental steps (3" width increments, typically), and only a couple of depths for upper cabinets. I purchased stain to match through HD, a bit pricey, but the stains matched perfectly using the same species of wood. At the end I got what I wanted. I didn't have time to do them all myself.