Cabinetry Buying Guide

Cabinetry is a large part of any kitchen or bath remodel and is often the foundation for the overall look and feel of the room. Cabinets come in a wide variety of types, styles and materials that compliment any décor or budget.

Cabinets typically represent a significant part of a remodel or construction budget - usually around 40 to 50%, so it’s important to have a general understanding of the basic elements of cabinetry and know what your options are before making such a big purchase. Pricing can vary greatly depending on whether you select stock cabinets, semi-custom or custom cabinets. Cabinet style, door style, materials and accessories can also make a big impact on costs.

If new cabinets just aren’t in the budget, there are alternatives, such as re-facing or refinishing. Painting kitchen cabinets and adding new knobs and pulls is a quick and budget-friendly way to revitalize your space.

Have a Plan
Before shopping for new cabinets, create a floor plan. If you're doing a major remodel that involves relocating walls or plumbing, you'll probably want to hire a kitchen or bath designer who can create a set of plans for you. However, if you're not changing the layout of the kitchen or bath and plan on simply replacing existing cabinets, you can do this yourself - all you need is paper, pencil and a measuring tape.

When measuring, note the overall length and width of the room, as well as locations of the windows, doors, appliances and plumbing. Armstrong has a great guide on how to measure your kitchen. If measuring the kitchen or bath seems overwhelming, many home improvement stores and cabinet showrooms have in-house designers who can help you with your plan.

Your Budget
Cabinets come in many styles and with many options all of which can affect price. Stock cabinets tend to be the most affordable, with semi-custom cabinets not far behind, and custom the most expensive.

General pricing guidelines from RemodelingCenter.com:

• stock cabinets cost $75 - $250 per foot without hardware and without installation; full-overlay doors can cost 10 - 50% more than partial-overlay doors.
• semi-custom cabinets can cost $150 - $750 per foot without hardware and without installation; modifications can push these costs up.
• custom cabinets can cost $750 - $1,500 per foot without hardware and without installation; adding custom finishes and accessories greatly increases the cost.

Installation and other Cost Variables
Cabinet installation is probably one of the most important elements in your kitchen or bath remodel. A good installation job protects your investment by insuring against warped or cracked cabinet boxes and unaligned doors and drawers that won't close. Most professional installations are not cheap, but they may be well worth the cost to avoid problems in the future. Typically, the cost of cabinet installation is 15% and 25% of the price of the cabinets.

There are other factors that can influence cabinet costs such as materials, door styles and accessories. For example, a face frame cabinet with flush inset doors is more costly than a face frame cabinet with overlay doors because the labor to install a door flush and perfectly align it with the frame is going to be more time consuming than installing an overlay door which doesn’t have to be so precise. Likewise, a raised panel door with applied molding is going to cost more than a plain recessed panel door. Wood species and finishes can also affect costs. The more options and accessories you add, the higher the price.

For more information on cost considerations see the National Kitchen and Bath Association: Kitchen Cabinet Cost Considerations.