Featured photo via Peppermint Parkway.
Stock cabinets, which are mass-produced in standard sizes, typically cost less than custom or semi-custom cabinets. Custom cabinets made to fit your exact size needs typically consist of the finest materials. Semi-custom units are also made to order, but in standard sizes that may require spacer inserts to fit your space exactly.
The wood grain that matches from piece to piece and the quality finish of the furniture are signs of quality.
Look for drawers with dovetail joints, 1/2- or 3/4-inch plywood drawer sides, and drawer bottoms that are fitted and glued into side grooves. High-quality drawers should pull out completely. Doors with taiwan telegram group link dovetailed corners are sturdier than those made with noninterlocking butt joints. High-quality cabinets usually have solid wood frames that are at least 3/4 inch thick. For the cabinet box, avoid thin sides, backs, and floors; especially avoid thin particle board.
Once you've decided on cabinets, make a list of each cabinet you want, with exact specifications for manufacturer, style, wood type, finish, and size. Then start shopping. Unfortunately, because different suppliers typically sell different brands, you won't be able to compare prices for the exact same cabinets across dozens of sellers. But most major brands will have several dealers at your fingertips. Find them by visiting the manufacturer's website.
Get multiple area vendors to bid on your work. Checkbook's mystery shoppers were quoted huge price differences when they provided cabinet sellers with specifications for 16 cabinets for an average-sized kitchen remodel. All quoted the same KraftMaid model, finish, and cabinet sizes. In each of the seven metro areas where we shopped, we found:
There was substantial price variation from distributor to distributor. Typically, low-cost outlets charged thousands of dollars less than high-priced outlets for exactly the same products.