Cost of Building Cabinets

[Jerry Solomon]

I am thinking of replacing my kitchen cabinets. Has anyone ever compared the cost of buying factory-made kitchen cabinets with the cost of building similar quality cabinets yourself?

[Jim Becker]

Yea. My kitchen. "Factory" for what I wanted (still required some customization) would have run nearly as much as the total kitchen renovation project cost me ($20K) including the high-end appliances. (but not the new bay window which was replaced a year later) My material costs, including subbing the drawer box components to a firm that does them for cabinet makers, was about $1500. My time? Well...I counted that as enjoyment and a mental health activity... ;)

[Greg Torok]

Yea. My kitchen. "Factory" for what I wanted (still required some customization) would have run nearly as much as the total kitchen renovation project cost me ($20K) including the high-end appliances. (but not the new bay window which was replaced a year later) My material costs, including subbing the drawer box components to a firm that does them for cabinet makers, was about $1500. My time? Well...I counted that as enjoyment and a mental health activity... ;)

What Jim said. Cabinets and the entourage of folks the design, market, build, etc.... are a profit machine. What I have done (and will complete in the near future) would have very easily fetched 60K (moved walls, etc)... and we will be significantly under 20K including appliances. (Monogram, and other higher end products).

[Jim Becker]

Greg, same in this area...the "sanity check" with local kitchen firms was around $60K...and that was not with tools as nice as the DCS and Fisher-Paykel we put in place. I am so glad that I had the time to do that project myself. (I did sub the drywall, too, since I hate doing that and could work at my real job while I watch and learnd)

[John Gregory]

I read in a magazine once, that a hobbist woodworker can save the most money by building his/her kitchen cabinets themselves, compared to any other project. And I truly believe the savings can pay for many of the tools you may need and then some. There are lots of information on the net explaining how to build them and of course you have the resources of some extremely talented and knowledgable members of SMC.

I am always blown away at the cost of even moderately priced cabinets from the borgs. One other thing you will gain that cannot be measured in dollars and cents. The pride of doing it yourself.

[Alden Miller]

If you have the tools already you can do a pretty substantial kitchen for less than $3000. I built my parents kitchen (doors were purchased because I didn't have the time). I think they got the whole thing done for just over $3000 (including corian counters).

When the counter installers got there they were quite impressed, said it was a 20k-30k kitchen.

-Alden

[Ellen Benkin]

This is great news. I've been thinking about redoing my ancient (over 70 years) and badly built cabinets myself. The local community college has a great woodworking program and offers classes in cabinetmaking, so I can use their tools and expertise retlatively inexpensively. Someone in another of my classes said that when she took the cabinetmaking class several years ago, the class project was to build and install cabinets in someone's kitchen. I'd volunteer mine in a heartbeat, since there is nothing they could do to make it worse! If anyone is interested in doing their kitchen cabinets and doesn't feel confident, I'd suggest checking out community college courses.

[John Gregory]

Last year our daughter bought a condo. We refaced the lower cabinets and completely rebuilt the upper ones since they raised the ceiling. Mom and dad built and installed the cabinets, daughter and her hubby stained, finished and installed hardware. The cost of the wood was about $800. They checked with Lowes and it would have cost $4,000 - $5,000. And if you look at the displays in HD and Lowes. Their product does not have the quality look of hand crafted cabinets. You can see pictures of our daughter's kitchen here (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/woodworksutah/album?.dir=1b0f&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/woodworksutah/my_photos)

I mentioned above about refacing. This is a very inexpensive way of sprucing up your kitchen or vanity if you like the basic layout. When we reface, we build completely new drawers and doors. The old face frame is covered with 1/8" of real wood we plane down on our surface planer.

We refaced the vanity for my wife's parents. We used ash and then a white stain so the grain would show. Their old vanity was painted pine.

[Lee Schierer]

When we remodeled our kitchen a few years ago, I considered making the cabinets. Here are a few things that changed my mind.

1. You need enough room to store all the materials for all the cabinets and the completed cabinets (at the same time) until they are all complete so you can do the tear out and install with minimum disruption of the only cooking center in the house. The alternative is to live with a torn up kitchen for as long as it takes to make the cabinets one at a time or eat out a lot.

2. I still had over 10 years left that I needed to work. Not that I planned on leaving my job or the area, but there is no telling if we would be able to retire in this house. Can you live with the thought that the next owner won't like your custom cabinets and either tear them out or, shudder, paint them.

3. What is your time worth. How long does it take you to build one cabinet. Multiply that time by the number of cabinets that will be needed plus a few more hours for rework and adjustments. Can you put that many hours together in the time frame you want to have the job done in? Compare those hours at just $5.00 per hour and see what the figure is. You may find that you can buy quality semi-custom cabinets for the same or lower amount.

4. Money...If you buy only the materials can you get a deal like zero interest for 6 or 12 months? Can you get 10-15% off for opening an account. Most of the Borgs will order better grades of cabinets if you ask. The prices are really not that different from the floor stock, but the quality sure is. When we got our cabinets, we purchased all the materials with a newly opened store credit card, got 15% off and had no interest for 12 months. When we paid off the bill we closed the account and can do the same thing again on a future project.

I still did all the work and saved a bundle, LOML loves her new kitchen, ihad a short busy period which left time for other interests and I don't have the emotional investment should we decide to move.

[Roy Wall]

My wife wants a reface on all our cabinets....our kitchen is basically 15 x20, with two walls of uppers, and an 3'x6' island.

Bid for good, higher end......but nothing spectacular....$23,000.00

So--thanks to Jim Becker's calculations..-- it looks like $3000 in materials..

This is my chance to get a good Tablesaw!!!!

Not to highjack......but the question in my mind is how & what to finish with??

[Mike Cutler]

Building your own kitchen cabinets can isave you a boatload of bucks. There are many many books on the subject. Taunton Press has an excellent book on them. There is another more technical book I've seen, that has the standard dimensions and BOM for basic carcass construction cabinets and faces. This will save a lot of time creating your own cutlist.
I believe that any wood worker that is patient, and willing to invest the time and money in a few books, can buy the materials, buy the basic machinery required and do the job will at least break even.

Ellen. If I may interject a thought here. I grew up in the older areas of Los Angeles, read as the not so nice areas, as a kid, and we had some of those same "ugly poorly built cabinets".
I have since learned that the houses I grew up in, and the cabinets were some of the original "Craftsman Style" period houses and cabinets. They had been severly neglected because these homes were typically not in the nicest areas. Before you kick your cabinets to the curb, make sure that there is not something worth salvaging, and restoring under all the layers of paint/grime and years of Lemon Pledge. Remember also, that 70 years ago hide glues were still very common in cabinet construction,and any joionts that are loose are easily repaired.
I'd hate to see you throw something out, that you might regret later. Damhikt ;)

[Glenn Clabo]

Jerry,
My simple answer...If you don't count your time it's less expensive, you can improve the quality of the product and it's rewarding. However, if you haven't done a big project like this before there are some significant downsides to the effort...so I'll be the cool (not cold) bucket of water...cuz I really don't want to discourage you. There are more little things involved in a large project like this that most people don't recognize...but I'm going to hit a few bigger ones.

Unless you can build the cabinets somewhere (big shop?) and completely ready them for install...the kitchen is out of commission for an extended time...there's a lot of eating out added to the total cost and time. Not to mention the dust and general disruption of the entire house. If you have kids...and they love to eat McFatBurgers...even they will get tired of not having a kitchen. Mental health goes two ways :) .

Are you going to redesign the layout? If you do...get a pro to at least do the design. I've done many..many kitchens and I still marval at how nice a kitchen works when a pro designs it. Even if you like what you have...unless it has been designed by a pro you will be amazed at the difference. If it's old enough you probably have a kitchen designed like someone like me in my younger years...who didn't have any training on cooking flow in a kitchen.

Are you going to paint or finish them. Either way...it ain't easy to get as good a finish as someone who is set up to do it. Good sprayers and product...don't come cheap or get applied well without some knowledge and practice. If it's your first time...well it could be a mess. Remember...the kitchen is the most used/abused...seen... and the best room to improve the resale value of your home. If it looks like the first time someone tried building cabinets and finishing wood...it could really cost you more than you've saved.

It's been a long time since I did it for a living so what I've settled on the last couple of times I've done it is a compromize. I bought well made cabinets...and customized where I needed to. Installing cabinets is easy and does save you some significant pesos. I gutted the old to bare studs and the only thing I contracted out was the design, gas hook up and solid surface/granite installation.

Even though I hate to let someone else do what I can do...which in this one case is everything...I've learned to better understand what I can't do based mostly on time and let that guide me instead of just jumping into a project that causes me (and more importantly those around me) more grief than saves me money.

I'll stop now and say...if you go for it...good for you and good luck! Make sure you take lots of pictures and ask lots of questions. It'll be fun to watch...

[Steve Clardy]

Not to hijack, but as a self-employed cabinet maker and custom staircase builder, I am wondering where these 20-30K kitchens are coming from out of $3000.00 of material.:confused: :confused: :confused:

I can do a 10,000.00 set, including a couple of vanity's, and my material cost runs around $2500.00. Red Oak ply, hardwood, stain and finish, and install.
Fill me in.
Steve:rolleyes: :) :confused:

[Chris Padilla]

I suspect a lot of time will be spent travelling the US as you cut peoples kitchen remodel costs in half, Bro Steve! ;)

[Paul Regan]

My wife and I did a major renovation that included a new kitchen. Most of the cabinets were to be cherry, but off to the side on a different wall, my wife wanted a stretch on painted cabinets 10 feet in length. The cabinet company wanted over $6000 for the ten feet. Long story short, I built them for about $800.

As mentioned above, you need room to work and room to store materials. I had my basement shop with plenty of room to store both materials and the "in-progress" cabinets. I was also lucky that these were to be painted, in that I saved money using poplar and quality plywood as opposed to high quality hardwood.

While it was a lot of work for a hobbyist like me, I had a great time doing it and learned lots.

[John Gregory]

Not to hijack, but as a self-employed cabinet maker and custom staircase builder, I am wondering where these 20-30K kitchens are coming from out of $3000.00 of material.:confused: :confused: :confused:

I can do a 10,000.00 set, including a couple of vanity's, and my material cost runs around $2500.00. Red Oak ply, hardwood, stain and finish, and install.
Fill me in.
Steve:rolleyes: :) :confused:

You are probably undercharging for your work. BUT your clients are getting a heck of a deal

[Lee DeRaud]

Not to hijack, but as a self-employed cabinet maker and custom staircase builder, I am wondering where these 20-30K kitchens are coming from out of $3000.00 of material.:confused: :confused: :confused:

I can do a 10,000.00 set, including a couple of vanity's, and my material cost runs around $2500.00. Red Oak ply, hardwood, stain and finish, and install.
Fill me in.
Steve:rolleyes: :) :confused: A $20-30K kitchen is a bare-wall remodel, so there's demolition labor, maybe drywall, probably plumbing, electrical, and a new floor. And there's a further apples-and-oranges thing too, depending on whether countertops and appliances are part of the total.

Your numbers sound about reasonable for "cabinet-only". (Of course that's just me, extrapolating from 1995 prices.)

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Not to hijack, but as a self-employed cabinet maker and custom staircase builder, I am wondering where these 20-30K kitchens are coming from out of $3000.00 of material.:confused: :confused: :confused:

I can do a 10,000.00 set, including a couple of vanity's, and my material cost runs around $2500.00. Red Oak ply, hardwood, stain and finish, and install.
Fill me in.
Steve:rolleyes: :) :confused:


Steve.....labor and materials vary greatly depending on geographical location. While you may make more in some areas, expenses are generally higher there too. In the end, it's pretty much a wash.

[James Carmichael]

This has been a very timely and educational post. I knew a DIYer could undercut "factory" cabinets of comparable wood/quality, but wouldn't have thought by that much.

LOML has been after me to refinish our kitchen cabinets. I said no way was I undertaking that project because 1) I have very little experience at that and 2) we have a BIG, open kitchen with LOTS of cabinets under a 10' ceiling. In fact I cuss it every time I unload the diswasher because it's such a haul from there to the cabinets and 3) LOML is a good gal but way too impatient to have the kitchen down for that long (I do most of the cooking anyway).

I said I'd much rather build new than refinish, but not till a get a few "practice" cabinet projects under my belt, like for my shop and walk-in closet (where only I get to see them).

If I ever do it, I'll get a pro desiner as Glenn mentioned as there's 2' of wasted wall space above all of the cabinets.

[Lee DeRaud]

...we have a BIG, open kitchen with LOTS of cabinets under a 10' ceiling...
If I ever do it, I'll get a pro desiner as Glenn mentioned as there's 2' of wasted wall space above all of the cabinets.I realize this is a taste/design issue, but (IMHO) if you run the cabinets all the way to a 10' ceiling, you'll have (1) much more expensive cabinets than standard and (2) two feet of wasted space in every cabinet.

That 2' above the cabinets is a feature, not a bug. It gives you a place to put indirect lighting, plants, seldom-used but decorative silver serving stuff etc.

[James Carmichael]

That 2' above the cabinets is a feature, not a bug. It gives you a place to put indirect lighting, plants, seldom-used but decorative silver serving stuff etc.

And that's exactly what I want to use it for, glass-paneled cabinets to show off the "good" china & seldom-used stuff. Right now, the top of the cabinets provide a single shelf, not to mention stuff gets awfully dusty up there.

[John Hemenway]

Yesterday I was at the local version of BORG and they had closeout cabinets on display. (The only kind with a price tag on them!) They had a oven cabinet - sides, back face frame, two doors and one drawer that retailed for $1300! It was marked down to only $650 because of the closeout. Now this was not a 'custom' cabinet by any means. Cheep drawer slides, low end hinges, 1/2in ply for the case. It had maybe $250 worth of materials ( at retail local hardwood/ply supplier).

If it took me two days (16hrs) to build it could I say I paid myself $500/day! :)

With all the hands touching a manufactured item and all needing some profit, if you like doing cabinets - go for it. You'll save lots!

I'm about to embark on a similar project. I have several weeks of vacation to use for the construction. We are remodeling & adding on (contractor handles that part) and I'll do cabinets, counter tops and floor. I believe there will be 'economy of scale' when it comes to building the cabinets. Making many parts can be done assembly-line style. I have very little space to store finished cabinets so will be renting storage space (which will be needed for existing furniture also). My goal is to have the cabinets done before construction is complete then it'll be just like a delivery truck brings custom cabinets -- except it'll cost LOTS less!

I'll let you all know how this plan works out. :)

[Greg Torok]

Something that has not been mentioned is the custom aspect of the cabinets... none of them need to be 'standard' sizes - unless it works - and you have a small budget and a large kitchen. We have a small kitchen and need to maximize space.

Custom features... like lots of drawers, pull out shelves, top of the line blumotion drawer slides, custom spice cabinet, custom garbage pull out, and on and on.

Go to the BORG and they will look at you cross eyed.... go to a specialty kitchen retailer and you'll get an amazing bill.

The hardware alone for my kitchen will be over $1000 (at trade/bulk rates).... not including one of those $500+ corner thing-a-ma-bob's. That does not include any drawer and door pulls.

When you build yourself you don't have to settle for the junk most manufacturer's pawn off on the masses.

[Jim Becker]

Not to hijack, but as a self-employed cabinet maker and custom staircase builder, I am wondering where these 20-30K kitchens are coming from out of $3000.00 of material.

Steve, geography can have a lot to do with the cost...the closer you are to a major metropolitan area and the demographics of the specific area where you live can really raise the roof on costs, especially if you don't want or can't use stock products from a mass market supplier. I am totally amazed at what some places get price-wize for quality that likely doesn't get anywhere close to what you make, based on the pictures I've seen of your work...

My one cabinetmaker neighbor and his partner recently spent a whole year in ONE HOUSE and made outstanding money. They do extraordinary work and the major part of the job came from the cabinetry they originally did in one room.

But I digress. Keep in mind that most of us who have done or plan on doing our own kitchens, etc., are not counting labor cost on a DIY project in our totals. If I were hiring you...I'd expect you to make a good living from doing good work and the price/cost would reflect that.

[Scott Coffelt]

Jerry,

Interesting topic. For my house build whenever it actually gets going for real, I decided to build. Cost to do basic cabinets may not have been that much savings when you count your own time, but the custom build factor, the fact that I want to use exotic woods all would have made them too rich for me to have them built. I can have Solid 3/4" Birdseye Maple doors and drawer fronts and still be under $5k, versus that probably costing me more like $15k to have them made. $10K is definetely enough to sneeze about.

A friend has asked me to build their cabinet for their kitchen, but time was an issue. It would take me personally 6-8 weeks part time to build what they can order in 3-4 weeks. They will pay about 25% more than what I would have probably charged them.

One last thing, you need toidentify if you have the time and space for all the cabinets cause if you build them like furniture like I do, it does take some time. I will be storing mine in a storage facility until time of installation. I've actually started on mine and we have not broken ground. I am doing the ones that I know will not change in size. I will wait until the framing is up to do the rest, but at least I'll have a head start. I figure about 50 cabinets for my house build - kitchen, baths, laundry, wet bar, etc.

[Tom Hood]

Iwas planning on tackling a small kitchen cabinet project for one corner of my kitchen. I have been struggling with drawing the plans for the cabinets. One thing I've found (the hard way) is I need to build to a set of plans. Anyone know any software (or books) that help you design the cabinets with dimensions?

Thanks

Tom

[John Hemenway]

Iwas planning on tackling a small kitchen cabinet project for one corner of my kitchen. I have been struggling with drawing the plans for the cabinets. One thing I've found (the hard way) is I need to build to a set of plans. Anyone know any software (or books) that help you design the cabinets with dimensions?

Thanks

Tom

You might take a look at 'Building Kitchen Cabinets' by Udo Schmidt (Taunton Books). Read carefully because there are some errors :eek: ! Shame, shame, Taunton. :o

Also 'Build Your Own Kitchen Cabinets' by Danny Proulx (Popular Woodworking Books) Lots of cutting list tables for different size cases.

The nice thing about kitchen cabinets is their sameness. By that I mean each case for the base or wall is the same as the others except for width. So all sides are the same dimensions. Bottoms/tops differs only by width of intended finished box. (Think jig/story pole here?)

There are exceptions but most of the cabinets are the same.

[Jerry Solomon]

Thanks to all for your feedback on my question. I'm basically retired doing a little part-time work from time to time. I've never considered the monetary value of my time as I could fit the woodworking in my schedule. My shop consists of a 3-car garage that normally houses NO cars so I might be able to store the materials and cabinets as I build them. While I have a bunch of tools, I've never done anything of this magnitude. My projects so far have consisted of several small furniture items. It looks like the cost savings might be attractive enough for me to take a close look. Thanks again for your comments and suggestions.

[jack duren]

i can back Steve Clardy on his estimates for the Missouri area. plus im a Kansas city cabinet maker. so small town or big town production and competition is tight.

jim you mention "not counting labor". considering the speed of an actual cabinet maker versus hobbyist i have no doubt a hobbyist couldnt afford themself :D .....jack

[Jim Becker]

jim you mention "not counting labor". considering the speed of an actual cabinet maker versus hobbyist i have no doubt a hobbyist couldnt afford themself k

A most-excellent point, Jack!

[jack duren]

Jery Solomon... i have a pricing sheet for what i charge for cabinetry in the KC area. if you like ill pm you the sheet? let me know. use it for some comparison, its general cabinetry......jack

[Joe Mioux]

Not to hijack, but as a self-employed cabinet maker and custom staircase builder, I am wondering where these 20-30K kitchens are coming from out of $3000.00 of material.:confused: :confused: :confused:

I can do a 10,000.00 set, including a couple of vanity's, and my material cost runs around $2500.00. Red Oak ply, hardwood, stain and finish, and install.
Fill me in.
Steve:rolleyes: :) :confused:

You're Hired! to invert a Donald quote

Joe

[Alan Turner]

Roy,
I believe that all cabinet mfgrs use conversion varnish as the finish. This is a two part varnish that dries rather quickly, but not near so fast as shellac or lacquer. It is tough as nails, and there is no solvent once dry. Once you mix it, use it or toss it. Eveni f you paint, the conversion varnish is the top coat.
Were I to tackle kitchen cabinets, I would sub the finishing and go with conversion varnish as I do not have the facilities to spray cabinets, one after another, nor the experience. A pro is pretty fast, and you may be surprised at the cost (reasonable).

[Richard Wolf]

I have been reading this tread and did not add my $.02 until now.
Nobody wants to pay for something that they can do themselves and that they think is fun, after all this is what we do for fun. Its always easy to count someone else's money, and their is money to be made in cabinets, but I think it is a far larger task than some may think.
1) Of course Jim Becker can build his own cabinets, I haven't been a member that long, but it is very clear that he has a well equiped shop, the knoweldge and experience to tackle this project, only you can answer if you do.
2) Like Allen states, finishing is a very large part of kitchen cabinets, high end cabinets, half the price may be reflected in finishing. We are not talking BLO or even wipe on ploy, but many layers of a finishing system with stains, sealers, glazers, top coats, ets.

So, if your shop can handle sheet goods, storage of boxes, door making, dovetail draw making, and your have the capibilities to spray a finish that can match the high end cabinets that you are comparing your product to, have at it.
Don't forget that you, and your wife, and everyone that enters your house will be looking at the cabinets up close and personal everyday.
Good luck, have fun, and I would practice the finish a few times to get it right.

Richard

[Gail O'Rourke]

Before branching out on my own, I worked for a very high end kitchen cabinetmaker. There was just the two of us in the shop and with him putting 40+ and me putting in 20-25 we had a hard time getting anything out the door in less than 6 weeks. Remember, story sticks are your friend and measurements must be exact.

I won't take on an entire kitchen now...but that being said, I might if it were for myself. I don't think I could buy cabinets. For my business I made anything small than a kitchen. My sister bought new cabinets and I made a large kitchen island to complement it. It was a great way to be involved and it is their focal point for the kitchen. (4 base cabinets and breakfast counter).

Whatever you decide, good luck and of course, post pictures.

[Jim Becker]

Richard, the cabinets were the easy part of the job! Gutting the place and redoing virtually everything else, as well as filling in the brick floor where older cabinets were removed was the hard part!

I honestly think that most folks can build good cabinets with a little research and planning. One doesn't need a huge assortment of tools to do it and even if you buy the drawer boxes (as I did to save time) and doors, it can be an affordable and rewarding experience. But something that others have said is very true...you need a place to keep the materials and finished cabinetry while making the space ready. That could be in your shop or in a room in your house. But it needs to be there. For those with limited space "at home", the rental of a storage space locally for finished goods is often reasonable in cost, although you need to deal with the transportation back and forth.

Bottom line...do your homework and don't start the project unless you are sure you have the time and means to complete it.

[Greg Torok]

[QUOTE=Jim Becker] For those with limited space "at home", the rental of a storage space locally for finished goods is often reasonable in cost, although you need to deal with the transportation back and forth.
[QUOTE]

Check out Pods - wish I thought of this idea, they are everywhere here :rolleyes:

http://www.pods.com/

[Jim Becker]

Greg, I was going to mention Pods, but just plain forgot...thanks!

[Effie Lever]

I’m with Jim on the difficulty of the job. If you take your time and look for some help from books and magazines it is doable.
Here is my cabinet making story. About ten years ago we decided to redo our small bathroom in by previous house, I decided to make the cabinets. I did not had any experience with cabinet making but you have to start somewhere. It was much smaller then a full kitchen but still a challenge. The design called for eight drawers and that was the hardest part of the job. The nice thing about multiple units is that once you set up your tools for one you can make many identical doors, drawers or whatever. My major tools at the time were a Ryobi 2500 (tiny table saw) and a Ryobi 3hp router. The drawers were made with box-joints using a simple but accurate jig.

Just a small brag, when we sold the house the buyer liked these cabinets better then the high end bought kitchen cabinets.

I will do it again in without hesitation, yes it takes time and effort but so does any serious project we tackle in the shop.

[Jim Becker]

Effie had a good idea there...do a smaller project first, such as a bathroom, to see how you enjoy the work and results.

[John Hemenway]

considering the speed of an actual cabinet maker versus hobbyist i have no doubt a hobbyist couldnt afford themself :D .....jack

You don't think I can make cabinets as fast as a dedicated and experienced shop? You might be right! :D Of course I don't have to work for a profit here. There is no overhead to deal w/ as a hobbiest. No FICA, no taxes to cover. Also it's handy to be able to justify the tools to LOML. ;)

Another thing to consider...
If Bought cost $20,000 I'll have to earn $26,000 to pay for them (assuming taxes to be 30%). I don't begrudge the commerical cabinet shop, I just don't think it's that difficult for a woodworker to make cabinets. In my other hobbies (Hiking, fishkeeping) I would NEVER consider hiring someone to guide me on a backpacking trip or come clean or setup one of my aquariums.

I will hire a contractor to do the addition. I could do it (and have). I just don't enjoy doing framing, roofing and especially sheetrocking :mad: .

[larry merlau]

Not to hijack, but as a self-employed cabinet maker and custom staircase builder, I am wondering where these 20-30K kitchens are coming from out of $3000.00 of material.:confused: :confused: :confused:

I can do a 10,000.00 set, including a couple of vanity's, and my material cost runs around $2500.00. Red Oak ply, hardwood, stain and finish, and install.
Fill me in.
Steve:rolleyes: :) :confused:
hey steve them east coast folks pay more for what they get:) us poor folk look fer the better dollar fer the product range.

[Mike Mayer]

Do you have space to have a temporary kitchen while you are remodelling? I was able to move the fridge and microwave to a different room while a re-did the kitchen. It at least made it bearable. And remember the 90-90 rule: the first 90% of the project takes 90% of the time and the last 10% takes the other 90% of the time. In other words, it always takes much longer than you think it will. If you have no kitchen at all for the duration you will end up felling rushed to get it done. If you at least have a basic kitchen set up in another part of the house you can get by wihile the new kitchen is taking shape.

[Jim Becker]

Do you have space to have a temporary kitchen while you are remodelling? I was able to move the fridge and microwave to a different room while a re-did the kitchen. It at least made it bearable.

I was able to do that and it made the 3 weeks or so of "total down time" easy to deal with. The grill on the deck got a lot of use, too...the reason that doing such renovations in the summer is a better idea for most of us DIYers.



And remember the 90-90 rule: the first 90% of the project takes 90% of the time and the last 10% takes the other 90% of the time. In other words, it always takes much longer than you think it will.

Amen!!!

[Kelly C. Hanna]

I'm with you Steve...if I could get away with charging $20k for a set of kitchen cabinets...I'd be rich.

[Russ Massery]

I'm in the middle of a kitchen redo as we speak. One of the main reasons for getting into woodworking in the first place was to build my own stuff, (i.e) The exact color, size,style, and so on. I'm with Jim (becker) making the cabinets themselves were the easy part. Also I didn't care for the materials and construction methods of the store bought cabinets. I will say it takes ALOT of planning ahead of time to do it all. My two cents.................

[Greg Torok]

I'm with you Steve...if I could get away with charging $20k for a set of kitchen cabinets...I'd be rich.

The average cost for kitchen cabinets here:

http://www.crown-point.com/

is $30,000.00... not installed, nothing but the cabinets. These are very high quality, period styling (no 32mm stuff) cabinets. Tier 1 customer stuff....

[jack duren]

Russ..."store bought cabinets" and custom made are two different cabinets.

Greg...average cost isnt between $25,000 and $35,000. like hanna and steve we'd be rich is that was true.

kitchens and baths can get that high but most arent going to pay that much nor have the space for it.

a woodworker can put as much money in there own kitchen but considering the price of a homes value you might not want to spend $30k on a $150k house ;) ......jack

[Ellen Benkin]

Thanks, but these are not "custom" cabinets but the kind they built using the wall as the back and the floor as the bottom. Nothing worth saving here -- or I would move them to the garage and use them for storage. I've become very familiar with the Greene and Greene houses in Pasadena and love the stories of the people who bought them and hated the "heavy" furniture so they sold it a yard sales. I just WISH I had one of those houses!

[Eddie Valenzuela]

First of all if you are on this site or forum I am sure you will enjoy building your cabinets. It will definitely be way cheaper because all that is coming out of pocket is materials and luckily some new tools.

I build custom cabinetry part time more for the enjoyment than the money. I do everything myself: Drawing/designing, purchase materials, build, stain/finish, and install.

For 3 years I did it out of a 2 car garage 18 x 18. Few tools that will make your task easier. Good tablesaw, Kreg jig (pocket hole jig), Router table, If you want to build raise panel doors you are going to need a 3 1/2 horse power router. I used an HVLP gun that runs off a compressor to spray stain and finish.

When I was building in my 2 car garage I would always run out of room, but I always managed to make everything fit at the end of the day.

Read books and I would go to Home depot to measure their cabinets. because there are some standard measurements you might want to know about.

good Luck.

[Ralph Morris]

I have been doing my own kitchen and still doing it. I just can't find alot of free time to do it after a full day working in the machinist shop. Cost on it.. I'm not sure where the price is right now as I just tucked all the billings that I brought stuffs for the cabinets in a file, would add them all up when I'm done with the kitchen complate. I'm 3/4th finish with the whole system...(Or I hoped) and that has been going on a year already right now!:rolleyes: Plus there isn't any room in my basement for them. I want to do as much as I can to have them 100% done before I start ripping the old ones off and doing the installing without any more doings on it. It is tiresome to have to do somework on it while doing other work at work (11 hours on the job five days a week) when I come home. Most free times is on weekends if no one comes over for coffee and chattings!

[Richard Blaine]

Read books and I would go to Home depot to measure their cabinets. because there are some standard measurements you might want to know about.

good Luck.

I'll take that suggestion a little further. All of the borgs have brochures for there cabinet lines. The brochures have measurements and they're a great source for designs. And best of all, they're free for the asking.

[John Lucas]

The average cost for kitchen cabinets here:

http://www.crown-point.com/

is $30,000.00... not installed, nothing but the cabinets. These are very high quality, period styling (no 32mm stuff) cabinets. Tier 1 customer stuff....

Greg,
That link is a great resourse for all of us. They give way more info in their cluseup views. Easy to copy. I was surprised to see what I consider would be glue spots inone closeup: http://www.crown-point.com/Doorbddtl/Bridgtonbddtl.html

I do take exception with your "no 32mm stuff". I would make these cabinets just like they do but use some of the 32mm thinking. It is just easier...and certainly doesnt detract from the appearance.

[Jeffrey Stowell]

That link is a great resourse for all of us. They give way more info in their cluseup views. Easy to copy. I was surprised to see what I consider would be glue spots inone closeup: http://www.crown-point.com/Doorbddtl/Bridgtonbddtl.html

Hi Mr Lucas,

While it may appear as glue spots to your eyes, rest assured they are not! Those are simply light areas in the grain. (notice the lower right corner of the same door in the full size image to see another grain area) That sample is in tiger maple, and if you've ever worked in hard maple, you know how a piece can take stain differently within the same piece.

Best wishes,

Jeffrey Stowell
Crown Point Cabinetry

[Kelly C. Hanna]

here's a bunch 'o' thoughts on cabinetry...

That's not a real average cost then...it's the average cost of a high end cabinet set. In the real world of custom cabinetry, those clients are few and far. I have had one in the last ten years ask for solid Oak cabinetry for their ET Ctr and that was only a $7500 job.

Granted, I don't work in high end cabinetry much and probably won't. I am shooting for the high end decking business. I have a plan to drop all other types of projects and concentrate on outdoor structures only within the next two years.

Trying to compete with the low end cabinet makers & the cheapo junk from HD's and Lowe's makes it unprofitable for most cabinet makers in the long run.

For those who think HD's and Lowe's has a good cabinet product, I'm sorry to hear that. They don't and if you were to inspect a set delivered to someone's house, you'd see what we mean. Veneered chip board never lasts and is just plain hokey. I can't believe they get so much $$$$ for them.

I don't like frameless cabients at all, there's no style there. Face frames are the best design.

Using Melamine or any other product other than high grade ply or solid wood isn't the way to go. I think they look and feel cheap...especially when the doors are made the same way.

This is my opinion....I know it won't be everyone's.

[Greg Torok]

Greg,
I do take exception with your "no 32mm stuff". I would make these cabinets just like they do but use some of the 32mm thinking. It is just easier...and certainly doesnt detract from the appearance.

That's an opinion that frameless does not detract from the appearance. To me a frameless cabinet stands out in ways that I don't like. There is absolutely no way to make an inset door with frameless.... yes you can get a 'look' similar - but not the real thing. Frameless says mass produced. I do agree that it's a faster and more efficient method, but to me it's a 'faux' look (I dislike that word more than any).

However, most consumers don't know the difference - and the tighter budget crowd (i.e. 'builder quality') could care less where and how they are made.