Any tips on pricing for custom cabinets???

[Michael Dunn]

If it is me you are asking... This was actually my first one.

Thank you!

[james bell]

Okay, lets go with the facts. If you work a 40 hour week, 50 weeks per year, that equates to 2,000 billable hours. At $20/hr, you would make $40K if you work full time with no sick days, no vacation, and the standard 10 holidays per year. And no benefits except working at home with no real boss (wife excepted).

I quit working about four years ago (not retired since I don't get a pension), but from what I hear, they want to give tax credits to people who make less than $40K. So $40K for a craftsman is not economical.

Figure out what you want to make per year, divide by 2,000 FOR A START, knowing that you won't work 2,000 hours.

I have build three full kitchens and a lot of furniture for the worse customer in the world, my wife. I have many friends ask me to build them something, but with my pace of work they either can't afford it OR I will have to over charge (only in my estimation). Probably cutting myself short, but life at my age is too short to worry about making money. Like many on this site, I make presents and enjoy myself, but you would probably be surprised if you price your work at $100/hr - they would still come!

Good luck

[Gage Hearn]

$15.50 per lineal inch for natural birch. Calculate a percentage for higher/lower material prices. $100 per door, $100 per dovetail drawer and slab front. $35 for slab drawer front in the case of a sink. Finishing is done on a percentage of job. 20% for a clear coat, 25% for a stain and clear, 30% stain, tone and clear and another 5 percent for glazing. So basic clear is 20% and tack on another 5% for each additional step.

The $15.50 is price installed.

a 36" sink cabinet with 2 doors and 1 faux drawer front would be $793 plus whatever finish schedule on top of that.

Hey Leo, good informaton here! Would you be willing to provide an update on about what this pricing would look like 14 years later? Trying to get an approximate baseline for pricing my own cabinets. Dont want to sell myself short. Thank you!

[jack duren]

The only thing you should be charging by the hour is high end furniture.Cabinetry is not by the hour.

[Jim Becker]

I said $30/hr initially.

While having an hourly shop rate for incidental work is great (and that number is way too low), as has been noted already by folks who have been in the business, cabinetry type work is priced more by the job and quite often by the linear foot. You not only have to cover your materials and labor for creating the stuff for the job, but also cover yourself for any time on call-backs and so forth as well as "shop costs" for heat, light, power, machine maintenance, tooling acquisition/replacement, insurance, accounting/legal services, etc. (all that latter stuff is "overhead" that any business has) You pretty much gave that first cabinet away for sure. Remember, custom/production work isn't to compete with box store product prices; it's to compete with other custom makers your clients might ask to also quote on the job. If the client wants box store prices...they are not the client to woo.

[jack duren]

While having an hourly shop rate for incidental work is great (and that number is way too low), as has been noted already by folks who have been in the business, cabinetry type work is priced more by the job and quite often by the linear foot. You not only have to cover your materials and labor for creating the stuff for the job, but also cover yourself for any time on call-backs and so forth as well as "shop costs" for heat, light, power, machine maintenance, tooling acquisition/replacement, insurance, accounting/legal services, etc. (all that latter stuff is "overhead" that any business has) You pretty much gave that first cabinet away for sure. Remember, custom/production work isn't to compete with box store product prices; it's to compete with other custom makers your clients might ask to also quote on the job. If the client wants box store prices...they are not the client to woo.

Custom in my business means fitting the walls. Not buying a big box cabinet and using fillers.

[John Kananis]

IMHO:

You are competing in the wrong market. Small shops can't earn a living pricing their work against big box stores.

My price for that carcass would be $800 and I don't install. I would not have made it with pocket holes and half inch material either though. My labor rate (if I charge by the hour, which I usually don't) is $125/hr with a 2 hour minimum. Incidentally, I don't advertise as all my work has been word of mouth for a really long time. The only way to make quick cash doing inexpensive cabinetry/installs is closets and folks aren't really that big into that any longer either.

[jack duren]

IMHO:

You are competing in the wrong market. Small shops can't earn a living pricing their work against big box stores.

My price for that carcass would be $800 and I don't install. I would not have made it with pocket holes and half inch material either though. My labor rate (if I charge by the hour, which I usually don't) is $125/hr with a 2 hour minimum. Incidentally, I don't advertise as all my work has been word of mouth for a really long time. The only way to make quick cash doing inexpensive cabinetry/installs is closets and folks aren't really that big into that any longer either.

you don’t compete with big box stores.

I’m totally lost on how you price..

[John Kananis]

Their pricing model is based on a warehouse full of people pumping out massive amounts of cabinets a day with materials that you and I buy at triple the price (due to quantity and source of purchase). I'm pricing my work accordingly.

you don’t compete with big box stores.

I’m totally lost on how you price..

[jack duren]

Their pricing model is based on a warehouse full of people pumping out massive amounts of cabinets a day with materials that you and I buy at triple the price (due to quantity and source of purchase). I'm pricing my work accordingly.

Accordingly to what? You’re charging $800 a box. people pay $800 for a box?

[John Kananis]

Yes, sir, they do. Depends on your specific market and which segment of that market that you target.

Accordingly to what? You’re charging $800 a box. people pay $800 for a box?

[andy bessette]

...I spent about 6-8 hours...

You should know exactly how long it took, now that the job is already done.

[Richard Coers]

You should know exactly how long it took, now that the job is already done.

Oh yeah, since the question was asked 14 years ago!!!

[jack duren]

Yes, sir, they do. Depends on your specific market and which segment of that market that you target.

When I had my shop I charged $45 per foot for a box.

[John Kananis]

I ordered two cheesesteaks for my wife and I last week. I picked it them up and it came close to 50 bucks for two sandwiches and they still wanted a tip... Times, they are a changing.

When I had my shop I charged $45 per foot for a box.