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Unless you’re independently wealthy, there’s a limit on how much you can spend for store-bought (stock) cabinets. The typical approach is to pick out what you like, then whittle away at the extras to stay within budget.
But suppose you could spend that same amount on materials. By discounting the labor (after all, this is time spent in the shop), you can keep some of those extras and upgrade the materials and improve the quality. I found this out first-hand with this kitchen project.
Because kitchen configurations can vary so greatly, I built one basic wall of cabinets shown above. The wall measures just over 12 feet long and has a double-hung window centered within the space. I wanted the sink to be located directly underneath the window. Since there isn’t a soffit in this room, I could use extra-tall (42") wall-hung cabinets.
To help justify building the cabinets, I decided to do a little comparison shopping. So I took the layout to a local home center and asked them to fill the space with stock cabinets. The stock cabinets I selected were a raised-panel style in red oak that fell slightly above mid-range in price. To outfit the kitchen with these basic, no-frill oak cabinets, the estimated cost was $2,553.When I asked them to price the same set-up in cherry, it jumped to $3,403. Shipping to our door was another $110.
STOCK CABINET COSTS: (Raised-panel red oak) (2) Wall Cabinets (12"D x 27"W x 42"H) $475.54
(2) Wall Cabinets (12"D x 30"W x 42"H) 492.90
(1) Three-drwr. Unit (12"D x 30"W x 18"H) 301.94
(1) Base w/Pots/Pans Drwr. (24"D x 30" W) 377.27
(1) Base w/ Trays (24"D x 36"W) 380.99
(1) Base w/4 Drwr. (24"D x 18"W) 194.37
(1) Sink Base (24"D x 42"W) 221.34
(1) Scalloped Valance 49.60
(1) 3"-Wide Base Filler 17.67
(1) 3"-Wide Wall Filler 26.66
(2) Matching Toe kick Panels 14.88
TOTAL $2,553.16 NOTE: The costs shown do not include countertop.
The stock cabinets as priced do not come with knobs
and drawer pulls. Stock cabinet installation is available
from most dealers at $30-$50 per linear foot.
SHOP-MADE MATERIAL COSTS:
4/4 Cherry - 100 bd. ft @ $4.95/bd. ft. $495.00
(Face frames, doors, drawer fronts, toekicks)
4/4 Birch - 30 bd. ft @ $2.69/bd. ft. 80.70
(Drawer sides, nailers, blocking)
3/4" Birch plywood - 5 sheets @ $52.50/sheet 262.50
(Carcase sides, bottoms, dividers, shelves)
1/4" Birch plywood - 5 sheets @ $18.69/sheet 93.45
(Carcase backs, drawer bottoms)
22" Accuride full extension drawer slides 148.50
(11 pr. @ $13.50/pr)
18" Accuride full extension drawer slides 12.50
(1 pr @ $12.50/pr)
Beveled glass (2 pieces) 100.00
Bin pulls (antique brass) - 16 @ $1.40 ea. 22.40
Knobs (antique brass) - 11 @ $1.10 ea. 12.10
Hinges (antique brass) - 12 pr @ $1.99/pr. 23.88
Miscellaneous hardware 30.00
Stain and Finish 60.00
TOTAL $1,341.03 By contrast, materials for the cherry cabinets I built cost less than $1,400. And my design included a 20"-deep above-counter pantry unit with a built-in cutting board and a knife rack. Such a unit wasn’t available in stock cabinetry except as a 24"-deep, fullheight pantry unit that overwhelmed the small space.
In fact, the cost was so far below stock cabinets I was able to add in a few more extras. One particularly nice touch was the display cabinet with beveled glass in both the door and the exposed side. The cabinets also feature custom frame-andpanel cabinet ends and a cove molding along the ceiling. MATERIAL CONSIDERATIONS If you stop by any home center you can find stock cabinets in oak, maple, cherry, hickory, pine, and birch. In most cases, at least the face frames, doors, and drawer fronts will be solid wood. |
Building Kitchen Cabinets 
