# why are cabinets so expensive



## johnnywygo (May 19, 2008)

hi all, I went to HD today and looked at some cabinets and they were like 10k for a kitchen w/granite tops, how much should cabinets cost in general for high  quality ones, should I figure per/sq foot or what


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## rachael24 (May 20, 2008)

They should cost about that for high end.  You can get some cheaper, but since you want high end, look to be paying upwards of 8-10k


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## handyguys (May 21, 2008)

The high end and Home Depot is low end for some other places. I pretty sure Home Depot only deals in stock carcass sizes. I have heard type of cabinets described as stock, semi-custom and custom. Prices go up the more you deviate from stock (as does quality)

What to look for...
Plywood sides and backs not particle board. Plywood is better quality.
Solid wood drawer sides and plywood drawer bottoms.
Dovetails connecting the drawer sides to their fronts. Dovetails on the back will be only on high high end.

Essentially the more real wood or real wood veneer the better the quality. If anything has a picture of wood over particle board its junk IMO.


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## JulieC (May 21, 2008)

Granite countertops are expensive, about $70/sf and up.  You can save some money with granite tiles, the larger the tile (I've seen up to 24"x24"), the more expensive per square foot, but less than slab granite.  You could go with look-alike laminate too.  High end costs high dollars.


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## ChrWright (Jun 18, 2008)

The better known brands for stock cabinets will be of best quality: Kraftmaid, Aristokraft, etc. They will also offer the most options for species, finishes and accessories.

$10,000 for cabinets and counters sounds about right for the average size kitchen, depending on the wood, finish and stone. I'm assuming that's without installation?


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## anie973 (Oct 21, 2009)

Some of the cabinets are expensive due to their construction, finishing and production.


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## itsreallyconc (Nov 3, 2009)

having recently had to repl ours, we pric'd the top end @ hd then sought out a cabinetmaker who did the work,,, total custom was slightly less - much less when he included install,,, cost of granite has decreased UNLESS your wife's my bride's sister  :hide:


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## Superpack (Nov 3, 2009)

I just purchased custom cabinets for my house which was completed Nov 09. I dont think the cost was really all that out of line from mass produced stuff. I think the difference was $30,000 vs $35,000, which did not include kitchen countertops. So how are they better?

Best Regards,


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## house92 (Nov 4, 2009)

DC-Brandon said:


> Another reason cabinets are so expensive is because they are generally passed through dealers and middle men, increasing the price each time. Look in your area for independent kitchen cabinet shops because a lot of the time they can offer a better product, for much less.




I agree.  I got my cabinets from a guy who builds them out of his home.  They were solid oak with plywood backing and solid drawers, and no dowels or biscuits were used.  He drilled, fitted, and glued all the joints, which I prefer.  They cover 22 feet of space, top and bottom in the kitchen. That was 5 years ago and I payed $6,000.  That included cabinets for two baths too.


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## jacobvats (Nov 9, 2009)

Cabinets are one of those things where you get what you pay for. A set of cheap kitchen cabinets will be made with inexpensive wood in exposed areas, if they have any real wood at all, while an expensive set will have high-grade wood that costs far more. Cheap cabinet carcasses might be put together with ikea-like fasteners, while expensive cabinets will have tight fitting joints that keep them solid for centuries. Basically it boils down to this, if you want something that has high-quality materials and workmanship, you will have to pay dearly for it.


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## Rez (Jan 1, 2013)

This all makes no sense.   You can by a dresser or chest for your bedroom for a few hundred dollars.  It's more expensive to ship and is more complicated to manufacture.  Kitchen cabinets and doors are so simple a monkey could make them yet the prices are nuts.


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## Wuzzat? (Jan 1, 2013)

Rez said:


> This all makes no sense.   You can by a dresser or chest for your bedroom for a few hundred dollars.  It's more expensive to ship and is more complicated to manufacture.  Kitchen cabinets and doors are so simple a monkey could make them yet the prices are nuts.



I guess it's supply and demand.

Let me tell you what HD did.  I forget whether the prices below were the installed prices.

We were in the store and saw a big notice that you could have new kitchen cabinets for $2K*, so we sat down and had them work up an estimate, which came to $18K**. 
Before we even hit the ground from shock she said that we were lucky that there was special on, today, and so we could have our cabinets for only $15K***.

I think
* this price is to pull you in
** this price is to disabuse you of the ridiculous notion that you can have cabinets for $2K
***this is to make you grateful that HD will take $3K off the price that they 'should' be charging.

One countermeasure is to ask what percent of their customers pay how many kilobucks for cabinets.  E.g., 2% get cabinets for $2K, 2% get cabinets for $30K, half pay $20K.
Usually this question has the effect of making the salesperson bail out.


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## dennyloren (Apr 2, 2013)

Nice share wuzzat, you had a real shopping experience. This tactics are been used around most of the shops. Its an part of their selling strategy.

I think the price of the kitchen cabinets depends on what you desire. If you have a big pocket then you can definitely go to the big box stores and order the custom cabinets you like, but if your budget is smaller then you have to put in a little efforts. We have installed ready to install kitchen cabinets in our kitchen, saving a lot on contractors. It was an DIY kitchen remodeling and we ordered the cabinets online avoiding the middleman. There is nothing like you must be an experienced wood worker to install RTA cabinets, they are really easy to install with a complete manual support.

Your kitchen cabinetry doesn't have to cost a small fortune, but it can. By being aware of the options open to you, you can get the best quality available in your budget.


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## tammi (Apr 2, 2013)

True. Look for more options before you decide. More options means more opportunities to find the cheapest deal.


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## woodstarcab_1326 (Jun 5, 2013)

Ordering cabinets from a small online outfit is the best way to go, I advise going straight to the source.


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## Thomas529 (Jun 9, 2013)

IMO the cabinet door/drawer fronts sell cabinets. Many people see the fancy doors and look no further. After all, that's all you see after they are up, right? No thought is given to the thousands of times they will be opened and closed or the weight of dishes that will be put in them.


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## Drywallinfo (Jun 9, 2013)

We went with Ready To Assemble and it totaled $2500. They were plywood construction and I used construction adhesive in addition to the fasteners provided. They are very nice cabinets for the money.


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## WindowsonWashington (Jun 9, 2013)

Drywallinfo said:


> We went with Ready To Assemble and it totaled $2500. They were plywood construction and I used construction adhesive in addition to the fasteners provided. They are very nice cabinets for the money.



Buddy of mine did the same thing.

You wouldn't know looking at them and they appear and work very well.


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## Jungle (Jun 13, 2013)

Women. Women are crazy for kitchen so are men. So they spend crazy money. The more you like to bake i guess..

I build my own kitchen with open style cabinets (no doors but doors could be added later), 2x4's as the frame then finished with glazed porcelain tiles and wood veneer, stone back splash. It's a great look to it, not super high end but i'm happy with it. The copper sink was the most expensive at $600 then rest cost maybe $400, true induction cooker was another $400.

It's much easier building to the custom size you want than trying to find premade cabinets that you like.


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## hwade (Jun 16, 2013)

There are several differences in high end cabinets and low end cabinets.  

There is a difference in the hardware, drawer glides on a low end  cabinet are usually $5-8, high end may be $30-50 or more.  Hinges are a  similar story.

Construction of the box is different.  Low end cabinets are usually  particle board with a vinyl covering similar to contact paper, higher  end may be plywood or furniture board with wood veneer.

Some cheap cabinets  use plastic laminated doors, more expensive are real wood.  The amount  of detail in the doors also varies.  Cheap cabinets are usually simple  patterns that are formed on a shaper, expensive ones may require a good  deal of detail on more expensive machinery or even be hand detailed.


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## hudsonkelvin (Jul 3, 2013)

I think the cabinet cost is generally depends upon the quality and the brand of the furniture. You can always find branded and quality furniture expensive. But there are many online furniture stores that provide quality furniture at low cost means you can get the best deals and offers there. Homelivingstyle.com is an online store that provides you the beautiful range of cabinets at affordable prices.


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