One of the first things that comes to mind when considering a new kitchen or remodeling a current kitchen is, “How much do custom cabinets cost?”.
There are many variables in designing and building custom cabinets, but here we will try to lay out a few pricing guidelines.
Generally, there are three options when purchasing cabinetry for your home: stock, semi-custom, and custom. Stock and semi-custom cabinets are limited by style, color, size, design.
Choosing to use a custom cabinetmaker gives you more freedom in areas where stock and semi-custom fall short. An experienced custom cabinet maker can professionally design your ideas and build one-of-a-kind cabinets from scratch.
How are cabinet options priced?
Price ranges for custom cabinetry can vary drastically based on factors such as number of cabinets, size, wood species, stains and finishes, and hardware.
For example, a base model Chevrolet Silverado pickup can start around $24,000 in a basic package, but it can quickly cost over $50,000 after all the options are added.
Even estimating the cost of one 30” base cabinet is not simple unless you know exactly what you want. A few things that must be considered before a price can be quoted:
- Type of wood used for your cabinets
- Number of drawers, such as a drawer bank with three or four drawers, or a combination of drawers and doors, 1 drawer over 2 doors, or 2 doors over a single drawer
- Stained wood or painted wood, and do you want distressing or color glaze?
- Inside the cabinets, will there be one or more shelves, rollout trays or dividers? - Will the outsides be finished or next to a wall?
Will the finished side have wood panels?
- Other things to consider: pull out organizers, knife blocks, or dovetail drawers, corbels, crown and other types of moulding, lighting, glass doors, etc.
Hopefully, you can see why the cabinets can greatly range in price. Now put into perspective the plans and price for an entire home, kitchen, bathroom, or mud room.
Cost per linear foot
Often times cabinetry firms will charge by the linear foot. This typically depends on the area you live in but in most cases custom cabinetry options will range from $400 to $1200 per linear foot. - The average is around $600.
Price per linear foot will also depend upon the list of additional features selected. Below is a list of the common “add-ons” when purchasing custom cabinetry:
- Decorative feet/toe-kick - Two piece crown moulding - Lighting - End panels - Pantry cabinets - Rollout shelves - Dovetail drawers - Glass front doors - Matching wood countertops - Drawer dividers - Inset cabinet doors - Lazy susans - Corbels and onlays - Custom wood vent hoods
After considering all these variables, it is difficult to accurately price custom cabinets per linear foot.
Based on this difficulty in accuracy for each and every quote, our normal prices can range from $350 to $600 per linear foot.
Quoting the cost of custom cabinets
Just like cabinets are uniquely designed and custom built, so is each custom cabinet quote, and no two projects are ever the same. As a homeowner, discussing the project in detail with the cabinet maker is the only way to get a true quote.
Our average priced medium sized kitchen costs $8,000 - $12,000 (some higher, some lower), in a major city that same kitchen might cost $15,000-$23,000, just because of the market area, distance from the shop, and higher install costs.
Of course, when planning a new or remodeled kitchen, consider sharing the budget for custom cabinets with the cabinet designer. A true professional will use the budget as a guide to aid in the designing process. If you are uncomfortable sharing the budget amount, compare your project with a car purchase. Use phases like "if this new kitchen was a car, it would be a..."
Remember, the cost of custom cabinets has many varying factors, but it will also depend on you. After visiting with the cabinet maker to describe what you want in your unique cabinets, an “estimate” can be given.
If you have project in mind, please reach out to us for a consultation and estimate!
