Should I choose custom cabinet or ready-made cabinet? How much does custom cabinet cost? Are custom cabinets worth the money?
Many people have these confusion when renovating their home. This ultimate guide will thoroughly analyze the differences between custom and ready-made cabinet, the factors affecting custom cabinet pricing, and whether it ultimately saves or costs more money.
The difference between custom cabinet & ready-made cabinet
Custom cabinet are built from scratch to maximize both the aesthetics and functionality of a room, resulting in a one-of-a-kind, durable, and high-quality result. While ready-made cabinet are pre-made in massive production in standard sizes and limited styles, purchased “off the shelf” for a lower cost.
Their key differences are as below.
| Features | Custom Cabinet | Ready-made cabinet |
| Space Utilization | Maximizes space utilization with a seamless fit, accommodating irregular corners, beams, and pillars to minimize hard-to-clean areas. | Fixed dimensions.may leave gaps between cabinet and wall, resulting in wasted space or hard-to-clean corners. |
| Style | Highly unified,perfectly integrating with the overall decor style, offering exceptional design flexibility to accommodate personalized requirements. | Limited selection, fixed styles |
| Functionality and Storage | Make to order, the internal structure (shelves, drawers, hanging sections, etc.) can be fully tailored to your habits, maximizing storage efficiency. | Fixed functionality and internal structure may not accommodate specific storage requirements. |
| Material Selection | Choose freely | Limited choices. |
| Production Time | It require more time to design, build, transport and install, typically taking 45 to 60 days. | Available immediately—pay upon selection and have it delivered to your doorstep without delay. |
| Price | Prices higher and fluctuate significantly as it includes material costs, dedicated production lines,labor expenses & shipping. | Relatively low prices, industrial mass production spreads costs, transparent pricing, and frequent promotions. |
| After-sales Service | Simple process.Directly contact cabinet maker for any after-sales issues.But it may take longer time if it’s overseas purchase. | Large retailers usually offer nationwide warranty coverage for repair or replacement |
5 Key factors affecting custom cabinet pricing
Custom cabinet is versatile in material option & design flexibility.It’s mainly composed of 3 customizable parts:
- Door panel
- Cabinet structure
- Countertop
Let’s explore the 5 key factors affecting custom cabinet pricing.
1.Material and its thickness
“＞”refers to more than
- Cabinet Door Panel Options & Pricing Comparision
Solid Wood ＞ PVC Board ＞Lacquer Board ＞Laminated Melamine Board
- Cabinet Frame Options & Pricing Comparision
Solid Wood ＞ Plywood ＞ Oriented Strand Board＞Particle Board;
- Countertop Options & Pricing Comparision
Natural Marble ＞Sintered Stone＞ Quartz Stone ＞ Artificial Stone;
-Thickness: It’s usually 18mm for cabinet frame,9mm for back panel, 18mm, 20mm, or 22mm for door panels and 18mm for countertop.The thicker the material,the higher the cost.
2.Size
Custom cabinets are typically priced based on either the projected area (length x height) or the unfolded area (total sum of all panel surfaces). The more components included (shelves, drawers), the larger the unfolded area, resulting in higher total cost.
3.Design Complexity
- Door Style & Finish: For the same material, simple flat doors are cheaper than molded doors.Those with decorative carving and special finish treatment will be more expensive.
- Non-standard Elements: Custom shapes, angled cuts, extra-tall cabinets (typically over 2.4 meters requires additional charges), and extra-wide door panels (requiring installation of straightening devices) will all increase costs and manufacturing complexity.
4.Hardware (affecting lifespan and user experience)
- Basic Hardware: Hinges, drawer slides. Significant price difference between china domestic DTC brand and world-famous brands (Blum, Hettich etc.).
- Functional Hardware: Corner baskets, tall cabinet pull-out basket, dish baskets,straighteners, pull-down hanging rods, rotating shoe racks, etc. These are ”price assassins” —each additional feature can add hundreds of dollars.
5.Labor costs at the manufacturer’s location
Labor costs account for a significant portion of the total production costs for custom cabinets.Custom cabinets produced in China benefits from lower labor costs and land prices compared with Western countries.
How to save money on custom cabinets?
To save money on custom cabinets, it’s absolutely not about blindly choosing the cheapest option, but rather about “spending your money wisely.”
Here are 5 practical tips:
1.Choose Plywood Carcass for durability,cost-efficiency and versatility
Cabinet carcass is the base unit where doors and drawers are attached.It’s highly recommended to choose plywood with laminated finish due to its superior moisture-proof perfermance,affordability and durability.What’s more,it’s budget-friendly but versatile in surface finish(200+ wood grain and colored options as 95% realistic as solid wood).
2.Opt for affordable wood species for door panel
For cabinet door, the same door style can be achieved with different materials.If you prefer white shaker doors, the quality and visual effect of cherry wood in white paint and rubberwood in white paint is the same.However, the price difference between the two can be as much as double.
Below is an indepth analysis of rubberwood you might be interested in:
3.Choose Quartz as alternatives to Luxury Marble countertops
The prices of natural marble vary widely. Some varieties e.g.italian calacatta marble are extremely expensive.Quartz is made of 95% natural quartz chips with 5% resins and color pigments. It perfectly mimic the beauty of marble while offering advantages in terms of durability, stain/wear/scratch resistance,low-maintenance cost and price.
Related blog:
4.Get fewer drawers
Although drawers can add more functionality in your kitchen,it add the cost as well.If you are on a budget,go with less drawers in your design.
5.Don’t blindly chase after world-renowned hardware brands
Some less-known hardware brands are also quite durable and cost significantly less.In terms of performance and quality, it comes around 90% of world-renowned brands, yet costs less than half the price.You may inquire with your cabinet maker about different solutions and pricing comparision.
Frequently Asked Questions
1.Does custom cabinet save money or cost more?
In most cases, custom cabinet will cost more than purchasing ready-made cabinet of the same material and specifications. However, it achieves ”value-based savings” by enhancing space utilization and functionality.
2.Can I install custom cabinet myself?
Installing custom cabinet is a bit complicated but you can do it yourself with clear instructions, enough time, and standard tools. TBM is on the market for custom cabinets for 11 years and provide step-by-step guide to help you with easy installation.
3.How much should I budget for custom cabinets?
The price of custom cabinet is mainly subject to size,material and hardware.Let’s take an example,it’s average $4000 to $8000 for 12′ x 12′ custom kitchen cabinet with 18mm plywood carcass,20mm solid wood shaker door and 20mm quartz countertop,exclude shipping and tax.
If you need help with budgeting,TBM is here to help.We offer free estimate and free sample based on your requirements.Contact us now！
4.How long do custom cabinets last?
It depend on the material you chose.Custom cabinets are built to last and ensure longevity more than 30 years if it’s made from solid wood or premium materials.
Ready to customize cabinets for your home decor?Please feel free to contact TBM.There will be professional design team and sales staff to help you with everything from design to install.
