Custom Cabinetry
Custom cabinets are designed and built to fit a particular room.
- Relative cost
- $$$ Higher. You pay for design time and shop labor, and get an exact fit.
- Good for
- Unusual rooms, older homes, or a design no catalog offers.
Cabinet Services
What cabinet companies do, what each service involves and how the costs compare. Read this before you ask for quotes.
New Cabinets
Cabinets designed and built for a room, from a single vanity to a whole house.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets include base and wall cabinets, islands and pantry storage, planned around your layout and appliances.
- Relative cost
- $$$ Higher. Usually the largest cabinet project in a home.
- Good for
- A full kitchen renovation or a new layout.
Bathroom Cabinets & Vanities
Bathroom cabinetry covers vanities, linen cabinets and built-in storage made for a room with daily moisture.
- Relative cost
- $$$ Moderate. Far less cabinetry than a kitchen.
- Good for
- A first custom project, or a bathroom with an awkward wall.
Built-Ins & Shelving
Built-in cabinets and shelving make storage part of the room, with sizes planned around the available wall space. Read the storage guide.
- Relative cost
- $$$ Moderate. Priced by the wall, not the room.
- Good for
- Living rooms, alcoves, and the space beside a fireplace or under the stairs.
Closets & Storage
Closet cabinets combine shelves, drawers and enclosed storage around what you need to put away. Read the storage guide.
- Relative cost
- $$$ Moderate. Depends on the size and how many drawers you add.
- Good for
- Walk-in closets, pantries and reach-ins that waste space.
Home Office Cabinetry
Office cabinetry can organize equipment, files and cable access. Read the storage guide.
- Relative cost
- $$$ Moderate.
- Good for
- A spare room or corner that has to work as an office.
Laundry & Mudroom Cabinetry
Laundry and mudroom cabinetry includes cabinets, lockers, benches and cubbies for laundry rooms and entryways.
- Relative cost
- $$$ Moderate. Small rooms keep the total down.
- Good for
- Busy doorways and laundry rooms short on storage.
Garage Cabinets
Garage cabinets are durable storage cabinets and workbenches built for the garage.
- Relative cost
- $$$ Moderate.
- Good for
- Tools, sports gear and seasonal storage.
Outdoor Cabinets
Outdoor cabinets are weather-resistant cabinetry for outdoor kitchens and patios.
- Relative cost
- $$$ Higher. Materials have to stand up to weather.
- Good for
- Outdoor kitchens and covered patios.
Before You Compare Companies
- 1
"Custom" Is Used Loosely
Custom cabinets are built to order for one room, usually in a local shop. Some companies use the word for manufactured cabinets that have been modified. If the difference matters to you, ask where the cabinets are built and by whom.
- 2
Updating Costs Far Less Than Replacing
If your cabinet boxes are sound and the layout works, refacing or refinishing changes the look for much less than new cabinets. New cabinets make sense when the layout, the storage or the condition of the boxes is the problem.
- 3
A Quote Should Spell Everything Out
Ask for an itemized quote that covers design, materials, finish, hardware, delivery and installation, so you can compare companies on the same terms. Ask what is not included, such as countertops, plumbing or electrical work.
- 4
Built-to-Order Work Takes Time
Custom cabinets are designed, built and finished before they are installed, so there is a wait between approving the design and the installation date. Ask each company for its current lead time and get it in writing.
Cost is a relative guide, not a quote. Prices depend on your room, materials and finish, so ask each company for a written estimate.
Read the Cabinet Guides