Do you think price should effect whether shelves are cut straight or veneers are properly affixed? For a lesser price I would expect lesser materials and less customization not lesser quality in the details you describe. He isn't going to get more skilled or develop more pride in his work because you are giving him more money. I'm very reasonable but my instinct would be to walk, maybe even run, away. Do you get a good feeling about him?

Caryscott is right.
You need more options, so do more shopping around.

Keep Looking.

I talked to five different contractors. I'm getting true custom, 3/4" plywood, dovetailed, no staples or nails, 15 year warranty on the finish, meticulously crafted cabinets for about the same price as another contractor quoted for Shenandoah (i.e., the ones at Lowes). Everyone else who was offering semicustom fine cabinets wanted a few thousand more. There may be someone near you doing fine semi-custom in his garage who will give you the quality you want at a lower price.

If you're near the Finger Lakes Region, I'll give you this guy's name.

We are paying less to get cabinets in our whole entire house (3/4 inch maple cabinets, all wood, dovetail construction, blum glides, completely 100 percent beyond custom) than a quote we got from Candelight cabinets to do a kitchen and 3 bathrooms. Quality does not always have to equal costly if you shop around.

I would not get cabinets that I could not see digital mock-ups (CAD) drawings of. I would also not get cabinets from someone who made crooked shelves because even if he had lesser quality materials, he should still be able to cut them straight and show pride in workmanship. I would also not skimp on cabinets and I'd cut budget on something that is easier to replace.

Where do you live, I'm sure there are many people on here who can give you custom cabinet maker recommendations.

To me quality cabinetry is about good workmanship, quality finishing, great function and good value for money. An honest cabinetmaker will tell you that with today's drawer hardware you don't need dovetail drawer construction (you might still like and want it but it is not a measure of the quality or longevity of the final product) Quality isn't "custom" either, custom tell you how the cabinets are manufactured not how good they are. Quality isn't about plywood construction - this a myth widely propagated by the US cabinet industry and parroted here on a regular basis. Lots of great and durable cabinets boxes out there that are not made from plywood. If you want plywood boxes, get them but don't kid yourself that it is some indicator of quality.

caryscott is right - plywood construction isn't the be-all and end-all. (although GW discussions of formaldehyde kind of made me wary about anything else) Having doors line up perfectly, having no flaws in the finish, having someone who takes pride in his work and stands behind it are all indicators of quality. It helps to have references from people you know. I saw my cabinetmaker's work in my friend's new house.
And yes, custom isn't the same as quality - custom is how you can get exactly the layout you want or need instead of working around standard sized cabinets. (If I tried to build a cabinet myself from lumber, it would be true custom, and it would be awful.) So if you need odd-sized cabinets, custom is a benefit. True custom usually costs more. When doesn't,it may be a good value.

Take your time with making this decision. A good custom cabinet guy may already have jobs lined up, at least mine was. I had to wait for him to do two other kitchens before he could start on mine. It is a good thing to get a start date and finish date in writing on the contract.

Nancy

In my humble experience run, run from the guys that are displaying shoddy work. I did exactly what you did and I ignored the obvious. Almost immediately I had problems with kitchen cabinets. I would look for someone else that isn't high priced. I have dovetailed drawers and that is no guarantee, they are coming apart. I wish I would have listened to my gut and kept looking for someone else. I am now finally re-doing my kitchen. Good Luck.

Something else to keep in mind is that you're comparing prices against arguably one of the best custom cabinetmakers around (Crown Point). You may find that some very good semi-custom cabinetmakers will be priced "right".

There are good custom cabinetmakers around, but it doesn't sound like your GC's "cabinet guy" is one of them. Just b/c this guy's cabinets are in expensive houses, doesn't mean they're good cabinets...both here (check out some of the threads about expensive homes for sale) and in-person, I've seen not just dysfunctional kitchens in expensive homes, but also poor workmanship in the cabinetry. [The cabinet guy is probably hoping that by showing you some more expensive homes with his cabinets that you'll assume that means he's OK...he's not!]

A couple of other things...having a lot of money or spending a lot of money doesn't mean you'll have high quality results. Also, sometimes people (with or without money) are "cheap" and go with whatever is cheaper, regardless of quality just b/c they don't want to pay more.

We usually recommend that you get the highest quality cabinets and other permanent/difficult to replace items that you can afford, especially it they're part of your kitchens basic infrastructure. If you're willing, cut back on a few other things that can either be postponed or can be replaced later so you can afford good cabinets now.

I would concur with buehl on this one ... don't skimp, but DO shop around to make sure you are getting the best value.

And in order to understand whether or not you are getting the best value, you must know all the details so you can compare them.

To accentuate the "quality isn't custom" notion above, I would also suggest "custom isn't quality" in every case. Many people call themselves "custom" but all that means is they are building without a lot of rules and sometimes that means you get drawers that you would hate like ttla's first post.

Do your homework and get references...several.

Here is an example of a group of kitchen and bath dealers talking about a semi-custom line, Showplace, which is argueably more custom than semi-custom ... but affordable. And available in your area.

Here is a link that might be useful: Why Showplace?

I think you need to do more homework and know more about how to specify every detail if you work with an individual builder rather than a cabinet company. I have seen at least one local "artisan" who had a portfolio filled with breathtaking furniture and also some photos of what looked like lovely cabinets in vintage kitchens. It was all very appealing. But I got to see a sample of the actual cabinets that he built when one of these houses went on the market (quite an expensive house, out of my league, but the point is I suspect that they paid a lot -- or could have). The cabinets were very disappointing in quality. May-be these people didn't know the difference or pushed for better pricing. But I think the whole negotiation process is just more of a marshmallow when you're dealing with a single person or very small company. Not to say you can't get fabulous quality at a great price but you really have to nail down every last detail and expectation.

Thanks for the advice. I'm amazed by how much education is required around a remodel, if you're somebody who cares about the details and likes to understand what you're paying for.

I just met with another local guy, and his work was outstanding compared to the first guy I met. He makes everything in-house, vs buying the drawers like most. Says he's "old school," and I like that. It makes me feel so much more confident moving forward. However, like a few suggested, I still need to do my homework so that I know what exactly I want to specify. That means you'll all probably see more of my "help!" posts very soon.

I'm crossing my fingers that this guy's bid comes in at a competetive amount!

Thanks again for the sage advice!

I had a kitchen done once by a local cabinet maker and we had no CAD drawings--just hand drawing of the layout. All worked out great and we saved a bundle.

ARe you looking for inset cabinets? CP is now doing half and full overlay frameless. Have you tried negotiating the price down with them? I would definitely try that out.