I have sold manufactured cabinets for 16 years, and I consider them to be superior over any shop built cabinet, primarily because of the finish. As you stated, the factory cabinets are painted and sealed with a finish that is extremely durable and cannot be duplicated by a carpenter. Also, most factory cabinets provide a limited lifetime warranty so that if a hinge or drawer glide fails, for example, you can replace it at no charge. Make sure your cabinetry is made in the United States--there are many lines to choose from. As I tell my customers, the factory made cabinets are made to order just like with a local carpenter, it's just a bigger shop!

The quality of the cabinet construction can be comparable but the finish is not the same as getting a product done at a factory. No matter where you purchase cabinetry if you are getting solid wood doors with a painted finish you will get hair line cracks on the joints, a local shop will usually cover only a 1 year warranty on workmanship and installation, but most cabinet manufactures offer the peace of mind that comes with a limited lifetime warranty. Hands down I would recommend getting your cabinets from a reputable cabinet manufacturer through your local kitchen and bath dealer.

We finish cabinets all the time that will last as long as factory finished cabinets, if you really want to find out the durability off a factory cabinet wait to you have to use the touch up kit they send or have to replace or add a cabinet in a couple of years. Most of these cabinets have the look of inexpensive furniture that is mass produced which lacks the character and originality of hand made and finished.

When we purchase custom cabinetry, we only use local cabinet makers that have the capability to finish the cabinets. We do not install unfinished cabinets and have them painted on site. We don't feel site painting is comparable quality.

Site built and painted is hackery not cabinetry. Custom is an extremely bastardized word. Most manufactured semi custom lines offer as many or more options than the local parts orderer who orders boxes from one place, drawers from another, and door fronts from some place else. And then calls himself a custom cabinet shop.

The finish of any local going to be inferior to the manufactured finish. Sure, they can buy some versions of a catalyzed varnish, but not the same products that the factory sets and buys in giant quantities. If a local uses the same high quality materials that a good mid grade and up line uses, and buys in bulk for huge savings, then they will NOT be cheaper than manufactured cabinets. They will be more expensive. If they are less expensive, that ''savings'' comes from somewhere.

We are having (true) custom cabinets built and they will be installed finished, we are going with painted. They sub out their paint work to a local paint shop. As they told us "we are carpenters, not painters". Made sense to me. They should also give you a finished door sample to keep prior to production.

A good local cabinet shop will invite you in to see their shop and show you how they work, be transparent. The company we went with would not even take our deposit until we came and walked through their sawdust filled on site shop.

We are using a local cabinet maker for our bathroom vanities and also a bookcase wall unit in our family room that will be built in. All are stained, not painted, so I can't speak to paint finishes. We visited the shop and saw his work, and he has visited to custom measure. We don't get all the bells and whistles in the design process - no fancy renderings or anything- but we are getting exactly what we want , the price is better than the options we saw in showrooms, and we are supporting a local business whose owner and workers we have gotten to know and like. So far one vanity is installed and looks great, and the bookcase unit has been delivered but not installed and also looks fantastic.

A local cabinet maker is making ours, should be in by mid-December. They do get finished with a custom laminate-type paint before install. I get to choose any colors, I can have odd sizes with no spacers, and I like having a local person. I'll let you know if it was a good decision in a few weeks!

Weeks of wear won't tell the tale. A couple of years down the road where the finish on stained is whitening and flaking or the ''paint'' has worn off in frequently cleaned spots will tell the tale. Just ask Californians where they can't even buy god quality finish materials anymore.

Consumer, do not be fooled by the comments in this forum. Resellers, who have not established themselves with a quality cabinet maker sell factory made cabinets. Designers (a reseller) who have found a quality, professional, make the cabinets locally. You come into this forum selling what you have.

I worked for a company locally that sold cabinets from two different out of state manufacturers. At least 80% of the time a box would be delivered damaged, and because the vendor was out of state, waiting for replacement cabinets held up the job. A local craftsman delivers locally, so the chances of damage in shipment is minimal, and if there is damage, or missing or change parts they can be built and at a job site within hours

You don't want clients who have already surrendered much desired cabinet space by not using custom fit cabinetry, and they have to suffer unnecessary "built out of state" delays.

The client may have also bought into the much touted, but never proven, attribute, that baked on finishes are superior and more durable. While there may be an occasion where some unknown factor makes the statement true it is strictly anecdotal. Generally it's simply a sales pitch to compete with competent California craftsmen.

A great painter can reproduce just about anything that "baked on" can produce, but frankly, for the money, I'd rather have the range of choices offered by the craftsman in California.

There is of course the ethical issue of importing baked on product into California where the application process is illegal, but we will just leave that alone. You decide.

I have seen hundreds of kitchens 20, 30, 40 years old, and long before the product falls apart, or even looks worn, they are horribly out of style.

Finally, kitchens are where a daughter reveals the birth of your first grandchild, or your son discusses college, where turkeys and cookies bake, where joyous occasions and tearful events are remembered. This is sacred space for your family. For Pete's sake find a designer who will put their heart into the heart of your home.

KCMA testing and certification proves how a factory finish holds up. And how a backyard cabinet maker's doesn't. Proven. Not supposition.

Sophie, if you haven't previously read the 'standard' I suggest you do. I have provided a link. What, about this standard, implies that type of finish applied to a proper surface begets a longer lasting look on a cabinet?

KCMA is organization that created a standard for comparing one mass manufactured product with another, but provides no demonstration that the finishes being debated here are 'better or worse,'

If one purchase cabinets from a quality custom build maker, the custom build standard may be considerably higher than that of a mass made product. I can assure you that my cabinet maker is indeed a craftsman, not a backyard cabinet maker. HIs fit and finish techniques are the gold standards for assuring longevity of cabinets. KCMA is an organization designed by mass manufacturers to create rules and standards for mass manufactured product, not custom made product. Read this certification and tell me to prove your point, you'd use this cert.

http://www.kcma.org/certifications/ansi-kcma-certification

Toss some mustard on it and put it in a 100% humidity oven and see how it looks. If a custom guy isn't willing to do that, then he is one of the way too many slapping on house paint. Custom isn't synonymous with quality. Yet most people wrongly infer that it is.

Sophie, I could not agree with you more. There are bad contractors, just like there are bad manufacturers, designers, and resellers, many of whom seem to be here one minute and broke the next in my neck of the woods. As i said earlier, I worked for a storefront reseller once. I don't know which storefront operations go broke faster, carpet sales or kitchen & bath sales.

Regardless, over a couple of decades my cabinet maker partner and I have built hundreds of stunning custom kitchens from Newport Beach to San Clemente, CA. We are currently doing all the cabinet work for entire 'guts' in three houses each valued over $12 million. These are discerning, well informed clients who have seen all the options, who have thankfully chosen to work with local talent and products.

There are great craftsmen out there. It takes some sifting to be sure. Oh, and by the way, if you think 100% humidity is hard on furniture quality products, you should see what sea air does to furniture, clothing, and everything else you can think of.