Why not also find a good KraftMaid dealer? That's who has good experience normally. Box stores are hit or miss. You might be surprised that their prices are in line with box stores. I once had a very pompous customer come in for a quote...he really didn't expect me to have competitive prices. But I did....turned out even with the lowes sale and extra coupon he had, my price was slightly lower. The bonus is, he got my 35 years design experience along with my amazing install crew. Box stores subs are usually the bottom of the barrel.

Never go to a big box store for kitchen designs. In fact, don't go to any cabinet salesperson for design advice. Their job is to sell cabinets, not provide you with a good design. IKEA probably had the best design service, but IMO if you're spending money on a remodel invest in a certified kitchen designer.

This is true regarding price. I got quotes from Lowes and from a smaller cabinet company for the same cabinets and the smaller company was less expensive. So may want to check out both.

I don't agree that box store subs are usually the bottom of the barrel. Most are also installing for private jobs. Just like with anything, you can get a dud regardless of where you go. Look at all the complaints on Houzz with contractors hired directly by the homeowner. I have had installations done by Lowes/HD... I always tell them I have a standard that is pretty high, and that at a minimum their contractor must be able to do at least as good of a job as I can do myself :) Lowes has never disappointed me. I had a wood floor installer who was absolutely superb, and a carpet installer who was also excellent, among others. I think it's a good idea not to paint all Lowes/HD/Big Box subs with one brush.

Just my opinion :)

They weren't asking about install though, they were asking about DESIGN. Big box stores aren't all horrible at install, but DO NOT trust them for design. That is where you will run into issues.

For the record, I said they are usually bottom of the barrel and hit or miss. Also keep in mind, cabinet installers need to be much more skilled than carpet or flooring installers. My install crew decided to give Lowes a try during the recession several years ago, to fill in the spots when we were slow giving them work. They did this for a few months and stopped. They said every job was messed up due to designer error or project management error. It wasn't worth the hassle for them, having to stop work and go back weeks later, not to mention they got the brunt of the frustrated homeowner. The good cabinet installers (craftsmen) prefer to work with people that know what they're doing. Trust me on this. Especially in this economy....other companies are now trying to steal our installers, but they are loyal to us as we have been loyal to them for 35 years. I've heard a lot of our competitors are having a tough time finding good workers. It's a problem bound to get worse as time goes on and millenials not being trained by the old guys ready to retire. There will be some serious money to be made in the future for any young person open to carpentry, brickwork or other trades.

Hi Sina. I was just responding to "Box stores subs are usually the bottom of the barrel" Totally agree with getting a good designer!

Hi Kitchen Place. As you'll note, I totally agree that going to a smaller cabinet store may be better, and I did this myself :) And I am in 100% agreement that experienced people are generally better, and am totally willing to pay for that 35 years of experience!