What brands are you being offered?

Something to keep in mind...when it comes to reviews, the people most likely to leave a review are those who are unhappy. Those that are happy, generally do not leave reviews.

No brand is perfect and no custom cabinetmaker is perfect -- it's how they handle issues that often is more important.

BTW...Custom Cabinetmakers are no more likely to be good or bad than the more familiar brands. It's a common misconception that custom cabinetmakers are always better. Here's the blurb I usually post:

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Just a word of caution..."local (custom) cabinetmaker" is thrown around here a lot with the implication they are superior to the various cabinet manufacturers. They may be, but there is no guarantee. "Local custom cabinetmaker" does not necessarily equate to "high quality" or "low cost". There are many very good custom cabinetmakers out there, but there are many not-so-good ones as well. Just b/c someone is a "custom cabinetmaker" does not make him/her a good cabinetmaker. Nor does it mean they will be less expensive; in fact, many are more expensive.

And, it's not just their skill at cabinetry...how are their business skills? E.g., How are they at meeting schedules? Do they stay within the cost they quote you? How do they deal with issues? What is their warranty? What recourse do you have if they drop the ball? Sometimes you can go "over the heads" of people at cabinet stores or even go to the manufacturer (at least for warranty issues), but you might not have that option with a local cabinetmaker.

If you go this route, be very diligent in your research:

* Contact several recent references, including at least one who had problems so you can see how s/he handled those problems. Ask about:

-- How was the cabinetmaker at keeping to the schedule s/he promised?

-- Did the cabinetmaker stick pretty close to the cost estimate given to the customer (no hidden fees, undeclared upgrades, etc.)?

-- Did the cabinetmaker let the customer see a sample of their cabinet order for approval of the finish, quality, etc., prior to completing the entire order?

-- How did the cabinetmaker handle construction issues?

-- How did the cabinetmaker handle installation issues?

* Contact several not-so-recent references, ask them how their cabinets are holding up (joints, face frames, drawers, doors, finish, etc.). Try for some at least 5 years old and at least 10 years old.

* See actual installed kitchens with the same type of cabinets you are looking for:

-- Type: frameless, framed overlay (partial or full), inset

-- Wood species: cherry, maple, alder, oak, etc.

-- Finish: stained, glazed, painted

* Look at the construction details: Wall thicknesses, box material (plywood, MDF, etc.), interior finishes, box construction (joining, etc.), drawer construction, shelving, etc.

* What is the cabinetmaker's warranty on his/her products? 5 years? 10 years? 20 years? Lifetime?

* Does the cabinetmaker have a kitchen designer s/he works with or does the cabinetmaker do the designing? Is the cabinetmaker open to working with you as a designer or with a kitchen designer you hire independently from them? [You really should work with a good designer to catch the "details" that might be missed by you and/or us (most of us are not pros)]

* How is the cabinetmaker with "unusual" requests? (Farmhouse/apron sinks, deeper cabinets, deeper drawers, toekick drawers, inset cabinets, etc.)

* Ask if there is a design fee upfront and pay for this separately, so you have rights to the design.

* Research the state of the cabinetmaker's business:

-- Have they been laying off or hiring?

-- How many jobs do they have going now?

-- How is their cash flow?

-- etc.

In addition, do not sign anything that commits you to payment until you have:

-- A finish (stain or paint) and wood you like -- request a sample! [You'll want a sample later anyway while you're shopping for other components in your Kitchen (counter, flooring, backsplash, paint, etc.) If needed, pay for it.]

-- If you are interested in inset cabinets, ask to see a sample of their finished work as many smaller shops either do not do inset or they don't do them often and may not be experienced enough.

-- The design has been measured and proven installable

-- You have a payment schedule

-- You know what forms of payment will be accepted

-- You know how refunds will be made, if necessary.

-- Do not sign a proposal or estimate -- only sign a contract with these details.

* Tell the cabinetmaker these are your requirements for the project, and do not let them pressure you. If they do, it's a bad sign, so look elsewhere.

These are all the same questions you should ask of a manufacturing line as well, but all these things are usually spelled out somewhere and they have staff who specialize in these areas. You also usually have some "standard" recourses if there are problems. In addition, their quality, including finishes and construction, are generally pretty consistent (yes, there are glitches occasionally) and they have the advantage for those finishes that are better when manufactured than when done by hand.

I'm not saying don't look into local cabinetmakers, I'm saying be careful. We have had several threads where people have gone this route and have had major issues in all the areas above...construction quality, finish quality, installation issues, difficult to work with, etc. And yes, there have been similar threads from those using cabinet companies (but those are usually resolved fairly quickly once the person gets up the courage to say something.)

If you can find a great local custom cabinetmaker that has wonderful quality at a price you're willing to pay, then by all means, go with them...just do your research.

Good luck!

Also, see the post from GreenDesigns in the following thread on August 13, 2011:

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/2679023/custom-cabinets-really-cheaper-than-stock

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From GreenDesigns 08/13/2011 (thread: Custom cabinets really cheaper than stock?)

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/2679023/custom-cabinets-really-cheaper-than-stock

I've seen plenty of "custom" cabinet makers who made some of the shoddiest cabinets around. There was the old fashioned "make it in place" guy who bought stock doors and then constructed the cabinets to fit the doors---with lots of odd spacing between them to "fit" the space. And then he slapped paint on it (over the dust, dirt, and bugs) and called it a day. The whole kitchen probably cost him around $1500 and he charged the customer 10K for it. She thought she was getting a great deal over my Kraftmade quote of 15K. She cried like a baby when she came back to me to buy the Kraftmade.

Then there's my cousin who lives in a pretty well off suburb of Atlanta. She had custom cabinets put in her home as well. They were a complete gazillion steps hand rubbed finish of hand selected matching wood. The cherry has such depth and just glows in the light. Those were pretty far from being cheaper than any semi custom manufactured line! I think she spent around 80K on them, where I could have done them in Kraftmade for around 35K.

Most custom guys will be somewhere between the two extremes, but if you are getting a price that is thousands cheaper, be sure you really inspect that quote to see the actual specs of what you are getting. Chinese plywood and hardware are just two of the ways that you can get cheap quotes. That will greatly impact the long term wear and tear of your cabinets.(Look at the plywood vs particle board thread for more information about this.)

The finish process is another area that is significantly different between lower priced and well priced custom. It's really cheap to just stain and spray on site, but it results in a much much poorer quality finish. The highest quality finish will be obtained by using a spray room off site, with multiple sandings between sealing to the last finish clear coat, which should be a catalyzed varnish. Preferably one cured by UV exposure.

What I'm saying is that very often cheap custom cabinet quotes are exactly that: for cheap cabinets. It comes under the heading of "too good to be true" and "there's no such thing as a free lunch". If you've fully investigated and find that you are getting non Chinese top quality cabinets for an inexpensive price, then there's the other possibility that your cabinet maker is a great cabinet maker but a lousy businessman and may not be around long because of that. There have been several people that have faced that issue, with the cabinet maker folding up shop on unfinished orders.

So, just be very careful that you know what you are comparing, and that you protect yourself financially. Use a checklist of features and sources you want. Be sure to inspect everything personally, including his references for older jobs. Pay with a charge card, not cash or check. Keep a significant hold back amount until the absolute last of the job is done. Be sure your contract spells out the procedure for any disputes as well as the parting of the...

Those are all fairly close in price and quality. The differences will be in how they charge for upgrades and moldings.

"from the big box store"

Do not get your kitchen cabinets from a big box store. There have been so many posts here where that has been a disaster, regardless of the cabinet brand. The big box store has no knowledge of kitchen design, they just pull someone from hardware or plumbing departments or whatever, and give them an hour or two training on the KD software. They'll put in your design lots of unnecessary filler--guaranteed--because they don't know what else to do. Also, if you use the big box store for installation, you will get a contractor that may or may not care about this job, since his name is not tied to it. The good contractors don't need to get work through a big box store. Go to a kitchen/bathroom showroom/shop.