In today's market, no it isn't common. It takes a lot of time to itemize an estimate and it honestly isn't worth that time unless you have the project under contract.

Personally I always suggest a custom cabinet shop because they are more flexible, have better customer service when things go wrong and are a part of your community.

Once you have decided on a company to move forward with then you can get more detailed quotes on how to get everything into your budget.

I believe this type of generalization regarding the quality of custom vs. semi-custom is a disservice to those who are considering an investment in cabinetry. I work with both, so I have no bias either way. But "custom" does not always mean better. Some custom cabinetry is better, both in quality and service, than some factory-made cabinetry, and some factory-made cabinetry is better, both in quality and service, than some custom cabinetry. I have worked with custom cabinet makers who most definitely did not provide more flexibility or customer service than the semi-custom lines I work with. It's best to assess each manufacturer and/or dealer on their own merits.

To answer the original question, it is not very common to receive an itemized list of parts included in a cabinet order. Sometimes it is because as Sativa McGee noted, these lists may not be generated until after an order has been finalized. Other times it's because this information is proprietary. The dealer or manufacturer does not want to share with other manufacturers HOW they came up with the engineering of the design. This may be more applicable to custom or semi-custom cabinetry. You may be more likely to receive an itemization with stock cabinetry.

From one of the FAQs referenced in the "New to Kitchens? Read Me First!" thread:

Local Custom Cabinetmakers -- Good or Bad?

This topic is again becoming common, so I am posting what I've posted in the past. In addition, see this thread (https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/2679023/custom-cabinets-really-cheaper-than-stock) and the post from GreenDesigns about half-way down.

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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. 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 she 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.)

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 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!

Well Duh! Just like any business or purchase you aren't going to go for someone with bad reviews and is flaking on meetings.

But if you have the option of a local shop that has great reviews for the same price as box cabinets that don't provide as many options why not support your local economy?

Also, NEVER order cabinets through Home Depot/Lowes there is way to many threads on here about homeowners who have had their kitchen demolished just to find out their cabinets are not in stock yet. They make you pay up front so you have no bargaining tools.

Anything that can be dropped into a drawer after the fact (cutlery, utensil, spice ramps, etc) I purchased from Amazon Warehouse and had the installer cut down to fit the drawers. Will save you a few bucks and they match perfectly. These are Rev a Shelf.

You only get a printout of anything, design or item list, when you have paid a retainer. You aren’t a serious customer at this point if you are still dating 3 other companies. You’re not worried enough about quality and design ability. You’re just focused on cheap. Anybody can give you cheap. You’ll regret cheap.

We got a ballpark figure from both companies that we were considering based on the same design. So we had a relative apples to apples comparison without any pullouts, inserts etc. Once we chose the company based on quality and price, I got a full quote including the inserts/pullouts that we wanted and line item pricing.

Thanks for your input and your advice on questions to ask regarding past customers. I’m not so much focused on the “cheap” option, but was a bit taken aback by a cabinet company designer that I like when I was only informed about a non-essential upgrade cost (a $250 silverware divider) only after I had to ask three times.

That is an expensive silverware divider- when looking at accessories it comes down to: do they buy it or make it and how simple is install. But many companies know that certain upgrades are common so they can increase the price on them, unless this is a custom stacked silverware drawer or walnut insert it sound like the case for that company.

The super low cost cabinet brands that the OP is considering stack the deck by marking way up their costs in the moldings, accessories, and inserts,. The more mid grade lines do pretty much the same markup on all of the parts, and aren’t actually a lot more money than a low cost line that overcharges for “upgrades”. Plus, you get better overall quality.

If someone is suggesting roll-out shelves (instead of drawer base cabinets) BIG CLUE, find another KD.

I was so lucky with my KD! He’s the owner and the nicest man on earth. When we talked, he had his Shiloh price book right there, and a big yellow legal tablet. He looked up each item and wrote it down. When I asked where we could cut some dollars, he looked at his tablet and told me. He kept these notes in my file. When I was ready, I gave him $1000 and for that, I received drawings and an item lust p, with prices, of everything. It was mine to take anywhere. If I used his company, it was applied to my job. Very, very fair.

Mdln, I loooovvvvveeeed my rollouts in my old house and I am doing them in this new kitchen too. I also have a rollout with canisters for cooking utensils in the cabinet next to my rangetop, and I am so excited about it. I don’t think that you can say that everyone should have drawers, I know that drawers are all the rage, but they can totally become clutter catchers.

No, Mdln is right, everyone should have drawers! :-)

I have all drawers except for cabinet doors under the sinks and a cabinet door for a vertical cookie sheet and tray cabinet. I can't see any reason why I would want to open a door and then pull out a rollout.

If you are prone to having clutter ... having a drawer won't fix that problem, but at least it will be easier to see and get to!

...or you could hire/pay a KD and take detailed plans to cabinet suppliers/builders.

Always get the installation numbers, for each supplier's cabinets as they will vary depending on how the supplier fills the order (extra parts to assemble & fabricate etc).

@mdln - I have both rollouts and drawers - would not give up either... suggesting rollouts is not a reason to not use a designer. A good designer shows their customer everything that is offered and helps the customer sort through it all....

@ cb - the only place I have ever seen an itemized and priced list of cabinets and accessories is at the big box stores... I have never worked in a shop that did that.

I would be more curious about to the pricing between Wolf Classic and Kraftmaid since they are worlds apart in quality. Also $250 sounds like the fancy wood double tiered cutlery divider...

Most vendors have lists of what accessories they offer, you could just tell the designer what accessories you want and have them leave the rest off.

Good luck!

@mdln everything has a time and place. roll-out trays work better if you want to vary the height of storage while keeping a clean facade. They also work better in pantries when you may need access to multiple drawer at a time.