Look for local suppliers and see what they have to offer. Looking on the internet will leave you "still know NOTHING".

Does your builder not have any local recommendations? Ours did and that was a great starting point. Also means they have a working relationship with the cabinet company in many cases.

Yes, our builder had a cabinet guy that he works with however; we wanted more than just one option. That kitchen designer/cabinet company is definitely on the high side of our budget and I want to see what else we should be looking for at the same price point.

They should be able to make multiple recommendations

Maybe, but they are a small builder and only had 1 "recommendation". We are limited to that company, that was just a recommendation. If you have any cabinet company recommendations I'd love to hear it. Thanks so much!

I have no idea where you live. We used a small local company so unless you are in Vancouver BC Canada I’m no help lol

Hello Highgarden-

If you are going through the trials and tribulations of building a custom home with $50, 000 spent solely on kitchen cabinetry, don't you think it would be wise to consult with an expert in the field of kitchens, that, is a certified kitchen designer? (And one with years of experience.)

https://nkba.org/certification/certified-kitchen-bath-designers-ckbd/

This is for multiple reasons.

Firstly, the KD specializes in kitchens and their design, and will think of things you haven't and that your builder hasn't either.

She (he) won't have any financial relationship with any specific manufacturer so there is no pecuniary interest in which product you choose. You don't really know that about your builder, do you?

Now it may be that your builder is really the best one around, and that is why you chose him.

And being the very best builder, he only installs the very best cabinetry because he wants his work to hold up and he wants to be proud of what he puts in.

But only one manufacturer? That's a bit odd.

But right now, you have the emphasis on the wrong syllable.

How do you even know you have a really good kitchen design in the first place?

I would suggest getting a real CKD and then have her suggest some lines of cabinets for you based on your plan, your tastes and your budget.

You said "That kitchen designer/cabinet company is definitely on the high side of our budget..."

Once you said "kitchen designer/cabinet company" then we knew it was not a real kitchen designer but a company that is in the business of selling cabinets that drew up some sketches for you.

Ixnay on that! They don't know what they don't know, and excuse me, but dollars to donuts neither do you.

And finally, I have clipped from several threads quotes from Sophie Wheeler, a very experienced CKD who no longer posts here (it's a long sad story.)

She told it true, and I relished her every word and learned so much from her.

"There are a lot of good vendors out there. There are not as many good Kitchen Designers out there. Find your Kitchen Designer first, and he will steer you through the vast amounts of stuff you don’t know that you didn’t even know existed and didn’t know was important.

What’s important in cabinets:

US constructed. Not US assembled from imported parts. Imports are cheap for a reason. Do not lie to yourself that you are getting something for nothing. You are just paying in a different way that you will regret.

The number of door choices that a company offers pretty directly correlates to the quality of the line. And the expense of the line. There are stock lines that offer a single white, and 3 stains on birch, and maybe 2 in oak. And 5 doors. There are lines that offer 25,000 possible combinations. Plus pure custom. Not kidding.

Most people end up somewhere in between, in a semi custom line, that gives a good variety of options. The levels of expense will overlap. A simple door in cabinet line C may cost less than a complex door in line A. This is where you need your KD’s help.

You need to decide what is good enough for you, or, what level you will accept. And then your dream level. Realistic dream. Not as in you want 750K worth of antique reclaimed ship deck teak to be made into cabinets. Me too. Not realistic.

The average mid grade kitchen remodel in the US, using all professional labor, is 63K. That’s to rip it to the studs and do everything. Wiring for better lights. New appliances floors. Paint. Sinks, faucets. As well as the big ticket items of cabinets and counters.

Invluding labor in the category totals, the general breakdown of “average” is.

Cabinets: 26K

Counters: 6K

Floors: 7K

Electrical: 3K

Plumbing: 2K

Appliances: 11K.

Paint &Millwork: 2K

Demolition and misc labor: 5K

Discretionary Mad money: 1K

Of course, remodels are individual, as are priorities. You may want a 20K appliance budget and move to stock cabinets to make that happen.

And not everyone lives in an average 325K US home. Some are above, and some are below. Which is why you take that figure, and your house, and your location, to figure out a budget.

Traditional budgeting tries to keep you from over spending or underspending. 10-30% of your home’s value is what to budget for the whole redo. 40% or so to cabinets. That guideline gets muddy in a high cost of living and a low cost of living.

There are certain baseline costs to a kitchen remodel that have to be spent, no matter what. The lower your home is in the area’s percentile, the higher the actual percentage will be needed to be to spent. A 100K home has to really struggle to keep to a 20K budget, especially if they have the latest HGTV want list and not laminate counters and stock cabinets.

Whereas a 900K home should be able to easily fit a like for like redo into 110K, unless they have a 40K appliance package. Or a 50K range.

Theres lots more research to do in the kitchen forum And with your KD.

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Skip any stupid plywood “upgrades”. You’re paying more for functional equivalency. No one needs plywood.

Quality is OK, but not even close to the quality of the other two. Someone is getting their pockets full on that quote. Cabico is a better product than KM, but the better KD will make for the better project, regardless of cabinet quality.

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99% of web cabinets with one color one style are cheepxxxxxcrapola. As is anything used on HGTV.

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4K is average to low for a wood hood. If you don’t want to spend that, then don’t. Remove it from the design. Buy a metal one. You know the coool ones with the stainless bands and rivets. That are 9K.

Cheaping out on things at this stage will come back to bite you. That’s the #1 regret of most people post remodel. They went through all of the anguish and didn’t end up with what they really wanted. They settled.

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3 quotes has never worked well if you are searching for quality. 3 quotes is only focused on price. If you want the cheapest price around, you will certainly find it. And curse the day that you found it too.

Once you find a great KD, that’s the most important element to the whole project. More important than brand by far. At that level, there are lots of great choices. Pick the person, and the person will get you the best value.

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Unless you have an independent designer creating a kitchen plan for you, you can’t shop apples to apples anyway. If you simply must shop, then you need to spend money on the front end for independent design work. Because there can be 20K difference or more in one design in the same exact line when it’s fully detailed vs someone designing to the cheapest way to fill the room with cabinets. I know how that game is played, and you are doing yourself great harm trying to do it that way without an actual standard to be able to compare.

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Dynasty is 4 clicks above Waypoint in quality. No where near the same level at all. Their finish is superb. Ultracrap--no thanks. Not many are going to have experience with Luxor as it's Canadian with limited distribution…..

Higher quality and more money for P&F. Dynasty is an upper mid grade line, whereas Waypoint is entry level. Dynasty is so worth the 10K difference for sure. You're not gonna get that quality for 10K less.

You're shopping the wrong thing. Shop for a designer first. Any good KD carries enough lines as to give you what you need in the right line for you. There are several lower priced lines out there but it will vary by location and designer. There are a lot of right choices in product. Less so in a profeessional. Worry less about brand and more about who's putting the design together….

Let the KD suggest the cabinet line, then do your research on the line. Any midgrade and up line can give you a good kitchen and will likely be bell clustered withina 5K range if you are truly comparing similar quality levels. When you're comparing apples and oranges is when you get more deviation in pricing.

Remember that an average sized kitchen in middle of the road cabinetry without an insane bunch of upgrades will be 15-20K. And when you find someone you like, who sells a line you like,STOP LOOKING. More looking doesn't help. It paralyzes you into indecision and doubting any decisions you do make. If you like the Dynasty, stay there. The price difference is fair for what you're getting.

Kountry Kraft, Plain and Fancy, Rutt, Crown Point, Quality Cabinets, Omega, all very good quality but not cheap

I went with a local cabinet maker. Their price was similar or better than the semi-custom cabinet companies I was considering. You might get some local quotes.

Brookhaven

OP was just asking for suggestions and it would be nice to simply give her suggestions. I am sure that she will consult with his builder at some point.

OP, we went with wellborn cabinets for everything else except for the kitchen where we used Jay Rambo cabinets. We have not got them yet but the display models were outstanding.

If you're referring to the Brookhaven line of Wood-Mode, unfortunately that company is out of business.

@Diana Bier Interiors, LLC: Thank you so much for mentioning us! For clarification, we do offer our full custom line in Crown Point, and last year we introduced our Crown Select line. (https://www.crownselect.com) The quality, fit and finish is the same as Crown Point (because Crown Select is being built by our same cabinetmakers that craft Crown Point!) and a client can save approximately 30% vs a Crown Point design. We are able to do this because we limit the endless choices available in Crown Point while still offering the most desirable styles, details, finishes and options. (Including inset faces frames [beaded and square inset] and frameless full overlay. To be crystal clear, we build both Crown Point and Crown Select in the same cabinetmaking facility, by the same people, right here in NH. Have a great day everyone!

Mouser Cabinetry's Centra line is available in Frameless, Full Overlay, all plywood with multiple stains and a custom stain program.

So as you have now found everyone has a favorite IMO there is no such thing as semi custom they are custom or not. I happen to love Ikea and use them for probably 80% of my kitchen designs they can look and function very well and can be done to look very close to custom . BTW I have no idea of your kitchen but 50K is getting into cheap area if you are including appliances in there there is no way to do that nicely in a custom home. I agree your builder is the one who knows better than any of us who is good in your area. BTW plywood is not the best choice for cabinet boxes and if you are going to not have an open mind about color you could end up with no choices that make sense. IMO 1 st you look for cabinets that are good quality and have an actual warranty that is doable, so nothing from China for starters and beware of companies that avoid telling where their product comes from. If my clients want custom I have a cabinet maker I use for real custom cabinets, that means he makes the boxes and the doors .