Depends the kitchen you are building, and the LOOK you want.

You have given us mystery meat with zero context: )

What kitchen, what look, what layout, etc and you need to define "custom" and to what refrigerator, and only "worth it" on a Sub Zero. Integrated, or just panel front built in

Whether something is "worth the price" will be a very subjective decision.

Myself, I hate cleaning large expanses of stainless steel, so I think paneled appliances are priceless!

In my previous house 24" SZ freezer and 36" SZ fridge. Note they are both hinged on the left which worked best for that kitchen. Loved these units.

Current house, 42" SZ FD fridge/freezer. Would have gone with a 48" FD but that size was not available when we built.

That is entirely up to you.

With the exception of the KitchenAid KRFC302EPA 36" freestanding French Door refrigerator, you must install a built-in refrigerator if you want it to be panel-ready. These are very expensive, require a cabinet carefully sized to fit, and are difficult to install*. And, of course, somebody must build and attach the doors. If you go with, say, a stainless-steel freestanding refrigerator, you can pay far less for the refrigerator and skip the fancy cabinetwork and difficult installation. Unbox, plug in, push into the opening, level, done.

• Bosch B36CT80SNS 36 Inch Counter Depth French Door Refrigerator ($3,500)
• Bosch B36IT905NP 36 Inch Built-In French Door Panel Ready Refrigerator ($9,300) + doors + handles ($139 x 3 = $417)

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*Example: Bosch built-in refrigerator installation manual

Unless you are increasing your appliance budget to 50K+, a paneled fridge just looks lonely without the big range and hood plus paneled DW. That would be 150K+ high end cabinets, 20K quartzite counters, etc. You have to match the level of all materials in the home. That home needs to belong in that neighborhood. A 900 sf shotgun shack shouldn’t have a kitchen more expensive than the house.

It doesn't look "lonely" when surrounded by more cabinetry. It looks "built" in as intended.

What surrounds it is the issue.

Here is the cabinet design for the house we are building- cabinets are a mix of white/ stain- fridge is on the far left and there will be a hood above the 48 inch stove- wanted all Cafe appliances but they are not panel ready- kitchen opens into the living room. Problem with panel refrigerators are that they are 3 times the cost for built in- worth it?

It is worth it for me, because as I mentioned before, I truly hate cleaning stainless. I have a second fridge in the laundry room because we feed our dogs raw frozen food and I just went with a basic 30" model in stainless. It always looks streaky even when just cleaned. I would hate to have to look at that everyday in the kitchen. I've been lucky to have the budget in the previous house and current house to choose paneled appliances and not have to worry about the increase in cost. I also paneled the dishwashers and under counter beverage fridge in both those kitchens ... I told you I hate stainless!

I don't care for the big silver box that is a stainless fridge so I think the expense of the fridge and cabinet panels are well worth it. Plus so many refrigerators are junk these days that a SubZero fridge is also worth it for me. I recently installed one and it was slightly less with cabinet panels that the stainless model. As I said earlier - whether or not it's worth it is entirely up to you. If you like the big silver box then save yourself some money and get one. Myself, I'd much rather spend the money on a cabinet panel built-in fridge than a 48 inch Cafe range.

I disagree with KT Builders also. I know some people who have a fully-integrated fridge and dishwasher - but do not have a huge range and vent hood.

A 900 sf shotgun shack shouldn’t have a kitchen more expensive than the house.

Well, that's a bit of an extreme example. However, many smaller kitchens look better (more open + less cluttered) when an integrated refrigerator and dishwasher are incorporated into the kitchen.

If a person has made a budget for his/her kitchen renovation, and that budget includes extra money for appliances because he/she wants a fully-integrated paneled refrigerator and dishwasher, I don't think that most people will think, "The appliances installed in he/her/their kitchen does not match the level of the rest of the house" simply because fully-integrated appliances were installed in the kitchen.

Here is a post from a pro here on Houzz re: integrated appliances - and how they work really well in the right design - REGARDLESS the size/value of the house.

Too many people (i) make judgments based upon what their neighbors/friends have (whether certain it's certain appliances or cars, etc.), and (ii) use items like a SZ in their kitchen or driving a Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Porsche, Lamborghini, Ferrari, etc. as a way of conveying an image of wealth.

Post the living floor of the build. Post the FLAT on paper, 2 dimensional cabinet plan/layout for the kitchen within the living floor it resides.

From this?

You are looks driven and zero function driven

Where is the dishwasher? and WHY a 48 inch Cafe range in this space, where it appears the hood is not adequate, and the make up air for proper venting has not even been considered, given what appears to be a 48 over 48 and should be no less than 54 inch over the 48 cook.

PLEASE POST THE WHOLE, before you build this?

Fridge bottom left- dishwasher right of sink, 48 inch stove fits fine and more than enough ventilation when hood is added- question is more around would a paneled cabinet fridge look like too much cabinet? and worth cost when built-in fridge are at least twice the price of just stainless counter depth? Factor in when fridge breaks you have to have panels built again to fit

I don’t think it will look like too much cabinet - if you’re married to this layout, integrated would likely give you more space between the fridge and the island chair

Fwiw We went with a built in paneled fridge about 15 yrs ago and i am still glad we did it (paneled DW and just a standard sized range) - the architect had a small den built next to the kitchen to improve the first floor flow and the paneled fridge helped the look/feel of the space

in my experience you fix integrated fridges rather than replace - a few years ago we had to have a custom circuit board built/replaced - maybe $1500 all in and way better than replacing it

I've never seen a built-in, cabinet panel fridge that looked like too much cabinetry. They all look great but then I don't like stainless refrigerators. Sounds like you don't really care if you have this kind of fridge or not and are very concerned about the cost - initial investment and long term future costs. That seems like an indication you should buy a more affordable option you are more comfortable with.

Someone is focused on looks alone....?

Ice, to water, to fire.....

The clearances are way too tight . The nearly five foot depth on island is too much, the overhang too much

You're advised....: )

If the huge range is to suggest two cooks at once? Both trying to cook/access fridge? You are double advised on quite a bad plan, cabinet clad OR stainless fridge. Sorry.

Can't see the whole of build or remodel, to know what might be possible.

With a different window locale? A 36 inch range, and a sink where the huge cooker is. Can't really read all dimensions everything and we need the whole to advise better.

It is about 12-1/2 feet from the refrigerator to the sink. You might take extend a tape measure to that length to decide whether you'd be happy traversing that distance every time you wanted to prep refrigerated food at the sink.

The fully integrated fridge, cabinetry, panel, and install, are easily triple to quadruple that of a plain counter depth model. And don‘t even think about doing the SZ Classic. Or the KA ”panel ready” thing. If you are going to do it, do it right with the SZ Designer series.

I'd agree with not doing KA - did that once to save a few thousand and there was no comparison to SZ. However I recently replaced a freestanding CD fridge with a SZ Classic flush inset - new cabinet and panels. It's quite lovely. I didn't feel the need to completely hide my fridge so didn't even investigate the designer option. I just wanted a good quality fridge that worked in my space and wasn't a big silver box.

I would 100% do it if it were in my budget because it is open to the living room. I'd want as little stailness showing as possible in the living room. I prefer my view to be of cabinetry. I'd feel quite strongly about this.

BUT, you don't seem that bothered by the idea of stainless - or another color fridge in your living room view. You seem even mildly concerned that it would be too much cabinetry, so because of this, I you shouldn't spend the money on panel ready. The look of having all cabinetry doesn't seem that important to you.

Yes they are expensive, but you do not replace them when they break. You get them repaired. A SZ can last for decades.