I am having the same problem. Sometimes the prices on the custom are not that far off from the stock. I have been looking at the Kitchen Craft too and they have some beautiful ones. My friend just did a kitchen with them and it looks great.

Cost and quality can vary greatly between stock and custom cabinets.
It sounds like you may have started in this process, but the best way to tell is visit showroom or cabinetry shops and see the product for yourself. If you have kids, have one hang on open doors and/or drawers (just kidding...not really). If you don't have kids, borrow one...
We tend to do a combo of stock cabinet mfgs for long runs of cabinetry and custom in areas where we can maximize space or function.
Good luck!

Thank you for your help. My Custom cabinet quote came to 60,000 for kitchen, two bath, and laundry ( and without Cambria quartz counter tops which I really want). We do plan on staying in this home forever so one day I might do a reno. But if I can put in cabinets that I can re finish and cut the cost in the future would be a bonus.

Anyone know if Kitchen Craft can stand the test of time?

Kitchen Craft is an Canadian company. Dealers and show rooms are easy to come across in this part of the country. I really need to make the time to go into the big city and do some shopping! Oh wait maybe I should bring them to test out the hinge's ( yep be those parents lol JK). Home Hardwear also deals with this this line.

I have custom in my current kitchen and can definitely see a quality difference (all wood)

Is there a KitchenCraft and a Kitchen Craft? If it's KitchenCraft, it might be helpful to know that they're under the same umbrella as many other brands: http://www.masterbrand.com/our-cabinet-brands

Yes KitchenCraft. After doing my homework I have learnt that they have been around for years and everyone I talk to say they love their KitchenCraft kitchen. And its half the price of custom. If you do not have an odd shaped area to design why pay double the cost for a cabinet maker? I am going to get a quote and see what they come up with. Love this stage of building!!! And HOUZZ!!!!!

With semi-custom cabinets you can have seams and spacer materials; with true custom cabinets this is not the case. My husband's company has been competitive in putting together true custom cabinets as compared with semi-custom. You're not necessarily looking at adding cost with a true custom cabinet. That said, some of our clients prefer to go with semi-custom cabinets and we're happy to accommodate them. :) Rhoda

Here's a custom bar with matching floating shelves:

Total custom work can accomadate unusual spaces with uniquely sized cabinets and fit a space with less redundancy, as Rhoda is describing. You may find some variance in pricing between cabinetmakers as well. Good luck with the new kitchen!

Be sure that you understand the difference between traditional framed cabinetry and frameless. Your custom quote is most likely framed cabinetry, and KitchenCraft is frameless. There are many semi-custom lines out there that provide a quality product for the cost conscious consumer. Just be sure that you are looking at lines that have the same features and are considered to be of the same level. Also, some custom cabinetry is created by craftsmen who do fabulous work. Some is the worst quality that you have ever seen where they don't make anything but simply order doors and drawer and boxes and play Lego and put it all together. When people say "custom", they usually mean the former, but don't always understand that it can be the latter. Or worse, with site finished bugs and dust. You have to delve into the actual specifications of everything.

Yes that is my biggest fear is dealing with a stubborn carpenter who does not see the flaws in his finished work that I need to be redone. Where as dealing with a larger company who has a history of good customer service and stands by their warranty. Thank you pro's for your help.

lauressa, do you have an architect?
This is also where you will find value in an architect---
We can help with many of the points brought up.
We have experience from many projects and different cabinet makers and understand the specs and what level you are looking for.
We can walk you thru the choices objectively to help you make an informed one.
We can create the spec with confidence, understanding the parameters of the project.
Lastly, we can be the bad cop when things are not working out.

(not a pitch for business, but it is a pitch for the value of an experienced architect :-)

Good luck!

Stick to a cabinet showroom instead of Lowes and/ or Home Depot. Better quality and customer service. You will also get a much better design than bug box stores give you

You will find many differences between semi custom/hand built and box cabinetry. 1. most production cabinet company use imported wood. The glue's quality of laminations and number of laminations are very different compard to domestic products. Many have Large companies also buy the products pre finished mostly from China. They assemble in the US, but the types of finish are very different in quality. Moreover most of the moldings and some doors are now being built on an mdf core. I don't care for that.
I distribute 3 lines of cabinetry, but find our hand built cabinetry can be as competetive and more personel to the consumer. We at Flagship Construction have over 140 different stain base colors and 1300 paint colors. Try to find a box cabinet company that offers that.

Shuler and Medallion Cabinetry are the one in the same. Find a Medallion dealer in your area by looking on their website. I bet you will see a substantial difference in price. They have a semi-custom line. We did our kitchen 25x20, wet bar, uppers and lowers and two rows of cabs in our laundry room in Medallion, cherry, all plywood cabs and paid half that amount.. They can do some custom pieces, too.

Sorry...that was Schuler at Lowes.

Also, one thing we did in our kitchen (all new space) was put all of the electrical underneath the cabinets. It's really nice NOT to see outlets/plugs/switches and didn't cost a dime more. They have low profile boxes at all the big box stores. With the light rail on the cabinets you can't see a thing.

I have a bias in that we build custom cabinets in our shop for all our projects. While they may cost more, there is value in the perfect fit. We stage our cabinets with the appliances in place in our shop before they are finished and let the clients have a look open drawers, make any tweaks so when they are delivered, they don't come back. If your guy does something like that, there is real value.
We also build outlets, dimmers, and lighting into the underside as was suggested; it adds value to the finished product. With custom there should be no fillers, no waisted space.
The finished product, how well it works, and how good it looks is what you will be left with when the job is done and custom does not come off an assembly line, it is made just for you and there is the value.

Absolutely beautiful work! Medallion did some custom pieces for us, so it worked out for us. I found the big box stores overpriced. If $60K is your budget then get a couple custom quotes for sure. If not, then my experience is you can beat the big box stores with an all plywood quality cabinet at Medallion or Omega. Their installation prices were high, too. I believe at the time they were $60 to $80 a box. I paid $30. Just had a custom desk made and it is $20 a box plus crown. We got lucky!

We are building a new custom home and having all handmade cabinets. I would suggest not using big box stores also. They use a lot of plastic in their drawers if you look closely. My bid for my cabinets is 16,000.00. I have 2 islands, 3 3/4 baths, built ins galore. Shop around for your counter tops. If you are not using granite, there is probably not a lot of wiggle room but private installers are a lot less expensive than big box stores ....
We are working alongside our builder and I am doing a lot of the legwork but it is saving me $$$$. I saved $2000.00 on my granite simply by shopping around. Good luck and enjoy your new adventure. I am sure you will love it! BTW, I don't know what part of the country you are in so that could make a big difference in your price quotes. We are about an hour outside Austin and by going to smaller towns near us, the costs have dropped drastically. I have a tile installer driving 1 1/2 hours one way to me and framers almost that far. They are reputable subs that I have used in the past or have been referred to me. Checking around will be worth your while, I promise!

Well I just got my kitchenCraft quote in. And it's only 3,000 less than my custom quote. Without installation and counter tops. I will have to sit down and see why it's so high. I am thinking they put in all the bells and whistles that they offer.

Having my Medallion 9 foot desk (Schuler from Lowes is same company) installed tomorrow. Got it from a local cabinet shop here in Scottsdale. They charge $20 a box for install. My kitchen cabinets bought from another local cabinet shop, also Medallion, was $30 a box for install. Just giving you an idea of pricing for install.

Lauressa, I am wondering if you went with KitchenCraft or custom? I am pricing KitchenCraft now and wondering how your experience ended up. Thanks.

Kitchen of the Week: Period Details Keep History Alive in Portland

What was the final cost for the kitchen cabinetry at Lowes? Looking for Diamond or Schuler pricing for an average size kitchen.

The price difference between Lowes and Menards cabinets and custom will quickly diminish once you start adding the extra features. Items like undermount, full-extension glides and pullout shelving on ball bearing glides usually result in an upcharge if you go the semi-custom or stock cabinet route.

That's because labor is the biggest cost in custom work so most companies doing those projects simply make high-end hardware a standard feature since it only raises the cost a few hundred dollars for most kitchens. Big box stores want to sell the better features at an upcharge for additional profit and can charge thousands for those upgrades.

Hi Lauressa,

Just wondering what you ended up doing and how you feel today about your experience. Our builder has recommended KitchenCraft...any insight would be great!

Benchmark Wood Studio out of Holland, MI provides truly custom cabinetry. It is the primary custom cabinetry and millwork shop we use in all our custom homes. Clients have come to truly value the exceptional quality and reasonable price-point. Although they are a rather local shop, I know they also provide services all across the country as one of my fellow custom builders out of Charleston, SC is using them in his homes as well. Definitely worth a look if you are considering quality custom cabinetry.

www.benchmarkwoodstudio.com