Understanding the Cost of Custom Cabinets: What Factors Influence the Price?

One of the most common questions homeowners face when planning their dream kitchen is, "How much will custom cabinets cost?" The answer is that the cost of custom cabinets can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article aims to help you understand these factors so you can make informed decisions and set realistic budget expectations for your next project.

Understanding the factors that influence the cost of custom cabinetry is essential for planning a successful project. Elements like materials, design complexity, finishes, and additional features contribute to the final cost, but they also determine the beauty, functionality, and longevity of your cabinets. At Beck's Custom Carpentry, we pride ourselves on providing transparency and working with our clients to create stunning cabinetry that meets both design needs and budget.

Deviating from Economy Grade

Our Economy Grade cabinets feature the most efficient and cost-effective construction method. These cabinets include fewer drawers, simple designs, and limited sizing—tall cabinets are capped at 8' while upper cabinets are limited to 30". Specialty inserts or pullout trays are not included.

Economy vent hood options are either excluded, a microwave above the range, or a cabinet-mounted vent hood. Additional, more custom options are available at an extra cost. The Economy design uses one material as much as possible, increasing the efficiency of material optimization hardware to minimize material usage.

Material Type

The type of material is a major factor in determining the cost of your cabinets. For paint-grade cabinets, we use pre-finished birch/maple plywood, Poplar face frames (if applicable), and CNC-cut one-piece HDF doors.

Upgrading from paint-grade to stain-grade generally increases the cost, as stain-grade doors need to be purchased from a specialized manufacturer. Hardwood options like white oak further increase costs due to the price of raw materials and the extra time, equipment, and care required to work with them.

Additionally, plastic panels like Starboard HDPE are often used for outdoor cabinetry. Though initially pricier, they provide great value for clients seeking an outdoor kitchen with the aesthetic of an indoor one.

Cabinet Style and Design Complexity

The style of cabinets plays a key role in the overall cost. Traditional cabinets with intricate detailing and ornamentation require more labor and time, thus increasing the cost. Conversely, modern or minimalist designs with clean lines tend to be less labor-intensive, making them more cost-effective.

Custom designs that incorporate unique features like curved doors, panels, trim, abnormal sizes, or specialized hardware will add to the cost. Inset or Full-Inlay cabinets, while beautiful, are more expensive due to additional materials, higher hardware costs, and the precise craftsmanship needed to ensure perfect gaps. The standard option, Overlay, where doors sit outside of the face frame, is more affordable.

Door Design

At Beck's Custom Carpentry, we cut all our paint-grade doors using a CNC router, allowing us to provide affordable custom options. The least expensive option is a flat panel slab. Slightly more costly are Shaker Flat Panel and Raised Panel doors. A machined bead detail also adds to the cost due to additional machine run-time.

Size and Scope of the Project

The size of your kitchen or cabinetry project is the primary cost factor. The larger the project, the more materials and labor are required. However, our CAD/CAM material optimization software allows larger jobs to cost less per cabinet or linear foot of cabinets. As the number of parts increases, the software has more options for arranging parts on sheets for CNC cutting, resulting in more efficient material usage.

Finish

At Beck's Custom Carpentry, we offer pre-finished custom cabinets, painted at our manufacturing facility. The cost for painted and stained cabinets is quite similar, though the sheen selection can affect the price. The standard options are Matte or Satin, while Semi-Gloss, Gloss, and High Gloss finishes will incrementally increase the cost.

Hardware

All our custom cabinetry features soft-close drawer guides and hinges as standard, ensuring quality and durability. Hardware such as handles and knobs will also affect the pricing. Choosing your hardware early allows us to precisely pre-program the drill holes during CNC cutting, ensuring accurate placement.

Cabinet Inserts and Pullouts

Add-ons such as pull-out pantry shelves, built-in spice racks, or integrated trash cans enhance the functionality and convenience of your cabinetry but also increase costs due to additional labor and materials.

Design Revisions

Our standard pricing includes a preliminary design, complete with 3D images of each room, and up to two design revisions. Additional revisions are available at $250 each.

Call Today!

Ready to get started on your custom cabinet project? Contact Beck's Custom Carpentry today to schedule a consultation.

• Email: Tyler@beckscustomcarpentry.com

• Phone: (361) 648-7590

Our Service Area

We specialize in designing, building, finishing, and installing custom cabinets within a 100-mile radius of Victoria, TX. This area includes Cuero, Edna, Goliad, Port Lavaca, El Campo, Hallettsville, Yoakum, Ganado, Shiner, Seadrift, Refugio, Rockport, Bay City, Wharton, Palacios, Beeville, Columbus, Flatonia, La Grange, Schulenburg, Woodsboro, Port O'Connor, Aransas Pass, Sinton, Ingleside, Karnes City, Three Rivers, George West, Mathis, Nixon, Luling, Lockhart, Tivoli, Austwell, Plum Grove, San Marcos, New Braunfels, Kyle, Pearland, Rosenberg, Sugar Land, and Richmond.