Not enough information. Need to know: how good is this guy? What thickness ply on boxes?

I find it hard to believe that a custom cabinetmaker could come anywhere NEAR Ikeas pricing, especially since he's spec-ing more expensive materials (plywood vs. partlcleboard). He doesn't have the economy of scale benefit that Ikea has in getting raw materials or in labor efficiency. So for that reason I'd be skeptical.

On the other hand, the economy is crushing a lot of people and some are willing to work for much reduced rates just to feed their families and stay afloat. This is the only situation where I can imagine he can price compete with Ikea. (Assuming he produces quality.)

Aside from these issues, solely on the materials of build, if the QUALITY of build is the same, I'd opt for ply over particle board every time. This is comparing equal thicknesses, so same wall thicknesses. I would not go under half inch ply walls in cabinet boxes in any case, 5/8-3/4 much preferred. Half inch ply on drawers is fine, though, unless you plan to have huge drawers full of cast iron kettles and stoneware stacks.

I'm not feeling the plywood love like everyone else seems to. As the linked article indicates, most of its advantages are rendered moot in a cabinet situation which makes spending more money for it seem foolish.

It's like the "hot pots on granite" argument. There's no "there" there.

Here is a link that might be useful: P vs.P

I read the link of particle board boxes and plywood boxes. I as a person who receives particle board cabinets and plywood cabinets (we offer both when it is available from the companies we have). I can tell you particle board cabinets are very easy to break during shipping particularly when they are sent stacked on a pallet picked up by a forklift... The cabinet on the bottom breaks when the pallet bows from being picked up by the forklift. It has happened every time the cabinets are particle board construction. Many cabinet makers to save money do not build the back of the cabinet all the way to the floor it sits on. They stop it at the bottom of the usable interior deck if you will.... That makes the sides 4.5" longer then the back in many of the henry ford brands such as American Woodmark etc..... The back corners of the sides break off all the time on the base cabinets like that....

Many less expensive cabinets are glued and stapled together as well. The staples do not hold near as well in the particle board either.... I have worked with one ready to assemble Chinese cabinet that was particle board boxes which was glued and stapled. They are not nearly as easy to staple as the plywood cabinets that company offered at a higher price with nicer looking doors.. The particle board cabinets would chip and bubble where the particle board would crumble from the staple under the laminated skin over the particle board on the outside.....

Particle board has many of the same properties of plywood but does not have the elegance of real wood....

Every house I go to for a remodel measure and quote I can tell if the cabinets are particle board because the sides are totally different in color then the doors and frames.... The sides of particle board cabinets have a man made surface referred to as melamine.... It is like wall paper with a wood pattern. That material does not look similar to the wood components that are stained... Again they may hold up the same over time holding countertops and the like but do not look nearly as nice.....

Some cabinet companies you can have a finished end on a particle board cabinet which adds a very thin outer layer on the cabinet box ends that is a natural wood with the same stain. This would look better over time.....

I tell people I meet if you need to save money consider particle board boxes if available. If you can afford it the long term look of the kitchen with minor moisture sun light etc will look better when all the components are the same material instead of mixing man made surfaces with mother natures....

A plywood drawer box is not as well made as solid wood box that has dove tail corners.... I would consider that very carefully. Ikea would come with a metal box which would hold up well over time.. The plywood drawer box would be the most likely to come apart over time compared to a metal box or a solid wood box....

Most companies the wood box is the only way you can get...

Thank you for all of your opinons.

beauty, this week I plan on going to see cabinets this guy has built & installed, as well as, going to his workshop to see more of his work. Thanks for making sure I do that. I definitely do not want to regret what I end up w/! I understand your concern regarding custom pricing vs IKEA pricing. I've read on here quite a few times that people were going to do IKEA, then got some custom quotes & it ended up being in the same ball park. So, I thought since this guy was out to give me a quote on door & drawer fronts, I'd have him price the whole sha-bang! Also, I'm not doing just IKEA everything. I was planning on doing just the boxes & hardware, & get the doors from a door place or custom. I was also planning on buying some larger boxes & cutting them to fit better...w/out filler...or as it's also called "hacking"! Since I was going to do that, my installation charge went up quite a bit. So, I thought I'd ck out custom. Thanks for the info on the thickness. That is one thing I wasn't sure about.

tre, thanks for the info on plywood vs particle board. This can get very confusing. I did do some other research on the 2 & came out feeling a little better w/ plywood. I think it all depends on quality w/ both materials, however.

and david, great information! You gave me numerous things for me to ask this guy about. I like your info on the blum hardware & drawer material.

My biggest concern at this point was to see if the materials he quoted were good. If not, I would not have gone any further. I posted on Woodworking threads & got some great information on that, as well. I love this site!

As a woodworker and carpenter for over 40 years, I would not want, or use particle board for anything...except maybe soaking up oil under an old car, works great for that!

Pretty darn funny ctycdm! So, what do you consider to be the best material/wood for cabinets? Also, thickness's for boxes, doors, & drawers. What are your thoughts on cabinet boxes constructed from paint grade maple plywood and solid maple face frames & the drawers to be constructed with 1/2" Russian Birch plywood?

"What are your thoughts on cabinet boxes constructed from paint grade maple plywood and solid maple face frames & the drawers to be constructed with 1/2" Russian Birch plywood?" ...Sounds like a great use of materials to me!

"So, what do you consider to be the best material/wood for cabinets?"... I really don't think there is a "best" species of wood, all have different characteristics in grain, color, hardness, paintability, etc.
For instance, I have knotty pine cabinets in my kitchen because they go with the style and architecture of my house. Certainly not a first choice material for hardness, or grain, or if they were to be painted.
See where I'm coming from?...I just love all wood, period :)