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stanleyleecm

Custom Cabinetry Construction

stanleyleecm
9 years ago

We recently received a bid for custom cabinets from a local cabinet maker and were surprised by the cost. The built it bookshelves/bench seat will go into our new playroom for your kids. The total came in at $5,000. I would love to your feedback on whether or not you think they sounds reasonable.

Also, I am surprised that he will not be using dovetail joint for the drawers. Does it matter?

Length is 15' and ceiling height is 9'
Bench to be 24" deep x 17" high.
Lower cabinets are 24" deep x 36" high.
Bookcases are 12" deep and will go to ceiling.(9' ceiling)
Partitions, sides, and shelves are 1 1/2" thick and made of birch plywood.
Backs of cabinets and bookcases are 1/2" thick and are made of birch plywood.
Drawers are made of solid oak and will be on undermount soft-close drawer slides.
Doors are shaker style and will have Blum soft-close hinges.
Doors and drawers are inset.
Prime and painted white.
Deliver and install.

Here is some pictures of his previous work. Color and door style will be identical.

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Comments (16)

  • Niki Friedman
    9 years ago

    No clue about the pricing but what a gorgeous piece for a playroom!

  • dancergirl3
    9 years ago

    It's in line with what we were quoted for something similar.

  • PRO
    Joseph Corlett, LLC
    9 years ago

    Sign before he comes to his senses.

  • User
    9 years ago

    Too cheap, and unclear specs. What type of finish work? Oak drawers??? No one does oak drawers that aren't dovetailed. Too much unclear here. Except for the too cheap price.

  • dcward89
    9 years ago

    From a non-expert that sounds like a pretty good price. He is going to have a lot of hours into that. The workmanship looks beautiful in the pic.

  • ajc71
    9 years ago

    Way too cheap, something is wrong....we would be easily 4X the price for something like this

  • Mags438
    9 years ago

    Sounds like a steal, compared to a similar project I did.

  • sjhockeyfan325
    9 years ago

    Fill in the area where your windows are, and similar cabinets cost my friends $25,000. So I think the price you got is good.

  • kompy
    9 years ago

    That is a good price. I assume that includes installation and painting?

    I quickly quoted this in Showplace Cabinets, Concord modified shaker door, beaded inset, slab beaded inset drawers, blumotion soft close guides (an upcharge), painted white and it came out to $5850. Included: 2-base cabinets, 2 wall bookcase cabinets, 3 window seat cabinets, crown molding, colonial baseboard and a painted wooden top for the seating area. I did not quote tops for the bookcase areas. Did not include installation.

  • jakuvall
    9 years ago

    Note that Kompy set the top of the seating back a little from the base cabinets, a nicer detail.

  • Fori
    9 years ago

    I don't think dovetailed joints are needed with modern hardware--in the old days when you had to wax the wood your drawers slid on, you needed the boxes to be really well build to take the force, but that's no longer true.

    But they're still put on nicer items just because it's traditional and people like the look and associate it with quality. Your drawers will function just fine without the dovetailed joints. But some folks who sniff around your drawers might think you went cheap. And hey, that does seem like a good price!

  • PRO
    Joseph Corlett, LLC
    9 years ago

    I have a buddy in Michigan who built a new home with a cabinet shop on the back before he retired from General Motors with a comfortable pension and health insurance for him and his wife. He heats the shop with wood, so you can forget about competing against him on price for cabinets. He's good and can build 'em for free if he likes you enough.

    Cabinet making is a lot like guitar playing in that a lot of people love to do it, will do if for cheap or nothing, and only a few get paid really well.

  • User
    9 years ago

    The OP is MIA. Which probably means that he was meaning that he thought the price he got was too expensive rather than too cheap.

    The only people who do cabinet work for the "love" of it, are hobbyists who make stuff for their family. Those aren't the kind of guys you hire to do work for you. They have no sense of a timeline for one thing. And, they have no sense of what it takes to not lose money on a project either. Not your problem, maybe. If you are their first project. When the project is about 3/4th through and the guy discoveres that he's actually paying you to make cabinets, he isn't nearly so happy to be a "family craftsman". No one works below cost, or at a low margin for long. Sooner or later they need a new tool. And that's when they discover that they wore the old one out, made no money, and have no money to buy new.

  • kompy
    9 years ago

    Thanks Jakuvall! I think so too.

  • kompy
    9 years ago

    Trebruchet and Green Designs make valid points.

    Tre said "only a few get paid really well". This is true. My long-time installation crews (over 30 yrs now)....are both extremely skilled craftsmen that could easily be cabinet makers if they wanted to. But they know it is difficult to make a good, quality cabinet and get paid what it's REALLY worth. One of them recently built a 10' - 12' long run of custom cherry built-ins for his own family room. His neighbor loved it and wanted him to do it in his house too. The homeowner fell over that the price was upwards near $10,000. My crew make more $ installing cabinets than they would building cabinets!

    Green Designs, I think you're right...s/he did think the price was too expensive. People get stick shock with cabinetry all the time. Raw materials have gone up a lot over the years.

    PLUS, Cabinetry is built heavier than furniture....so everyone assumes since you can get a cheapie cabinet at Walmart for $89, then kitchen cabinets shouldn't cost what they do. Cabinets and furniture are two different ballgames.

  • Gooster
    9 years ago

    I do think the OP was concerned with the price; I was going to say that I thought this was a very good price, as I had something similar done and it was more expensive and smaller. Kompy's price seems in line to what I spec'd out as well with another inset line (in pgm and maple). Although I must say, $25K would give me some pause here.