The cost of cabinetry in your home is a major part of any remodeling budget. Prices vary hugely, and many of those cost variations are due to factors that are not readily visible to the homeowner, making it hard to understand why the expensive cabinets with all the gadgets may not be as high quality as the more basic set of custom cabinets. Here are the factors that make up the cost of your cabinets.

Type of Material
The type of wood used in your cabinets is a big chunk of your total cost. Lower end cabinets are made from pressboard or particle board, a less expensive but also less durable choice. Joints can loosen and become weak over time or with heavy use. It is also vulnerable to water damage and can nearly disintegrate when exposed to a water leak or minor flooding. Middle and higher end cabinets are made from plywood, a durable, solid wood, product. Doors and drawer fronts may be made from either banded plywood or hardwood.

Type of Wood
If you are using wood, the species you choose will affect your cost. For example, maple is a good quality, moderately priced wood. Choosing oak or cherry will cost more. Choosing an exotic wood might mean the cabinets cost more than the house!

Hardware
Hardware includes not only the pulls and handles you see when you look at a set of cabinets, but also door hinges and drawer slides. Hinges and drawer slides can vary in price from a few cents a piece to $25, $30 or more for top of the line drawer slides. The difference is in performance. Lower priced hardware is made of less sturdy materials and with less precise manufacturing techniques. This means your doors may sag and your drawers may stick if you use inexpensive hardware. Top line hardware will give you far better and more reliable performance. Also expect your cost of cabinetry to go up if you order features that require specialty hardware, like lazy susans, pull out trash drawers, garage doors, and other nifty gadgets.

Finish
Whether you paint or stain will affect your cost, too. First of all, the type of wood used for painted cabinets is less expensive than the type used for stained cabinets. The cost of the finish itself also varies. Painting is usually less expensive than stain. If you want a specialty finish like crackling or antiquing, or any type of faux finishing, the cost can increase significantly.

Ready-made or custom-made
The terms ready-made and custom-made refer to whether cabinets were mass produced in standard sizes or built specifically for your home. Think of it as the difference between off the rack clothing and tailored clothing. Both types of clothing may be of high or low quality workmanship and materials, and they both may look good on you, but the tailored clothing will fit better and take into account your own unique body shape. It is the same with cabinets. Many ready made cabinets are made of high quality materials, but the fit probably won't be perfect and you may not find anything that will work in that oddly shaped nook in the corner of your kitchen.

There are many different brands of cabinetry in the ready-made market, and you should be able to find one that meets your needs and budget. But custom cabinets can be just as affordable if you keep the pricing factors above in mind as you plan.

Learn more about this author, Pamela Parker.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

---

Add your voice

Know something about Tips for picking kitchen cabinets?
We want to hear your view. Write now!