Menu

Home › Forums › Other › Best Value Mid-Level Cabinets

Viewing 9 posts - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • February 23, 2013 at 6:11 PM #20549
    Happs
    Participant

    I’ve spent the last month researching and shopping for kitchen cabinets. I am interested in maple, shaker style cabinets with soft close full extension dovetail drawers, and a full overlay style. Have received bids from independent kitchen cabinet contractors on Merillat Classic, Oakcraft, Timberlake Portfolio and Cardell Spectrum 360 Series from multiple companies. Cardell seems to be the lowest price, slightly behind Timberlake. I didn’t realize that cabinets were so expensive. The lowest bid I have received is for Cardell at around $6100 for everything installed. I’ve attached a copy of my kitchen’s design. Is there another mid-priced cabinet company I should consider? I’m trying to stay with KCMA certified companies but if there is another option for drastically less $, I’m open. Do buyers examine cabinets and look for the KCMA sticker or stamp?

    So far, I’m being quoted between $6000-$8000 cabinets and labor for a standard kitchen with those brands. Is this a normal range? I don’t have an exact measurement of the kitchen cabinets but I’ve attached a schematic.

    February 23, 2013 at 7:58 PM #760033
    sdduuuude
    Participant

    That sounds pretty reasonable to me.

    I think Home Depot does a pretty good job with their cabinets. As long as the standard sizes and shapes fit your kitchen and you don’t need any custom stuff.

    Don’t know if those brands are particle board or plywood. It’s smart to use plywood for cabinets around the sink and dishwasher.

    February 24, 2013 at 12:54 AM #760040
    CA renter
    Participant

    We used Home Depot and got Kraftmaid cabinets for the kitchen, pantry, master bathroom, and linen cabinets. They are very well-built (our installer, who is also an excellent cabinet builder was very impressed with them), and they are made in the USA, for those of us who care about these things. You can get them in 3/4″ plywood for all boxes, or just those around sinks and dishwashers.

    We got a LOT of cabinets and had all of them built with 3/4″ plywood, so could not really compare to what you are doing, but I highly recommend taking your plans by them for a free estimate and layout. They can also make slight modifications to help things fit better. You might also check with Lowes as they have the same cabinets and seemed to have more displays so you could see how the different cabinets worked together and get some good ideas from the physical displays there. HD was just closer for us, so more convenient.

    Overall, we are very pleased with our cabinets, but got white ones which do tend to chip. I’d recommend going with natural wood colors.

    Kraftmaid is KCMA certified as well, from what I can see:

    http://kraftmaidspec.com/whykm/index.cfm?navigationid=18400

    February 25, 2013 at 7:43 PM #760097
    cvmom
    Participant

    We went through Imperial Cabinets (in Lemon Grove) and were very happy with them.

    February 25, 2013 at 9:40 PM #760100
    mike92104
    Participant

    I was chatting with one of the people I work with about some new cabinets in my house. He builds some really high end custom cabinets as a side job. He recommended going to IKEA believe it or not. Said you really can’t beat the quality for the price.

    February 26, 2013 at 9:57 PM #760181
    CDMA ENG
    Participant

    OOOOOooowwwwww… Dovetails…

    I love dovetails in cabinets but you are going to pay a price.

    Also don’t knock the plywood… High quality Baltic Birch goes for 100 dollar a sheet.

    CE

    March 4, 2013 at 10:58 AM #760283
    Happs
    Participant

    I’ve noticed that in MLS listing, real estate agents video tours, and on house tv shows, no one looks at or mentions the brand name of kitchen cabinets or if they are KCMA certified. Also not pumped up is full overlay, soft-close etc. Does that mean that one can get away with less expensive, but good looking cabinets and then wow a potential buyer with counter-tops and built-ins?

    I’ve also read that soffits are outdated and a “staggered” look to cabinets is in. Is this true?

    June 29, 2013 at 9:36 PM #763281
    Happs
    Participant

    I just had new mid grade KCMA certified maple wood kitchen cabinets from a major nationwide manufacturer installed last week and I’m noticing a few defects already. First, there is some de-lamination/peeling on the inside top part of one cabinet. I notified the dealer/kitchen designer and a claim was put in. Not sure what that means specifically.

    I have noticed with two doors on two different upper cabinets that they appear to be warped, for a lack of a better term, as the top portion of these doors are not flush with the cabinet (they bow out). When you push the slightly bowed out doors when they are closed on the upper part of the door, they make a rattle/vibrate sound vs the door right next to them on the same cabinet. Can this be adjusted by the installer or does it require a new door? These are semi-full overlay, framed upper wall cabinets. One cabinet that has the warp/bowing out is 42 inches, the other is 36 inches. Each door has three hinges.

    In addition, on one cabinet, the bottom horizontal pieces on the doors are at different heights. They weren’t cut evenly at the factory. The left door bottom panel has been cut 1/8″ shorter than the same panel on the right door, and when these two doors are leveled properly by the installer it will become even more exaggerated to the eye, since this is the centerpiece cabinet. A ruler/tape measure verifies this as does the eye when you look at it straight on, at an angle, and from a distance.

    Another issue is that the top portion of the drawer box pieces that are attached to the back of the drawer face frame parts of the drawers vary in color and smoothness and one is beyond rough and “chewed” looking. Some do not feel like they have been sanded smooth and there is a wide range of color variation in them. On the other hand, in the bathroom vanity cabinet ordered at the same time from the same manufacturer that same piece of wood that is attached to the back of the face frame is absolutely uniform in color, matches the rest of the drawers and is super smooth. The drawers are soft close, full extension and dovetailed.

    I placed the order in late April and received 30 out of 41 pieces on June 14. 11 pieces (mostly trim pieces and crown moulding) are backordered. I was told this when the delivery driver came to my house. No definite ETA for them either. Hence, the installer hasn’t completed the job and the KD/dealer hasn’t been paid in full.

    On an encouraging note, I received word that the KD/dealer contacted the local manufacturer’s rep and asked him to make an on-site visit to look at these issues. If that were to take place, do you have any tips for me as a customer on what to say or not say to the manufacturer rep? Is my KD/dealer in this scenario an advocate for me or a neutral party?

    July 11, 2013 at 5:40 PM #763463
    Happs
    Participant

    Ideally, I want to pay the original agreed upon price and have everything fixed. However, if the company has to ship out 6 new drawers for example, two doors and a new upper cabinet, I’m thinking that the replacements might not match color wise or what if they have other flaws? So that’s where my initial proposal came in. I’m not trying to get “something for nothing.” I will happily pay in full the agreed upon price for no flaws, but if the likelihood of that happening is slim because of poor quality control at the factory and I have to wait months for everything to get fixed and if there are no guarantees of new parts being an improvement, then I offer to “grin and bear it” and live with my existing cabinets and give my proposal to the company.

  • Author
    Posts
Viewing 9 posts - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.