Compare our prices and quality

If you go to a store like Home Depot or Lowes, you will find cabinets of similar door quality by manufacturers such as Thomasville, KraftMaid, and American Woodmark. Some of their products, however, use veneer doors rather than solid wood and all of their cabinet frames are made with particleboard rather than plywood, which is only available as an upgrade. They display prices using a rough estimate of the price per linear foot and a price for a sample 10'x10' kitchen. The price per linear foot is a good measure to go by, but is only an estimate that will increase if you purchase taller wall cabinets or anything other than the basics. The price per linear foot also does not include any options, moulding, toe kick, or hardware.

If you bought cabinets of similar door quality (but inferior frame quality) from another manufacturer, the cost would be about 66% more than our unfinished Woodcraft cabinets. The Thomasville "Plaza Maple," raised-panel cabinet is $145 per linear foot and is comparable to our raised-panel cabinets, which cost about $86 per linear foot. For instance, the Thomasville "Langston Maple" raised-panel cabinet is only $130 per linear foot and is more similar in appearance but has a veneer door panel. In addition, with these other manufacturers, you would not be able to request any special customizations. Custom cabinets are only available in higher-end lines.

Advertised prices for sample 10'x10' kitchens are notoriously low. How they calculate this must be a closely held secret, because the figures are completely unrealistic. They most likely do not count the island and must use very short wall cabinets and maybe no cabinets in the comers. All you have to do to see what a "real" 10'x10' kitchen would cost is to multiply the price per linear foot by 30 feet, which is roughly the linear footage in a real kitchen, assuming a 4-foot island and subtracting the space taken up by an oven, a dishwasher, a refrigerator, and the space for a window above the kitchen sink. Generally, you need to add 50% to the "sample kitchen" price to get a real price for a basic, no-frills kitchen with no options, moulding, toe kick, or hardware. Installation will add another 50% on top of that adjusted price.

So, a bare-bones set of finished cabinets by another manufacturer with an advertised 10'x10' kitchen "sample" price of $3,000 would probably actually cost you $4,500 plus $2,250 for installation, or $6,750 total. A comparable set of unfinished cabinets that you install yourself would cost only $2,710 plus the cost of several gallons of stain or paint ($100-$150), polyurethane ($35-50), wood screws, and any brushes or tools you may need. If you want a professional-looking finish, you can purchase a very good high-volume low-pressure (HVLP) sprayer with air compressor for $500-$600. Finishing them yourself without a sprayer might cost less than $3,000 compared to at least $6,750 for installed, finished cabinets.

Comparison with Other Popular Cabinet Manufacturers