Cabinet Basics
Cabinet Allowances, Budgets, Costs

Although many cabinet manufacturers' products may look alike at first glance, there are considerable price differences due to quality and construction.

The number of options in materials and finishes including laminates, hardwoods, veneers, lacquered and painted finishes is considerable.

Plus, there are literally hundreds of different styles, configurations, sizes and options to choose from, not to mention huge price differences.

Cabinetry for a typical kitchen (10'x15') can range anywhere from less than $1000 on the low end, to $100,000 or more on the high end. With such a vast range and so many choices the question remains, how much should you spend?

If you have not yet done so, we encourage you to read the section on Kitchens - Allowances, Budgets, Allocations It contains important information to help you when making your selections.

Cabinet Budgets & Allowances
The best and easiest way to begin your decision process, is by setting a budget.

New Construction
If you are having a new house built, the builder will have a set allowance for cabinets.

Most production builders offer a standard floor plan with a pre-selected group of cabinetry and appliances and a limited selection of upgrades. Upgrades are generally limited to style and finishes.

Semi-custom builders will offer a standard floor plan, but you have the ability to modify the floor plan (within reason) to fit your needs. Geneally plumbing connections must remain in the same place. The total amount of the allowances will be determined by the neighborhood, size of the house, and price of the house based on the final blueprints.

Many semi-custom builder allowances include cabinetry for the entire house (bathrooms, laundry rooms, etc), and some include counter tops in this allowance as well. It will be up to you to decide where and how to divide the allowance. You can either stay within this allowance or spend more out of pocket to get what you want.

When building a custom home, you are limited only by the amount you have to spend. However, the builder will set up allowances for each category, determined by the neighborhood, size of the house, and price of the house based on the final blueprints.

For more information on working with builders and allowances please see: Know Your Limits: New Construction.

Remodeling
If you are remodeling, determining how much you should spend is harder. The article Kitchens - Allowances, Budgets, Allocations will help you establish a working budget.

All projects have a way of growing beyond initial budgets. Plan on spending only 80 percent of what you can afford. Put the additional 20 percent in reserve to cover changes, unforeseen problems, and miscellaneous charges.

Estimating Costs - The 20 Cabinet Rule
The 20 Cabinet Rule can be used to calculate the cost of cabinets. Using this method, you assume that 20 cabinets will be used (the actual number will vary by room size and appliances chosen). The Per Cabinet range shown here, is based on the average amount spent per cabinet, for this priced home.

The cost per cabinet, includes cabinets, accessories, options and trim.

This table shows that the average cost for stock and semi-custom cabinets runs fairly close to the budget guidelines using the 5% to 10% Rule although slightly higher, while custom cabinets can double or triple the cost.

Once the budget has been established, then it is time to begin investigating the differences in cabinets and pricing.

See Also:

An Introduction to Cabinetry Stock, Semi-Custom, Custom Cabinet Quality - Part 1 Quality Cabinetry - Part 2 Cabinet Door Styles - Part 1 Cabinet Door Specialty Styles Cabinet Door Types Cabinet Hardware		Solid Wood Cabinetry Cabinet Materials/Finishes Engineered Wood Cabinet Wood Finishes Cabinet Basics - Wood Veneer Bathroom Vanities
related pages: Cabinet Allowances, Budgets, Costs Kitchen Allowances, Budgets, Costs - Part 1 Kitchen Allowances, Budgets, Costs - Part 2

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