Why Cabinets Are So Expensive

An extension of the interior architecture, cabinetry is a large and important component of a custom home. With Pinterest, Houzz and other design idea websites, clients bring their hopes and dreams in picture form to a meeting with their kitchen designer. Many of the cabinets seen in photographs are costlier to install and build. Depending on the client’s design goals, cabinets can be one of the costliest items in a custom project.

Beautiful high-end cabinets like Siematic and Poggenpohl can be budget busters. Many clients do not realize that those upper-end cabinets can run upwards of $100,000.

Here’s why, three simple reasons: color, material and features. Currently, a big design trend is cabinetry in a custom color. This can greatly add to the expense because of the need to purchase custom paint rather than a stock color. Similarly, the expensive material upper-end cabinets are made with adds to the expense. Usually these high-end cabinets are made with great, stable hardwoods which are not cheap. The final reason for high-priced cabinets, are the costly features many clients desire. Clients are more and more interested in self-closing drawer and door hardware and rollout shelving. This adds to the cost.

To avoid breaking the bank, get creative. Secondary areas of the home such as the laundry room, secondary bathrooms, mudroom, etc. can be chosen from semi-custom lines. This will help to keep costs down. Using value engineering, you can find places in the home where the special details are not necessary or redundant to the overall design. Once you’ve pinpointed those areas, you can scale back.

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