An aesthetically pleasing and functional kitchen can change the entire feel of your home. If you are a homeowner looking to design or remodel your kitchen, installing new cabinetry is a great place to start.
Before deciding what cabinets to buy or when to install them, you must first understand the difference between custom and stock cabinetry. Let’s dive into the details of each.
A. Custom Cabinets
Custom-made cabinets are designed and built to fit your unique kitchen layout and style. A professional cabinet designer will measure the available space and work with you to design quality cabinets that fit your home.
You can order custom cabinets to fit any size area and meet any function. For instance, if you want a spice rack built into your cabinet, custom cabinet designers can make it happen. They can even make a small area function as a pull-out pantry or spinning corner cabinet to maximize space.
You can request to have your custom cabinets designed with any color, material, or finish. Once these cabinets are built, they are delivered to your home and installed by a team of professionals.
B. Stock Cabinets
In-stock cabinets are mass-produced and designed for standard styles and measurements. These cabinets are available in furniture shops, home-improvement stores, and online. Stores usually offer variations of stock cabinets – different colors and finishes, etc.
Most stock cabinets are relatively inexpensive and are ready for pickup or can be ordered online. These cabinets typically require some form of self-assembly and installation.
Now that you know a little bit more about custom versus stock cabinets, let’s talk more about the good and bad of both options.
C. Pros and Cons of Custom Cabinets vs Stock Cabinets
1) Custom Cabinets
Pros
– Designed to Meet Your Needs
Don’t be shy when it comes to telling your design team exactly what you want in your kitchen cabinets. Whether you are looking for a certain color, shape, size, material, finish, or function, custom kitchen cabinet makers can meet your unique requests.
– Consultation from Designer
When you order from a company that specializes in custom cabinets, you will also receive expert advice from designers. These designers know what looks best for all home styles and will work with you to find the best cabinet solutions to meet your dream kitchen concept.
– No Assembly Required
Custom cabinets arrive to your home fully assembled and a team of custom cabinet installation professionals will install them for you. This removes the stress and hassle of trying to properly build and install cabinets on your own, without making any mistakes.
– Higher ROI
One of the biggest benefits of custom cabinets is that they offer a high return on investment. They are more expensive than stock cabinets, but they tend to last longer and include a limited lifetime warranty. By spending more on custom cabinets upfront, you can avoid spending money on replacements in the near future.
Cons
– Takes Longer to Receive
The lead time for custom home cabinets depends on the project and how long it takes to be manufactured. In some cases, it could take several weeks or months for custom cabinets to be finished, delivered, and finally installed in your kitchen.
– Expensive Repairs
It’s rare for custom cabinets to experience significant damage because they are generally made from durable materials. However, if your quality cabinets are badly damaged, it can be expensive to repair. Their materials, finish, and sizes are unique to your custom home cabinets, which means you’ll need more specialized repairs.
– Higher Prices
The cost of custom cabinets can be high because they are designed and built from scratch. Plus, you pay for services such as consultation and having your quality cabinets delivered to your home and installed into your kitchen.
2) Stock Cabinets
Pros
– Inexpensive
Generally, stock cabinetry is less expensive than custom cabinetry because it’s mass- produced and doesn’t include service fees. Stock cabinets might be a good option if you have a limited budget.
– Ready-Made
Installing stock cabinetry has a quicker lead time than custom ones because they are ready in-store. If you can find the right design and cabinet size for your needs, you can pick it up and begin building it the same day. There’s no waiting around for designing and long shipping.
Cons
– Limited Design Options
What you see in stores is what you get. You are limited to whatever size and style that you can find in stores or online. Some kitchens have unique spaces that cannot be filled with standard sized stock cabinets.
– Assembly is Required
Stock cabinets typically require some form of self-assembly, unless you can find one that is fully made. If you buy ready-made cabinets from chain furniture stores such as IKEA, you must put it together with the help of a lengthy instruction manual. This means that you have to follow the instructions exactly or your cabinets might get damaged during the assembly process.
– Lower Quality
Because stock cabinets are mass-produced, they are often made with lower-quality materials to reduce production costs. Mass-produced products are also given little to no individualized attention during production. Due to this lack of attention, stock cabinets have a greater chance of being defective or missing pieces
– Self-Installation
Although some may like the idea of DIYing their kitchen cabinets, most of us groan at the thought of yet another time-consuming item on the to-do list. Stock cabinets can easily be damaged or installed incorrectly without the help of an expert, and doing it alone can be frustrating. You can hire assembly services from many furniture stores, but that can be pretty expensive.
In Conclusion
As you can see, both stock and custom cabinets have their pros and cons.
While stock cabinets are less expensive and work for some homeowners, custom cabinets tend to outweigh the benefits of stock cabinets when it comes to overall value. Not only are you able to work with a professional designer to create a unique storage space, but you are also guaranteed long-lasting quality cabinets.
If you are interested in adding custom cabinetry to your home, Holland’s Custom Cabinets in El Cajon can help. Our team is made up of dedicated cabinet makers who value craftmanship, quality, and meaningful service. We design our cabinets to match any size, style, or finish the customer needs.
For more information about our services, contact us today! You can also give us a call at 619.443.6081.
