Whether you’re starting a new build, a remodel, or a flip once it’s time to look for cabinet options, you’ll find that there’s three types of cabinets. These are stock, semi-custom and custom. They vary in the production method, material and finish options, price point, and of course lead times. Let’s take a look at the difference between these.
What are stock cabinets?
They are mass-produced cabinets, they come in a few different sizes, door styles, and finishes. They are made to go on a shelf at a store and because they are made in big quantities, the designs are very simple.
Since they come in standard sizes, it's hard to achieve a perfectly uniform look throughout your kitchen because not all sizes will accommodate every space. Most of the time you’ll find yourself having to fill in gaps, dealing with a lack of symmetry, and compromising due to a lack of options . Some Ready To Assemble (RTA) cabinets fit in this category as well and they are a great option for apartment projects since these flat packed products are easy to distribute to the units.
The fact that stock cabinets are mass-produced also means that the lead times are usually cut to almost half of what it would be to order semi-custom or custom cabinets.
What are semi-custom cabinets?
Semi-custom cabinets bridge the gap between stock cabinets and custom cabinets. They also come in standard sizes, but can be modified incrementally, such as by 1/8” or 1/4”, and they offer more door styles, materials, and finishes than stock cabinets. The price point for semi-custom cabinets is usually in the middle of the road.
We can say semi-custom cabinets are made to order, but because the customization options are limited the process is designed for an efficient and systematic production, allowing for quicker lead times than custom cabinets.
What are custom cabinets?
By now, you can probably see where this is going. Custom cabinets are completely made to order, to any specification, with little to no limits on dimensions*. They also come in a wide variety of materials and some of the custom cabinet manufacturers offer a paint color match program as well as a custom door program, where you can specify rail/stile width, applied moldings, etc.
Because they are custom, there’s no such thing as a standard cabinet, so the design and manufacturing process is unique to every project and this leads to longer production times and higher price points, but the end product is something completely customized to your vision and is made of top quality materials.
The takeaway
Stock cabinets give you quick lead times and low price points with no size modifications available and very little design options.
Semi-custom cabinets are a good middle-of-the-road option where you can modify your cabinets to fit your space better and have a wider door style and material selection.
With custom cabinets, they’re designed to fit your space and the look that you want instead of designing your space around the cabinets. There’s no need to compromise on color, material, layout, or design - the options are as close to endless as it gets.
If you’re trying to decide which type of cabinet to get, you’ll have to assess what your project requirements are. For example:
The stock cabinet lead times and low price point might be a good choice for a flip where a wide variety of design options is not as important as keeping the project cost low and having a quick turnaround.
Semi-custom cabinets are a great option for a small remodel because you’ll have more material and door style options to match what’s existing in the space and you’re able to modify them as needed without breaking the bank.
Custom cabinets are for those looking to design a top of the line, unique space where every piece of the cabinet, from material to finish, applied moulding to trim, accessories and everything in between are designed exactly to your vision.
We’ll say there’s no right or wrong here. Like every aspect of a construction project, picking your cabinets is a matter of considering your budget, your timeline, and your design needs. Luckily we offer all three types of cabinets, because we want to be able to accommodate to everyone’s needs. So, tell us what your project requires and we’ll give you the product that’s just right for it.
*There is such a thing as a cabinet that is too big. Because of the sizes that sheet goods come in, custom cabinet manufactures have to limit the cabinet sizes to the maximum of the sheet good size.