Have you been dreaming to have a custom cabinet for your bathroom or kitchen? Or do you simply want a home office or a built-in entertainment center in your living space? Whatever your needs are, we sought help from industry professionals and experts. We asked them for advice on what to look for in a custom cabinet maker to give you a better idea of what awaits you.
1. Find a custom cabinet maker that offers a reasonable pricing scheme.
Normally, custom cabinet makers offer a basic pricing scheme. This begins with a simple conversation regarding the budget, but it could also be something more in detail. Based on the project or custom cabinet you want to create; the basic pricing varies.
Do not be tempted to sign the contract right away if a custom cabinet maker tells you they offer the cheapest service. Sometimes, they will recoup the costs on the materials or the quality of work.
2. Find a custom cabinet maker that takes time to plan with you.
In most cases, the planning stage begins with a few minutes of talk over the phone or personal meetings to get a better understanding of what a client wants to achieve. During this phase as well, a budget should already be set and finalized. The goal here is for a client to understand what the cabinet maker will need for the project and for the cabinet maker to understand a client’s project.
Avoid working with custom cabinet makers that do things on their own without asking your input. After all, it’s going to be your project and not theirs.
3. Work with a custom cabinet maker that performs the necessary preparations.
Once you have come up with a plan, it’s time to make initial preparations. Take note that at this stage, you might be asked for a down payment or a design fee to get things started. If you’re wondering why there is a fee for design, it is because designing takes time and time is obviously not for free.
The first phase of the design is simple conceptual drawings. These drawings will be used to have an estimate of the costs. Once the drawings are approved, you can move on with the next phase.
If the custom cabinet maker does not let you see any drawing at all and give you an estimate right away, then give yourself a favor and find another one.
4. Look for a custom cabinet maker that will work with you in the process.
As soon as the plans and preparations have been settled, it’s time to come up with a contract. After which, the custom cabinet makers will then schedule everything for production.
This is also the time your project will be drawn in CAD to get into details of the cabinet, color, molding, and other accessories. If you are not involved in the production process, then there is something wrong with your choice of custom cabinet maker.
5. Work with a custom cabinet maker that seeks your approval on things.
While the production is on-going, you might be asked to review the detailed CAD drawings. Relax, this is an important phase because this will help ensure you and the custom cabinet maker is on the same page. Also, this will keep you from any unnecessary surprises.
If the custom cabinet maker doesn’t seek your approval on important details, consider looking for another service provider.
Hopefully, these things can help you find a reliable custom cabinet maker that can turn your dream cabinet projects into a reality.
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