Best source for kitchen cabinets?

[Mark Bosworth]

Hi All,

I have a potential flip that needs a new kitchen.  Who do you use for inexpensive kitchen cabinets?  Big box store?  In the past I had an awesome custom cabinet guy but I've moved to a new area and don't have one yet.

Thanks!

[JPaul Mills]

hey mark I just sent you a colleague request 

[Nader G.]

Hey Mark,

If you happen to have an IKEA in your area, they have great options for kitchen cabinets. In my neck of the woods, there's currently a 20% off sale (credited through gift cards). We just bought our entire kitchen minus countertops from there for our flip. 

Hope that helps!

[Jerry W.]

You can also go online and look at cabinets at Menards or Home Depot.  They have prices online

[Steve Babiak]

I have found that you can find a local cabinet dealer that will get "knock down" cabinets (shipped disassembled flat in a box like IKEA), where the boxes are plywood (rather than MDF or particle board) and they are inexpensive as well. One such supplier in my area is called "House Possible" and you can order from his website and they will ship to you. But I think you will be better off finding the place near you that operates in a similar manner. 

And although they come from the manufacturer in knock down form, the local dealer will usually assemble them for a small markup, and even deliver to the job site. That is what I typically am looking for, so that it is no different than getting from the big box stores except for better built cabinets at a great price; that reduces contractor reluctance to install cabinets from an unfamiliar source. 

[John Weidner]

2nd the local supplier supplying knocked down cabinets from China.  They exist in every market.  Just do Google search.  White or Expresso is what I'd put in.  

[Mark Bosworth]

Thanks for the suggestions.  I'll have to start looking for my local knock down cabinet supplier!

[Mindy Jensen]

I just used "off-the-shelf" cabinets from Home Depot. Hampton Bay is the brand. There are limited sizes available, but they come in 5-6 different finishes. I used them in my own personal home, and they cost almost nothing. Good quality, plywood boxes with solid wood fronts. You can place an order for them, minimum is 5 cabinets. I got everything I needed, except a refrigerator side panel, but was able to find something that almost matched from the American Woodmark line. $2400 for a kitchen 15x20 kitchen with an island. I would recommend these cabinets to anyone. They look really nice. Message me and I can send you a picture... 

[Peter Grosso]

If you use HD or Lowes, make sure you put it through the bid room.  They can give a discount price if you spend more then $2,000.  Go to the pro desk. 

[Ben Rao]

Yes, the Lowe's ProServices Desk is a great tool to get better service and pricing.  I also get better pricing at Lowe's with my Lowe's LAR Account, 30 day terms, free delivery and haul away and reduced deliver fees and the Community Buying Group program gets you an additional 2% off the best price you get from Special Bids at Lowe's.

[Mike H.]

lillyanncabinets. You have to put them together yourself. But you can do a large kitchen with some really nice cabinets (I do the medium grade) for 2,500 or better.  Be sure to tell them you're a rehabber/investor and you do more than one and they should be able to give you a 15% discount...... But you have to ask for it. They don't publicize it.....

[Paul Sorgi]

I have used HD for my last 2 rehabs the off the shelf cabinets.  The look nice and are reasonable.  I myself just discovered the knock downs and will be trying them on my next rehab.  Real wood doors 1/2 plywood sides and 5/8 plywood shelves.  It is $4 extra for soft close drawers. 

[Andy Luick]

For the basic staples of our business - it's a great idea to run through Craigslist to see what's available in your market.  I have often picked up a $4k kitchen for $1k.  HandyANDY does quite a bit of repairs on highend homes when they sell and I can't tell you how many times we've gotten free kitchens and baths because the buyers wanted something else!  Love it when that happens.  Some remodelers will post those sets on Craigslist and load them up on your truck right from the worksite.  You'll see this a chunk in the tonier parts of FL, NJ & NY but we get it here in atlanta too.

If you're flipping and want to develop a name for selling a better quality product then spend some extra on the cabinets.  In atlanta, I'll take a look a builder's surplus once in awhile but I like the knock-downs we can get....even though I hate Chinese products in general...we get solid wood fronts and plywood boxes...when everything cheap at Depot is MDF/OSB junk that will NOT hold up in kitchens or baths.

In your area you might want to check:  Builder Materials Outlet  http://www.bmofl.com| 5316 N. Davis Hwy, Pensacola, FL 32503

I don't know anything about them but it looked like they had some decent pricing on kitchens cabinets.

[Cory E.]

I have used cabinetliquidators.com twice. I was very satisfied with the product I received both times.

[Steve Wilcox]

DO NOT BUY CABINETS FROM LOWES OR HD. The in stock cabinets they have are GARBAGE, and the custom stuff you order from them is EXPENSIVE. 

You will get better product for cheaper from actual cabinet suppliers, the stores that offer the best cabinets are different regionally. Generally brands like fabuwood, NEA trading, all world, sunco, that are mid level Chinese cabinets look great for flips. 

If you have a cheap house or low income there are lower end chinese cabinets that are much better quality and harder to ruin then cheap home depot ones, and they will cost less. The cheap ones from HD or Lowes have particle board for all the sides of the box which means if there is a leak or some sort of nastiness they are easily ruined. 

[Robert Curls]

www.cabinetstogo.com offers great knock down type cabinets that are real wood for a great price.  One of the guys who started lumber liquidators started the company (I heard). a 10x10 can cost you under $2k. 

We are in the process of redoing a kitchen and found a local cabinet shop that you can get a 10x10 installed with real wood and slow close drawers for $4k.

[Mark Ferguson]

I just bought cabinets from menards.  I was using Home Depot but got tired of their in stock cabinets not being instock and taking six weeks to get here. Menards were instock, looked great (not oak). And the total cost was $1800 for cabinets, high definition counters and a sink delivered 45 miles.   

[Account Closed]

We're installing our 3rd Ikea kitchen -- 25 year warranty, good quality, many many options, and pretty simple to assemble (albeit time consuming).  

[Bill Coleman]

i just finished two rehabs and in one of them I used the unfinished Home Depot cabinets. They seemed to be okay quality but upon closer inspection, I don't think they are worth the price. The hardware is super cheap and I doubt that it will last. finishing the cabinets cost as much as just buying them finished. I liked that the cabinet doors were solid oak but every other piece was cheap particle board. I would not do that again. 

[Rick H.]

I have found rtacabinetstore.com to offer the best value. These are ready-to-assemble cabinets you have to put together yourself.  They are imported from China, but the quality is good.  Plywood boxes, with solid hardwood faces and doors.  They are also very cheap. You can check out the the pricing online.  Be sure to register as a contractor to a save an additional 10%.   

[Matt M.]

Here are the choices from my local market for the same layout:

Local Chinese self assembly - Look ok, then fall a part $2500 kitchen, plus assembly

Big Box off the shelf - same as above $2500 kitchen, limited cabinets

Big Box Order - Aristocraft, Shenendoah(Lowes), American Woodmark(HD) (all made by same place iirc) $4k on up

Local Cabinet place $6500k+

It all depends on your price point. I went with Shenandoah from lowes on my last project & people LOVE the cabinets. It went under contract in 1 day. Looking back, I could have gotten by with the Chinese junk due to our market conditions. 

[Raj Gandhi]

Another vote for Ikea cabinets.  They've got a free design program that can be used at home or in-store.  They are well stocked.  Assembly is reasonable if you read the instructions.  Prices are very good if you go with the lowest-end facing.  Of course my wife wants upgraded facing so my price is usually 80% more than lowest possible.  We've done three kitchens with white Ikea cabinets (rehab, buy and hold rentals).

[Steve Babiak]

Originally posted by @Paul Sorgi:

...  It is $4 extra for soft close drawers. 

I just counted 3 dozen doors and drawers in a larger kitchen layout; at $4 each I would say that the soft closing feature is a must - it's a selling feature that people don't expect from low end, so they assume higher end cabinets were used.

[Tim G.]

I used rtacabinetstore.com for my first rehab and will most likely be using them on the house I just purchased.  For the price, I haven't found anything that looks as good.  I used the Bordeaux Shaker on the first house and plan to use the Traditional White Shaker on the new house. 

Here's the picture of the Bordeaux Shaker cabinets. 

[Brandon Foken]

I'm surprised people are using Ikea cabinets so much. My contractor flat-out said he wouldn't put together an Ikea kitchen due to quality and it being a pain to assemble everything together.

I'll also say going to your local Chinese knockdown supplier is where it's at. Although, apparently there have been some strike problems (can't tell if it's local or across the seas), so they are a bit delayed on having the dishwasher and fridge cabinets in stock. Overall, they do a really good job and even have a design center to lay everything out for you. The place I use in my area is called Granite Expo.

[George P.]

i am shocked that no one has mentioned Kitchen Kompact.

here is how it looks. this is Chad Oak

I just did one with 14 cabinets, toe kicks, crown molding for around $1400. that's cabinets only. 

this is the same line, just a darker finish:

all the builders get it here since they are available the next day from the warehouse close by. it ends up being about $100 per cabinet and you dont have to stain, assemble, all that crap. they are great cabinets, wooden doors. the back is a little thin, but never had an issue.

they dont even have a display at HD. you have to ask and they can show you the different (4-5) door styles they have. they are 4x better than in store stock junk.

http://www.kitchenkompact.com/styles2.htm

i looked at the sites you posted above. the % discount doodoo is a red flag of "let's make it look like a whole sale price and website (very busy is the motto here) and still charge people that look for a deal $2-3k+ for a 10x10 kitchen. then we will get them on the "Accessories"". so you think it's a "great discount place, screw these box stores".

the only negative with KK is when i did the darker one. looks AMAZING, but the saw was not sharp enough and it chipped the corners. the DARK skin is VERY thin and the white below shows and stands out like a sore thumb.

noone can beat HD KK cabinet prices and delivery. i have tried their other distributors and they were all higher.

i can go on and on, but if i have not convinced you by now, i should just stop.