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Discussion Forum

Pre-made Kitchen Cabinets

JimJ | Posted in General Discussion on September 3, 2007 02:07am

After visiting MANY local stores, I was overwhelmed by the prices from stores for new kitchen cabinets. I noticed that they all are pre-made from distant manufacturers. Is there any chance I can obtain these cabinets and install them myself? I’ve followed FHB for years and could easily tackle this job providing I can find a source for the cabinets. Would appreciate any suggestion or advice/directions. Thanks.

Jim

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Replies

  1. User avater
    JeffBuck | Sep 03, 2007 02:35am | #1

    yes.

     

    Jeff

        Buck Construction

     Artistry In Carpentry

         Pittsburgh Pa

  2. User avater
    FatRoman | Sep 03, 2007 05:38am | #2

    Well, here's a starting point for you...

    Gene Davis did a thread this summer on how he puts together the cabinets he mail-orders from Scherrs:

    http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=85114.1

    Use the search here and you'll come up with a bunch of other opinions.

  3. User avater
    Matt | Sep 03, 2007 05:23pm | #3

    I have no idea of how much cabinet companies (and stores) mark up their cabinets.  I can tell you for a fact that the installation does not represent a large percentage of the price though.  The cabinet & tops install prices for the stuff I buy runs in the $250 to $500 range. 

  4. User avater
    RichBeckman | Sep 03, 2007 05:41pm | #4

    "After visiting MANY local stores"

    Your post reads as though none of the stores you visited will sell you cabinets without installation. Is that right??

    I'm sure there is no such store around here.

    Does "local stores" include lumberyards??

    Rich Beckman

    1. bps | Sep 03, 2007 09:18pm | #5

      Search around for cabinet wholesalers. I found one who supplies the highend kitchen centers and will sell to public. I have priced out cabs. from kit centers and wholesalers and always like the discount at wholesale.Same cabs, same product and manufacturer... diferent price.

      Some will sell to contractors some won't. Keep looking.

      1. JimJ | Sep 04, 2007 01:58am | #6

        Many thanks for the reply. Do you have any specific 'cabinet wholesalers' I can check out? Others have replied and I'm getting a better feel for tackling the job. I read the thread on cabinet assembly from a kit and looks like I could do it but seems like it would be better for me to get 'pre-assembled' and install them myself. Thanks again. Jim Bigger

        1. Billy | Sep 04, 2007 04:32am | #7

          Try Scherr's:http://www.scherrs.com/

          Call them after you take a look at their website and they can talk with you about your needs and steer you in the right direction.  They are good folks.

          Shipping will cost a lot more for pre-assembled cabinets.  The cabinets really are easy to assemble -- if you're not comfortable assembling them then you probably should not be installing them!

          Billy

        2. User avater
          Matt | Sep 04, 2007 02:32pm | #11

          Tell us what area you live in.  Or, fill out some of the info in your profile - like location...

  5. User avater
    user-246028 | Sep 04, 2007 04:40am | #8

    I have a pile of kitchen manufacturers in my area. I would imagin that your area is much the same. Understand that the mark up on cabinets are huge. Price out a sheet of malimine then price out a cabinet base. Shop around, I think you'll find lots of bargaining room.

    Dave

  6. ponytl | Sep 04, 2007 05:07am | #9

    i might catch a little flack on this...  but i have seen some really really nice cabinets from china... both knock down and not...  the local Bartons Surplus sells many that would fit well into a million dollar house... theirs are not knock down...  and best i can tell most styles run about $100ft for the upper & lower (total not each)

    i imported what i think is a very fine knock down cabinet ... a full container load... that I'd put up against any cabinet i've seen... nice hardware... took me 4.5 min to put one together which included take'n it back apart once...  and it was the first one i'd done...   we'll see if i'm still brag'n after 500

    p

    1. User avater
      RichBeckman | Sep 04, 2007 06:24am | #10

      "i imported what i think is a very fine knock down cabinet ... a full container load... that I'd put up against any cabinet i've seen... nice hardware... took me 4.5 min to put one together which included take'n it back apart once... and it was the first one i'd done... we'll see if i'm still brag'n after 500"I see your buying pattern hasn't changed any.Is a full container load 500? Or will you have some left over after the 500 you need??And 500?!?! How many units are you putting in that building?? (I don't remember....)

      4.5 minutes??!! About the only thing I can do in 4.5 minutes is....never mind.

      Rich Beckman

      1. ponytl | Sep 05, 2007 01:25am | #12

        full container is closer to 1500 units... from pantries, wall oven units, garages, wine racks, posts, feet, crown, fillers, trim, glass doors, ect.. it took 2 full days to unload the container... they left zero clearance for anything to shift or move... everything very well packaged I'm pretty sure there was nothing damaged

        i have 19 units plus mine  so 20 units...  7 have islands... mine has 2 kitchens and 2 morning kitchens, bar, wine celler, coffee bar on the 3rd level reading area......  i think we are looking at about 20 cabinets per unit... upper/lower/pantry ect...  so thats 380 not counting my unit... i think counting both sides of my island and my stacked uppers i have about 90lf of cabs in my main kitchen..

        pretty sure i have enough to do 10 more units with some misc stuff left over... IMERC saw my stash his last visit...  I really suck at selling anything... but I'm a real good buyer

        i was told each unit is put together at the factory to check for fit then knocked back down packaged and shipped... all the doors are hung on the face frame and need no adjustment... they are all wood... no pressboard, all pywodd and the finish on the inside is as good as it is on the outside... the wall cabs are the same top & bottom so that you can flip them to make rt or left swing doors... just flip the clips that hold the shelves... all doors have the machined recess in the door (top & btm) so no knobs are required if that ur choice... the case is prefitted with small metal clips that snap together then you run a screw thru a predrilled hole... these are hidden... they say no glue is required... but... only takes a sec to glue so i did.. i also shot a few pins in more to clamp the glued joints than anything...

        so far i'm impressed with the quality

        p

        1. User avater
          RichBeckman | Sep 05, 2007 04:14am | #13

          I sure hope I can come up with an excuse to drive to or through Memphis sometime.Sounds like things will soon be really looking like something!

          Rich Beckman

  7. GabrielM | Dec 02, 2010 10:14am | #14

    Hey Jim,

    I have a recommendation for you.  Kitchen Cabinet Depot sells fantastic ready made cabinets at http://www.kitchencabinetdepot.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?LNG=en-US&Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=Imported.  I found them to be both reasonable and reliable.  Good luck!

    1. User avater
      Mongo | Dec 02, 2010 12:00pm | #15

      Dang!

      I saw an active thread and clicked on it. I saw names like JeffBuck and RichBeckman in the replies, I got all excited and thought that this foum might actually be returning to life.

      Then I noticed that you replied to a thread that is over 3 years old. Hopefully his cabinets are up by now.

      I guess these forums are indeed on the respirator. But at least they are eco-friendly.

      1. Scott | Dec 02, 2010 01:42pm | #16

        It's kind of funny how this happens. I'm thinking that it's Google that's dredging up old threads for people, which was supposed to be a good thing. Go figure...

        1. User avater
          MarkH | Dec 02, 2010 01:45pm | #17

          I thought ponytl came back till I noticed the date.  Nope, this place is about done and buried now.

          1. calvin | Dec 02, 2010 02:14pm | #18

            Well then, would that make us zombies?

            not bad, good group in the 60's.

          2. User avater
            MarkH | Dec 03, 2010 01:45pm | #20

            I feel like a zombie, but it's probably just the Time Of The Season.

            http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oc7b62El_fk

        2. User avater
          xxPaulCPxx | Dec 03, 2010 10:51am | #19

          Actually, I think that's a spammer driveby.  Poster has a membership of 1 day and posted in 1 thread - this one.

      2. Tim | Dec 03, 2010 02:03pm | #21

        Double Dang

        Robospammers dredging up the past. I thought the Canadian gunslinger Gabe was back in the fold...

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