| Area | What the quote should say |
|---|---|
| Boxes | The material and thickness, written out: plywood or particle board |
| Drawers | How the boxes are joined, and the slide type |
| Doors and fronts | Style, species or panel material, for doors and drawer fronts |
| Finish | Paint or stain, and where it is applied: in a shop or in your kitchen |
| Panels and trim | Finished ends, appliance panels, fillers, toe kicks, crown, light rail |
| Inserts | Each pull-out or organiser listed by item |
| Delivery | Freight cost, or a statement that it is included, and whether cabinets arrive assembled |
| Installation | Included, quoted separately, or not offered |
What should a custom cabinet quote include?
Everything you are paying for, in words specific enough to check. “Standard drawers” is not a line item. “Full-extension dovetail drawers” is. A quote you can trust lets you put your finger on each cabinet in the drawings and find it on the page.
Here is what ours covers, as a reference for what to expect from any custom shop.
Cabinet construction
- Plywood boxes: 3/4-inch on frameless, and 1/2-inch behind a solid face frame on framed, with 3/4-inch available
- Full-extension dovetail drawer boxes
- Soft-close hinges
- Shelves inside each box, as drawn
Doors, fronts and finish
- Door and drawer front style, such as Shaker, slab or inset
- Wood species or paint-grade material as selected
- The finish, sprayed in our Concord shop and cured before delivery
- Finished end panels wherever a cabinet side is exposed
Panels, trim and inserts
- Toe kicks, fillers and scribe pieces shown on the drawings
- Crown and light rail, if you chose them
- Appliance panels for panel-ready fridges, dishwashers, freezer and wine columns, and wood hood covers
- Pull-outs and organisers you selected, each listed
Design and delivery
- A dedicated designer, three rounds of revisions and physical samples shipped to your home
- Cabinets delivered fully assembled, labelled and wrapped
- Freight to your door anywhere in the continental US
Knobs and pulls appear on the quote when you choose them. The price is fixed before production starts, so it does not move once the build begins.
What does a cabinet quote usually leave out?
Most cabinet quotes, ours included, price the cabinets. The rest of a kitchen has its own trades, and a total budget needs all of them:
- Countertops, templating and sink cutouts, which happen after the cabinets are set
- Demolition and haul-away of the old kitchen
- Plumbing, electrical and gas, including wiring for under-cabinet lights
- Drywall, flooring, paint and backsplash
- Permits, where your city or county needs one
- Appliances
Installation is the one that varies most between sellers. Some bundle it, some never offer it. In the Bay Area we install. Everywhere else your installer or contractor fits the cabinets, working from labelled boxes and drawings, with your designer on hand through the job. Whichever applies, the quote should say so in a line of its own.
Which line items should I check on any quote?
Use this when comparing quotes from any shop or showroom. If two quotes are far apart, the reason is almost always in one of these lines.
- Box material named, with its thickness
- Drawer box construction: dovetail, stapled or metal
- Slide type: full extension, soft-close, undermount or side-mount
- Hinge type, and whether soft-close is included
- Door style and species written out
- Finish type, and whether it is sprayed in a shop
- Finished ends and panels listed
- Fillers, toe kicks, crown and light rail listed
- Pull-outs and organisers listed by item
- Freight cost, or a statement that it is included
- Assembled or flat-packed
- Whether the price is fixed, and what happens if a measurement changes after approval
What does vague language on a quote hide?
Watch for “standard”, “allowance” and “per plan” with nothing after them. An allowance for hardware or panels is a placeholder, and the real cost arrives later. A rough first estimate is fine. By the time you sign, the quote should match the drawings line for line.
How do I check a quote against the drawings?
It takes about ten minutes. Lay the elevations beside the quote and go wall by wall:
- Count the cabinets on each wall and find each one on the quote.
- Check the drawer counts. A three-drawer base and a door base of the same width are priced very differently.
- Find every exposed side and confirm a finished panel is listed for it.
- Look for fillers and scribe pieces at walls, appliances and corners.
- Check that crown and toe kick cover the runs shown.
If something is on the drawings and not the quote, or the other way round, ask before you approve. It is far cheaper to fix on paper. Our guide to comparing a local shop with a factory brand has a side-by-side checklist for two quotes.
How do I get a quote?
Send measurements, a sketch or photos and the finish you have in mind, or the plan you already have. The itemised quote comes back in about 48 hours. If you want a sense of the range first, see what custom kitchen cabinets cost.
Frequently asked questions
Is freight included in a Crafted Cabinetry quote?
Yes. Delivery to your door anywhere in the continental US is in the quoted price, and the cabinets arrive fully assembled.
Are countertops included?
Usually not, from any cabinet maker. Countertops are templated after the cabinets are set, by a fabricator you or your contractor choose.
Is installation included?
In the Bay Area we install. Elsewhere your installer or contractor fits the cabinets from labelled boxes and drawings, with your designer supporting the job.
Is a quote the same as an estimate?
No. An estimate is a ballpark. A quote is tied to drawings and specific line items, and ours becomes a fixed price before production starts.
What if I add a pull-out after approving the drawings?
The drawings and the quote are revised. Changes are easiest before production starts.
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