Installing new kitchen cabinets is one of the most common large scale renovations. Taking the first step- finding a cabinet style that agrees with your tastes and budget- can be daunting. We've put together some guidelines from industry experts to help you plan your kitchen remodel project.
Kitchen Cabinets for a Brand New Space
The first thing to consider is the scope of your entire project. Additional expenses for in-depth renovation will consume a portion of your cabinet budget. Likewise, little changes in lighting and layout will greatly affect the feel of your kitchen, prompting a change in style as well. Take the time to answer the following questions to avoid any unwanted surprises:
- Are you changing the location of any appliances?
- If yes, be aware that electricity and plumbing may not exist where your appliances will be moved to. Running these lines may require tearing up drywall, sub flooring, or concrete foundation.
- Are you remodeling in the same "footprint" of your original cabinetry?
- If not, you may be required to replace your flooring or fill the footprint left by your original cabinets if no flooring exists beneath them (see Diagram).
- How large is your kitchen?
- To find out, measure the wall space your current kitchen occupies. An L-Shape kitchen in a 10x10 room is a 20 linear foot kitchen.
- How much, if any, of the labor will you be doing yourself?
- Installing cabinets is pretty simple work, though time consuming. Doing even small jobs like tear-out and appliance installation can save you tons of money.
- How high are your ceilings?
- This is often one of the first questions a kitchen designer will ask you. A low ceiling, modem, soffitt, or recessed florescent lighting may create special design limitations or additional work.
Now that you have the big questions out of the way, consider the cost of your cabinets. American style, all-plywood cabinets are considered the best and typically the most expensive cabinets. These cabinets can be found custom or semi-custom, are among the most durable cabinets and are lightweight to boot. Cabinets using a particleboard frame, box, or both will be less expensive, heavier, and more prone to wear. Some cabinets are "KD" or "RTA" which is industry speak for assembled. Factor in extra time and expense for assembled cabinets.
If your tastes are more contemporary, frame-less euro-style cabinets are available in a variety of price ranges. A vast majority of these cabinets are built of melamine or thermofoil over a particleboard base. Be ready to pay big if you choose to go the full custom route as you're paying for the fashion, not the material.
Don't buy in to the "linear foot price" shown on the back of display doors and in magazine spots. These figures are based on an imaginary bare-bones kitchen that is unrealistic for any renovation. The following realistic prices are for cabinets only, no installation or counter top included:
All prices are per linear foot:
- $100 Semi-Custom RTA Particleboard Cabinets
- $160 Semi-Custom RTA All-Wood Cabinets*
- $200 Semi-Custom Particle Board Cabinets
- $300 Semi-Custom All-Wood Cabinets
- $360+ Full Custom All-Wood or Particle Board Cabinets
Using these figures, you'd find that the 10x10 kitchen we spoke about above would cost about $2000 for materials with builder-grade cabinets, and triple that for semi-custom all-wood cabinets. With this project, like any other large scale renovation, count on a 15% variance in budget for unforeseen expenses and material waste. Keep in mind: the kitchens you see in magazines and furniture showcases often cost over $25,000 in cabinets alone. Regarding RTA all wood cabinets: There is a large influx of this product due to its low cost. They are virtually all Chinese imports and carry no warranty. Buyer beware.
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