Kitchen cabinets are expensive for many reasons.
If you have started to get some pricing to have your kitchen redone, you will quickly notice that these things add up very fast.
Let’s take a better look at why kitchen cabinets are so expensive.
Why Are Kitchen Cabinets So Expensive?
1. Materials
Kitchen cabinets are going to vary in price depending on the materials that are used.
There are no materials that are essentially cheap to use as kitchen cabinets.
Everything is going to have a cost involved, and it is smart to look at different types of cabinets and which will be the best fit for you.
If you go with a high-end wood material for your cabinets, you will typically pay quite a bit.
However, some of these types of cabinets are also going to be less durable than lower end materials.
The look might not be the same, but for day-to-day use, there are some options you may want to consider when it comes to materials.
In addition to the actual wood that is used to make cabinets, there are also things you need to consider regarding drawer pulls, screws, stoppers, and more.
The wood for the cabinets is not the only expense when it comes to materials.
In fact, if you look at the hinges on a kitchen cabinet, you will be quite surprised how expensive these are.
When you add in features like self-closing ability, your cost will increase even more.
Materials are a large reason kitchen cabinets are so expensive.
2. Install
Installation of anything is expensive.
Contractors have a certain skill most homeowners do not have.
Since they have these skills, they can charge a bit more money for their expertise.
The average homeowner would not have any idea how to install their own kitchen cabinets.
This is why the installation gets so expensive.
Another important thing about the cost of installation is the difficulty of the project itself.
The install process requires a lot of leveling and perfection.
If one cabinet is slightly off, it could throw off the entire kitchen.
Also, if cabinets are not hung properly, you are going to have a hard time closing doors or drawers.
In the long term, this is going to be a major issue for homeowners.
When installers come to put in kitchen cabinets, they will almost always bring two or three people with them.
This helps to make sure that someone can hold up the cabinet while others get the cabinet lined up exactly as it should.
The installation process is a bit difficult.
In fact, you may realize that the installation process can be just as time-consuming and tricky as the actual building of the cabinets.
3. Labor
One of the main reasons labor will add up to the cost of kitchen cabinets is that you get hit with it from many different angles.
You will pay labor for the building of the cabinets, the delivery of the cabinets, and the installation as well.
Labor is always one of the most expensive parts of any project.
This is mostly because the cost of skilled labor is high.
People have to train for many years to be an expert at building cabinets.
Although cabinets may seem like a simple design, they are not.
There are lots of details and designs that can go into cabinets to make them much more unique.
When you look at the cabinets in your kitchen, chances are they have some detail that is not seen in many other kitchens.
This type of work with wood takes time to learn, and it takes lots of special tools.
People who build kitchen cabinets need to be able to feed their families, and therefore they will charge quite a bit for labor.
If you have the skills to build your own kitchen cabinets, you are going to save thousands of dollars.
If you take on this type of task, it is a good idea to have a plan in place and make sure you are truly skilled.
Remember that kitchen cabinets are intended to last for many years, so you will need to make sure that your project is well made.
4. Features
Kitchen cabinets have lots of features you can choose from.
Some of these features are simple, like flat panel doors, but others are more complicated.
The cabinets that have self-closing doors or drawers that will never slam are going to cost quite a bit more.
You can get pretty detailed in the features you put into your kitchen cabinets.
You also have to take into consideration the actual design of the layout of the cabinets.
This is not always as simple as mixing and matching cabinets and drawers.
You need to think about what makes sense to keep near the sink, where will pots and pans go, how far apart to shelves need to be.
There are lots of considerations here that will make or break the overall look and functionality of the kitchen.
You will not want to have any regrets about the layout and design of your kitchen when all is said and done.
Keep in mind that, if you are going to spend tens of thousands of dollars, you should do this the right way.
5. Custom Made
Some cabinets are pre-built, and others are custom made.
When you purchase pre-made cabinets, they will fit into your kitchen.
However, not all kitchen cabinets will work for the space you have.
If you have an odd corner or a larger than standard size appliance, chances are you are going to need some custom-made cabinets.
Of course, as soon as something is custom made, it is going to end up costing quite a bit more money.
Some people will try and make sure they use as many stock cabinets as possible and then fill in with the custom made.
Of course, you always have the option to custom build your own cabinets, but this takes quite a bit of skill.
When you have custom cabinets made, not only do you have to pay for labor to build them but supplies and delivery as well.
Of course, the numbers will add up quickly, but chances are you will get a higher quality and longer lasting cabinet.
6. Number of Cabinets
One of the main reasons kitchen cabinets are so expensive is that there are so many of them.
It may not seem like your kitchen is that large, but when you start counting the number of cabinets you need, it will add up fast.
Part of this is because cabinets will be both high up on the wall and down below as well.
When you start adding in kitchen islands, bar areas, and even a desk area in the kitchen, the price continues to increase.
Large kitchens with many cabinets will be looking at tens of thousands of dollars in cost by the time they get all the cabinets they need.
Another thing which makes this difficult is that it is hard to do just part of your kitchen at once.
Sometimes with large and expensive home improvement projects, you will want to do it in small sections.
With kitchen cabinets, you won’t be able to do that.
Replacing only one area of your kitchen will be difficult and make the kitchen look quite funny as well.
When you are ready to refinish or replace your kitchen cabinets, you will have to accept the fact that this project has to happen all at once.
7. Removal of Previous Kitchen Cabinets
When your new kitchen cabinets are ready to be installed, you need to make sure you clear out the old kitchen cabinets.
The process of removing the old kitchen cabinets is time-consuming and difficult.
When you remove the previous kitchen cabinets, there could also be damage that needs to be repaired on the walls before the new ones are installed.
When the old kitchen cabinets are removed, you will also find that you need to dispose of these cabinets.
If you have a larger kitchen, you may need to purchase a dumpster to dispose of all the kitchen cabinets.
Dumpster costs can get relatively high because they include delivery, dumping, and removal as well.
You can save quite a bit of money doing your own demolition and removal of your kitchen cabinets.
The removal is not all that difficult to figure out.
If you have a large hammer, a screwdriver, a little bit of strength, and a basic understanding of how the cabinets are attached to the wall, you should be able to handle the removal.
Make sure when you get your pricing for new kitchen cabinets that you also ask about removal costs.
It is essential to understand the entire price of the project before you move forward.
8. Drawers
Kitchen cabinets include more than just doors.
In fact, many of the kitchen cabinets are going to have drawers as well.
The drawers are more complicated and involved than the standard cabinets.
Some drawers have additional features, take a lot more engineering, and are more difficult to get right.
If you are planning to have a lot of drawers in your kitchen, you will need to plan for extra costs.
A drawer is necessary for things like utensils and smaller kitchen gadgets.
Almost all of the base kitchen cabinets are going to have drawers.
Most kitchens end up having eight or more drawers, and this will make those cabinets quite a bit more expensive overall.
It’s hard to avoid drawers on your kitchen cabinets as you will need to use some in your kitchen.
Therefore, the pricing is going to be higher, and there won’t be much that you can do about it.
9. Glazing
Many kitchen cabinets are going to go through an additional process of glazing.
When working and cooking in a kitchen, there will be some grease and steam that comes from the food you are making.
Applying a glaze on the cabinets is going to help to make sure your kitchen cabinets are protected from these issues.
This glazing also gives the cabinets a bit of a shiny look that some people want in their kitchen.
The glazing is a bit expensive, and then you may have to make sure it stays in good shape, so your cabinets stay protected.
The good thing to consider is that most cabinets will use a very high-quality paint that will work similarly to the glazing.
If you take good care of your cabinets and wipe and wash them often, you may not need to worry about the glazing process.
Glazing is an added expense that not all people are going to need for their particular situation.
We highly recommend pricing out different types of finishes for cabinets and choosing one that matches both your budget and the kitchen needs.
Some of these high-end finishes may not be something that matters to you in the long term.
For instance, if you barely cook in your kitchen, something like a glazing process will probably not pay off in the long run.
10. Hardware
One of the major expenses when it comes to kitchen cabinets is the cost of hardware.
Each cabinet will have a handle or a knob.
Some knobs are value type, and they may only cost a few dollars, but most are reasonably detailed and cost quite a bit more.
Although this may not seem like a lot when you look at purchasing one piece of hardware, things will add up rather fast.
When you consider buying twenty knobs and twenty drawer pulls, chances are you are going to spend hundreds of dollars.
The hardware will last for a very long time, so you won’t need to worry about replacing them.
Choosing some great hardware is going to help your cabinets look much better.
There is no sense in spending a lot of money on cabinets and then putting cheap hardware on.
You will absolutely be able to tell that the hardware does not match the cabinets, and it will stand out.
Typically, you will find that hardware will come in a cheap, middle grade, and then premium variety.
The middle grade is the best way to go if you want to mix the look, the pricing, and the long-term durability of the cabinet hardware.
