Seattle Kitchen Cabinet Remodeling

As great as new appliances, countertops, and floors are in your kitchen, it's hard to overestimate the importance of your kitchen cabinets. No other area in the home has quite the same storage needs. Plus, your cabinetry has one of the largest impacts on the decorating style and overall feel of your kitchen. This is also one of the reasons why kitchen remodels are so popular and why homeowners will sometimes take on their kitchen cabinets even if they can't afford or find a full kitchen remodel unnecessary. Whether you're looking at new cabinetry as part of a full kitchen remodel or interested in cabinets as a standalone project, here are some things you should know before your project begins.

Seattle Kitchen Cabinets: Custom and Stock
Once you start looking at cabinets, you'll realize your options are endless. Wood versus wood veneer, light versus dark wood finishes, open-faced versus closed-faced, the number of different choices you'll need to make may start to feel overwhelming. The first, and perhaps most important, decision you'll need to make is whether you want stock, semi-stock, or custom cabinets. This is the first decision because it will affect the type of home improvement professional you need. Many professionals and handymen can install stock cabinets, but you'll want to seek out an expert Seattle cabinet builder for custom cabinetry. Stock cabinets are pre-manufactured and use mass production to significantly reduce price. Semi-stock cabinets refer to companies that offer pre-ordering services to increase your design options. For homeowners remodeling on a budget, these cabinets are effective and beautiful.

No stock cabinetry, however, can match the craftsmanship and design of custom kitchen cabinets. In Seattle, there is no shortage of reasons to consider custom cabinets. Coffee drinkers, for example, can design a nook and cabinet for their coffeemaker, coffee, grinder, filters, espresso machine, and the warming touch of jars of sugar, flour, and other common cooking materials. Of course, coffee is just the most idiosyncratic feature of a Seattleite's kitchen. Custom cabinets can be designed for trash cans, pantries, spices, and the entire catalogue of kitchen storage which can simultaneously represent challenges and opportunities for your kitchen.

Cost of a Seattle Kitchen Cabinet Installation or Build
Custom built cabinets are often used for unusual spaces, so it's not uncommon for a homeowner to have only a few custom cabinets installed. This explains why our average custom built cabinet projects cost $4,800. Don't be fooled, though. All new custom kitchen cabinetry can run $20,000 or more.

To have a full complement of kitchen stock cabinetry installed, the average cost is about $7,000, although the quality and size of your cabinets can influence the price quite a bit as well. Many homeowners think of stock cabinets and run to their local home improvement retail store. Beware that you may not be getting the best price by taking this avenue. These stores are notorious for charging outlandish installation fees. If you plan on installing the cabinets yourself, this may very well be your best bet. Otherwise, you'd be wise to price new cabinet installations from an independent cabinet installation contractor, as well as these chain stores.

Seattle Kitchen Cabinet Remodeling Contractors
Whichever way you go, get multiple estimates from different contractors, and if you don't have your mind made up, feel free to get a few estimates from the same contractor on various cabinetry options. The best relationships tend to stem from contractors who are willing to listen to a homeowner's vision, but homeowners who can utilize a contractor's expertise and experience will also benefit from this resource. Of course, your first priority will be to ensure you find a friendly and reliable contractor. ServiceMagic prescreens all our contractors, but you'll also want to check out our customer ratings section.