The Bottom Line on Kitchen Cabinets
by Charity Shumway

Cabinets can be one of the most significant costs in building or remodeling a kitchen. But what really goes into the price? Are more expensive kitchen cabinets actually better? Are cheap kitchen cabinets ever the right choice? Want to know what you're really paying for? Read on for details.

Kitchen Cabinet Cost Factor #1 -- Materials
What your cabinets are made of makes a big difference in the final price. Stainless steel will typically run you the most. After that, the price varies depending on the type of wood you choose. Oak and pine are typically the most affordable woods, with less common woods like teak or cherry coming in a little higher. Cheap kitchen cabinets are often not solid hardwood and are instead simply finished with a thin wood laminate. Kitchen cabinets built with high-quality materials are by far the most durable, making material costs a poor place to cut any serious corners.

Kitchen Cabinet Cost Factor #2 ?? Cabinet Construction
How your cabinets are made is another big contributor to their final cost. If they're custom made for your kitchen, they??ll be more expensive than if they're pre-made. Either type can be high quality, making this an area where you can find real savings. Watch out for extremely low construction costs, however, since they may signal cheap kitchen cabinet construction methods like pinned particle board instead of well-crafted solid woods joints.

Kitchen Cabinet Cost Factor #3 ?? Cabinet Design
More elaborate cabinet designs cost more, so if you want doors with panels, grooves, or other decorations or cabinet interiors with features like lazy Susans or pull-out shelves, be prepared for higher costs. Simple designs don't always signal cheap kitchen cabinets. If your tastes run toward the unfussy, minimally design can be a good place to shave a few dollars.

Kitchen Cabinet Cost Factor #4 ?? Cabinet Finish
The finish you choose is the final major factor in the overall cost of your cabinets. Standard stains and paints are the most affordable. More elaborate glazes or unusual or custom finishes will, as you might expect, cost more. In most cases, a standard finish, well executed, is all you need, making this yet another area where you might consider cutting costs.

About the Author
Charity Shumway is a freelance writer and teaches writing at Oregon State University.