Cabinets · Checklists

Cabinet checklists

Three checklists cover the job: a quote checklist that forces every bidder onto the same scope, a showroom quality checklist that tests the actual cabinet rather than the sales pitch, and a delivery checklist you run before signing the carrier's paperwork.

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Quote checklist. Linear footage. Tier and manufacturer. Box material. Door material and style. Overlay type. Drawer box construction and glide type. Finish. Hardware. Whether the line is ANSI/KCMA A161.1 certified. Demolition and disposal. Wall and floor repair allowance. Delivery. Installation. Countertop coordination. Lead time and what date it starts from. Payment schedule. Written exclusions.

Showroom quality checklist. Open a drawer fully — does it extend all the way and soft-close without slamming? Does the drawer box flex when you push the sides? Is the box back a solid mounting panel? Are the shelves adjustable and do they sag under hand pressure? Does the door sit flush and even? Is the interior finished, or raw?

Delivery checklist. Count every item against the order list before signing. Open cartons and check faces for damage, dents and finish defects. Photograph anything wrong immediately. Confirm the finish matches your approved sample under your own light. Damage noted at delivery is a different conversation than damage discovered a week later.

Quality standard to ask about by name. ANSI/KCMA A161.1 certification means the cabinet passed a defined test set — doors cycled 25,000 times at full 90-degree swing, wall cabinets loaded gradually to 600 pounds, shelves at 15 pounds per square foot for seven days, drawers cycled 25,000 times, and heat, cold, spill and stain finish tests.

How to choose

One scope, every bidder: Hand each company the same written list. Then price differences actually mean something.
Test the drawer, not the door: Drawer box construction and glide quality are the best quick indicator of a line's real level.
Ask for KCMA by name: It is a testable standard. Most other quality language is marketing.
Inspect at delivery, not after: Note damage on the paperwork before you sign. It is much harder to claim later.
Get the exclusions written down: What is not in the price is where the overruns come from.
Check the finish in your own light: Showroom lighting misrepresents color. Look at a full-size sample in your kitchen at different times of day.

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FAQ

Cabinets checklists — common questions

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What should I inspect on a cabinet delivery?

Count every item against the order, open cartons and check faces for damage and finish defects, verify the finish against your approved sample, photograph problems, and note damage on the delivery paperwork before signing.

How can I tell if cabinets are good quality in a showroom?

Open a drawer fully and check extension, soft close and box rigidity; check the shelves for sag; look for a solid mounting back; and ask whether the line carries ANSI/KCMA A161.1 certification.

What questions should I ask a cabinet company?

What tier and manufacturer, what the box and door are made of, drawer box and glide type, KCMA certification status, lead time and what date it starts from, what is excluded, and the payment schedule.

What does KCMA certification test?

Doors cycled 25,000 times at a full 90-degree swing, wall cabinets loaded to 600 pounds, shelves at 15 pounds per square foot for seven days, drawers cycled 25,000 times, plus heat, cold, spill and stain finish tests.

Sources

Where these figures come from

KCMA — A161.1 Quality Cabinet Certification · retrieved 2026-07-25