Cabinet glossary

Linear foot — the unit cabinets are priced in: one foot of cabinet run. Your total run length times the per-foot rate is roughly your cabinet cost. In 2026 that rate is about $80-$120 stock, $150-$300 semi-custom and $500-$800 custom, installed.

Stock / semi-custom / custom — fixed sizes off a catalog, catalog sizes with modification options, and built-to-order for your room, respectively. RTA — ready to assemble, shipped flat.

Face frame — the wood frame across the front of the box, standard in American cabinetry. Frameless (sometimes called European or full-access) — no front frame, giving slightly wider openings. Overlay — how much of the frame the door covers: partial, full, or inset (flush inside the opening).

Toe kick — the recessed base under the lower cabinets. Filler — a strip of matching material closing the gap where cabinetry meets a wall or appliance. Scribe — trimming a piece to follow an uneven wall. Thermofoil — vinyl film heat-wrapped over MDF. Soft close — hinges or glides that decelerate the last inch. ANSI/KCMA A161.1 — the cabinet quality certification standard covering structural, drawer, door and finish testing.

How to choose

Check the per-linear-foot figure

It should be derivable from any quote. If it is not, ask for it.

Confirm overlay in writing

Inset costs substantially more than full overlay and is easy to assume rather than agree.

Ask about fillers up front

Gaps at walls and appliances need fillers, and unbudgeted trim is a common small surprise.

Frameless is not automatically better

It gives wider openings. Face frame gives more mounting rigidity. Neither wins outright.

Look for KCMA in the spec sheet

The certification is either on the line or it is not.

Get soft close specified

Do not assume it is included. It is a line item on plenty of quotes.