Cabinet guides

Step 1: settle the layout. Layout drives footage and footage drives price. Tape it out on the floor and live with it for a few days before ordering anything.

Step 2: measure. Add the run length of every wall and island section that will carry cabinetry. That total is your linear footage. Use it to sanity-check quotes against the 2026 tiers: about $80-$120 per foot stock, $150-$300 semi-custom, $500-$800 custom.

Step 3: choose a tier honestly. Standard room, standard ceilings, no unusual angles? Stock or semi-custom will do it. Custom at $500-$800 per foot is for constraints, not for reassurance.

Step 4: standardize the quotes. Every bid should state the linear footage, tier and manufacturer, box and door materials, drawer box 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 the payment schedule. Verify licensing and insurance with your own state or local licensing authority — requirements differ by jurisdiction, so check the rules where you live rather than accepting a contractor's account of them.

How to choose

Layout first, always

Nothing downstream can fix a layout decision made carelessly.

Reduce every quote to price per linear foot

It is the only way to compare a stock bid against a semi-custom one.

Ask for KCMA certification by name

It is a documented test standard, unlike most quality claims you will hear.

Get the exclusions in writing

Ask each bidder what is NOT in the price. That list predicts your overruns.

Never pay most of it up front

Deposits are normal for made-to-order cabinets. Paying the full amount before delivery is not.

Verify license and insurance yourself

Call the licensing board and the insurance carrier. Do not rely on a photocopy.