What’s the Difference Between Stock, Semi-Custom, and Custom Cabinetry?
While researching cabinetry and what’s right for you, you may have come across the terms stock, semi-custom, and custom cabinetry. Confused about your options? We’re here to break it down for you!
Stock Cabinetry
Stock cabinets are ready-made, pre-manufactured cabinets that typically use standard measurements and minimal styles to keep costs down. They are mass-produced, which means they ship quickly and can be purchased and installed in a matter of days to weeks!
Stock cabinetry styles and finishes are limited, with most brands sticking to only a few options. An important thing to note is the cabinet construction— the majority of stock cabinetry is made up of wood boxes with particle board interior. Keep in mind stock cabinetry does not necessarily equal greatly reduced quality! It’s important to do research on the brands you are interested in prior to making a purchase.
Stock Pros: Affordable, quick to obtain, typically good quality
Stock Cons: Minimal style and finish choices, sizes/dimensions are standardized
Semi-Custom Cabinetry
Semi-custom cabinets come in a wider variety of style, finish, and size choices than stock. They have the added ability to customize some dimensions of the cabinetry for a better fit— a huge bonus if you are trying to maximize your usage of space!
Semi-custom cabinets can range in construction, from simple wood boxes and particle board interiors (like stock cabinetry) to full, solid-wood interiors with careful craftsmanship. The longevity of your cabinetry depends on the materials used, and many semi-custom brands do offer higher-quality woods and hardware that can aid in keeping your cabinets pristine for a lot longer. For many people, semi-custom cabinets are considered the “best of both worlds” between stock and custom.
Semi-Custom Pros: More customized fit, a wider variety in styles, colors, and wood finishes, ability to stick to a moderate budget, typically higher-quality construction compared to stock
Semi-Custom Cons: Limited design input, fully-custom sizing usually not available, longer shipping times
Custom Cabinetry
Custom cabinets are built entirely to the customer’s specifications. They are best for those who want to completely maximize their usage of space, with a seamless finish and perfect fit – whether you’re looking for bathroom cabinets or kitchen cabinets. They can be made however you want them to be— you can pick virtually any size, style, finish, color, or feature that you want them to have! Custom cabinets will distinguish your project from everyone else’s.
As they are custom, they are labor-intensive, which means they can be quite expensive and take a long time to receive. Custom cabinets are typically made from the highest-quality materials by a skilled carpenter on a build-to-order basis. If you want something truly show-stopping, custom cabinets may be the way to go!
Custom Pros: truly customizable with unique woods, finishes, and accessories, fully customized dimensions to perfectly fit a space, luxurious details, high-quality craftsmanship and construction
Custom Cons: Expensive, time consuming to create, and can take up to three months to ship
If you need help deciding which cabinetry option is right for you, stop by our cabinet shop today for a free consultation.