Schall 02 said:

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Haven't settled on cabinet yet. Like the full ply construction for sure just wondering if it's worth the upgrade.

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If you mean what I think you mean by "full ply construction", yes it is worth it.

Just out of curiosity, is there a reason you are looking at cabinet lines from large suppliers vs a custom cabinet shop?

Caveat: full ply is only worth it if the finish is worth a damn. If moisture and chemicals can make their way to the substrate, then it's pretty much ruined regardless.

But the strength alone is worth the extra price, imho.

Disclaimer: I'm biased. I own a cabinet shop and only use ply and hardwood...I'm struggling right now to bring myself to work with MDF and chipboard in order to add a less expensive product in order to reach more people.

GeorgiaAg85 said:

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Schall 02 said:

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Haven't settled on cabinet yet. Like the full ply construction for sure just wondering if it's worth the upgrade.

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If you mean what I think you mean by "full ply construction", yes it is worth it.

Just out of curiosity, is there a reason you are looking at cabinet lines from large suppliers vs a custom cabinet shop?

Caveat: full ply is only worth it if the finish is worth a damn. If moisture and chemicals can make their way to the substrate, then it's pretty much ruined regardless.

But the strength alone is worth the extra price, imho.

Disclaimer: I'm biased. I own a cabinet shop and only use ply and hardwood...I'm struggling right now to bring myself to work with MDF and chipboard in order to add a less expensive product in order to reach more people.

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The quick answer to why not custom cabinets is my assumption that they cost significantly more. We don't have any out-of-the-ordinary cabinets in our design, so I assumed custom wasn't worth it for us. I'd be happy for you to (a) convince me otherwise; (b) tell me you do work for Colorado buyer; and (c) offer a TexAgs discount. Contact info in my profile.

Really enjoyed (and not finished yet) working with UB Kitchens in Austin. They aren't cheap, but damn their installer did a good job. Spent 3 full days leveling, trimming, shimming just right. I got in a tizzy at one point because I had measured 5 of our 6 base cabinets as 1/2" when I specified 3/4" in the paperwork (which i had to sign, AGAIN, to avoid confusion). After a bunch of clarification, it was explained to me that the finished edge on our peninsula was changed to 1/2" to allow for bead-board inlay, which it did. Then found out that two other cabinets that faced the slide-in stove would be overkill. Super lazy-susan didn't come in 3/4, and the sink had fortification with 3/4" MDF fillers. The only finished exposed edge that was really visible was 3/4" and had flush and finished AFPL (or is it APFL?) ends.

Anyway: they basically told me they could have charged us for 3/4 on EVERYTHING, but it was borderling unethical given how they design kitchens and what customers will see day to day. They did make our fridge enclosure 3/4 (with cabinet on top) and a pull-out pantry.

Schall 02 said:

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GeorgiaAg85 said:

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Schall 02 said:

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Haven't settled on cabinet yet. Like the full ply construction for sure just wondering if it's worth the upgrade.

---

If you mean what I think you mean by "full ply construction", yes it is worth it.

Just out of curiosity, is there a reason you are looking at cabinet lines from large suppliers vs a custom cabinet shop?

Caveat: full ply is only worth it if the finish is worth a damn. If moisture and chemicals can make their way to the substrate, then it's pretty much ruined regardless.

But the strength alone is worth the extra price, imho.

Disclaimer: I'm biased. I own a cabinet shop and only use ply and hardwood...I'm struggling right now to bring myself to work with MDF and chipboard in order to add a less expensive product in order to reach more people.

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The quick answer to why not custom cabinets is my assumption that they cost significantly more. We don't have any out-of-the-ordinary cabinets in our design, so I assumed custom wasn't worth it for us. I'd be happy for you to (a) convince me otherwise; (b) tell me you do work for Colorado buyer; and (c) offer a TexAgs discount. Contact info in my profile.

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I'd happily provide anyone on TA a texags discount...I guess I need to figure out how much of one.

I'm just afraid that the shipping to Colorado would make a deal unworkable though, as I'm in atlanta,ga.

As to why custom vs big manufacturer, I cant speak for all custom shops, only mine. Mind you, there are guys who make "custom" cabinets who have no business building a drawer box let alone a full kitchen, but I digress.

As to why I would tell someone to choose my shop: quality and customer service, second to none. I believe that good businesses are becoming harder to find, but by providing my customers the best experience possible, it will benefit me in the long run. They will tell folks, so on and so forth. Other contractors are concerned with making a quick buck, and I'm concerned with building an empire. Lofty goals for sure(I'm only in year two), but it's what I aim for. I'm extremely passionate about what I do.

My quality cant be beat. I use only select lumber, s4s'd myself. I take it rough, joint and plane, and sand to a flawless finish. I only use premium 3/4" ply in the boxes. During the entire process, my OCD and passion for woodworking kick in, and I'm not satisfied unless it is as perfect as humanly possible...the only downside to this attention to detail is my builds take just a hair longer.

The finished I use are top notch. All water based, low voc, and as durable as it gets. Then my OCD kicks in again with the finish. It doesnt leave my shop until I'm satisfied.

The selection of hardwoods I have access to at a reasonable price is a great reason to choose my shop in particular. The other custom shops are content using c2 common from the orange or blue store. Once again, I only use select. We all offer the typical domestic hardwoods, but I also have access to imports as well...there is no ordering it, waiting 2 weeks, only to get less than stellar looking wood. I can go first thing in the morning and grab all the sepele, Caribbean rosewood, purple heart, tiger wood, etc that I need.

Sorry to write a book, I just wanted to explain myself.

If during this process, you have any questions, dont hesitate to hit me up. I enjoy helping folks out, even if they arent buying from me.

Thankful for this thread. My wife and I are planning to do a full kitchen remodel in the summer that we have been planning for since 2011 because we are finally reaching our savings target and we are starting to do our research.

Of course, I have been plagued with the typical questions about whether to use a company that will GC everything versus GC'ing it myself. I'm not incredibly well versed in trades (my father in law is and my uncles are), so I'm inclined to want to give it over to a reputable company and let them handle everything. Since I'm an engineer and fairly detail oriented, I know that a lot of the finishing touches are what will separate a good project from a bad project.

That being said, since my neighborhood was hit hard with Harvey, I have access to a lot of people who have recently done kitchen remodels/replacements with a lot of recommendations and insights on sub contractors. Also, because I'm an engineer and have access to people with a lot of trade experience, I feel like I could use the next six months to do a lot of research and planning to make an execution plan/scope document that could set me up for success with subs that come highly recommended.

One of my neighbors who I work with actually came up with a 26 page document that basically read like one of our oil and gas specifications for the project with all the details spelled out. His project went really smoothly and the end product looks nice. His wife is also an architect who stays at home so she was able to be the one to stand over people's shoulders and keep them accountable for every detail.

There are so many considerations, but obviously budget is the big elephant in the room. I hear the argument that you MIGHT save more with a GC due to xyz savings, but those seem like qualitative statements that I have not seen anyone make the argument quantitatively. Most people admit that they paid a premium for having a GC do the work, but it was worth it for xyz factors (or not worth it). My house is worth less than $300k most likely, so even if I have an ability to pay, there's only so much money that makes sense to invest in a kitchen before I should just take my money and use it as a down payment on a new house with an upgraded kitchen that meets my needs.

Difficult decision, for sure.

The "house much per square foot?" question is very real in residential and almost every customer asks. The issue isn't if the builder can figure out a price per square foot, it is more accurately stated:

"Can the builder read the clients mind over an initial phone call, without seeing a plan or defining specifications and allowances and determine what price range this buyer on the phone is expecting?"

Obviously a 3000 sqft single story with 3.5 bathrooms and 4 bedrooms with a 2 car garage and say a 300sqft back porch is going to be much less expensive than the exact same floor plan with a 3-4car garage, and a 700sqft back porch. Not to mention what are the lot costs that are associated with that site in particular. Does it have lot clearing, pad building, one site well, on site septic, on site propane? That could add easily an extra $10-15 per "square foot". This isnt even touching the level of interior finishes and allowances or type of exterior materials.

I never give a "price per square foot" to a client until i can talk with them about plans, details of plans, details of finishes, and allowances. From there i know that i can be realistic.

I dont particularly agree with all the information previously posted about GCs. With a good GC you get way more than an administrator with a rolodex, but you also cant expect perfection on everything at initial install. As long as they correct everything and the finished product is quality and the client is happy all is good. The price a home where the GC is there for all aspects and sits on your site all day is unrealistic as well because if you think your 20-100K remodel of a kitchen is making him tons of money, you would be incorrect.

Few guys give good GCs a bad name.