Originally Posted by
Dave Sabo
This is one of the most ridiculous notions perpetuated by old fashioned "cabinet guys" and "sales weasels". Any kind of cabinets from any source can be "fit to the walls". It's what you pay designers and installers to do with practically every set of cabinets from every source.
IF what you really mean is that custom contains no fillers, you are 100 % in error there. Fillers are NECESSARY in practically every design for functional reasons. Your mythical "custom" kitchen with no fillers is going to annoy people when they can't open their drawers because they hit the door or window casings. They are going to be annoyed that the knob or handle on their cabinet door dings or punctures their drywall. Or, they can't open their fridge because there isn't enough room between it and the wall. And don't tell us you just make your stiles wider to take care of it. That's just a filler by another name. Most "custom" guys are really just made to measure like most cabinet manufacturers. We can agree that the box stores aren't really the place for "custom" cabinets of any kind though.
True custom is whatever the customer wants; not what you build with no fillers. You may build the best framed cabinets in America, but ya ain't custom if you can't or won't build a frameless kitchen with slab fronts from high gloss laminate with zero glue line showing. Or layup sequential matched Masur Birch panels for an inset set of cabs, or produce a kitchen with matching Stainless Steel fronts on everything. Operations that can do that ain't working for $10/hr or even $45. Most everyone that thinks or says they're custom are really just "made to measure".
Small minded mentality. That is simply a race to the bottom. You've got to differentiate yourself from a commodity. Even your lowest priced competitor could be outpriced by an out of town manuf. who's operation is more efficient.
Of course. It's the same as D. Prince's cabinet guy making $45 to $75 per hour ($90k-$150K/yr.) I'm merely pointing out my observation about that hourly rate not being as ludicrous as some of you may think.
So, the certification is the deciding factor in what a tradesman's time is worth ? Is the newly "certified" cabinet installer fresh outa school better than then the grizzled veteran of 15 yrs? Who would you expect to charge more ? And how about when Paul's Plumbing shows up at your place for a service call and it's the journeyman -or- apprentice is actually the one doing the work ? He's not as certified as Paul, nor is it his license on the line , but you're still getting charged Paul's high hourly rate. You're good with that but not with paying Cabinetman Chris 1/3 of that because he's not "certified" ? Um.....................ok.
Let's see. Independent Plumber has a truck, a home office, and a lot of hand tools along with an inventory of copper and pvc fittings. Put a number on it. Cabinet Guy has a truck, about the same # of hand tools, a small shop (rent), plus a big slider ($25-50k), shaper ($5-10k), an edgebander ($20-250k), Dust collection, Finishing booth,& sprayers, Line Borer, ect. ect... Put a number on that and tell us who you think has the most capital invested 9or general overhead) before they commit an hour of their billable time to your project ? And don't forget many cab shops keep a bit of raw material inventory lying around too, just like the plumber.