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Does custom cabinetry cost more than cabinets from the home store?
It seems that a custom shop, especially a hand crafted quality shop such as Shafer Cabinets, has a stigma associated with it that the products they produce are expensive when compared to that from a 'Home Store'. This is an unfortunate reputation, but without merit. The more educated about your cabinet project you become, the more apparent our value becomes.
In fact, purchasing your cabinets from SCI is a far greater value when compared to what you might get if you purchase either from a home store, a lumber yard or even another custom shop that doesn't finish, install and provide countertops. Great sales and aggressive promotions shouldn't thrill you so much that you overlook the entire cabinet project you are undertaking.
Though the 'designer' will provide you with a a cabinet drawing but in fact what you are purchasing is a list of items, not an entire kitchen, and a quote for the installation and a quote for the countertops, and again for their installation.
When you add up the cabinets; the real, final and unconditional cost of the installation, the countertops and their installation, taxes, delivery, you might have good idea of what you are going to spend. But here ask yourself if everything is considered to complete the project. We have found purchasing a fragmented project leaves the homeowner alone the one to discover all the small and seemingly inconsequential details missed with their purchase.
Value is defined here as this:
Value of cost: When you add up all 'their'
costs and estimates you will feel more comfortable with your final
cost of the project with us because we sell you the complete project,
not a list of parts and the installers phone number. If our bid
does add up to be slightly more than 'theirs' you can rest assured
that if something was unforeseen or goes array anywhere through
the job we are there with you, responsible. Their installer will
refer to another's cabinets and yet another's countertops when
problems arise.
Designed value: When you are selecting cabinets, Home Stores offer
many different brands that include many different choices and
details. This is a wide array of details for anyone to remember
and fully understand. Though you can view some of the products,
how they are interpreted into your design and onto your sales
receipt is up to the sales clerk. Though she might be quick with
the computer program, is she qualified and actually understanding
of the scope of your project.
'Cabinetry is our thing'; we design, build, finish, provide counters, install and back up all of it! We are interested in you getting the most for your money and hopefully referring us. Ask yourself who might be better qualified to work with your hard-earned money, them or us. In fact you should ask their designer their personal qualifications and see examples and get referrals of their work in addition to the products they are offering!
Is there really a quality difference between store bought cabinets, Shafer Cabinets and other shops?
Yes, absolutely! Some are very apparent and some may not be seen for years. You need to become educated as to where these quality differences are and how they might affect your expectations.
Simple qualities that should be apparent is materials used, _" or even _" thick construction is simply not strong enough for the long run, cabinet backs keep the cabinet box square and quality hardwoods look much better and keep straighter. Photo melamine cabinet exterior sides versus real wood sides is a sign of a cheap cabinet and will show much greater as the real woods age.
Hardware is a subtle quality that is often ignored. Plastic drawer glide rollers will become brittle and break, nylon is more expensive and will not but all drawers should be mounted to wooden cabinet sides and not simply stapled to a strip at the back of the cabinet.
One costly quality at Shafer's is that we glue our face frames on the cabinets 'without nails'. The clamps are left on while the glue hardens, this takes much more time than other methods but there is no need for the filling of nail holes that will eventually take a different color when it ages.
The finishes we use are professional grade and superior to any used by most similar shops. We finish in our facility and use a hand-rubbed effect varnish for a high quality furniture look yet with decades of durability. Our counter tops are thoughtfully seamed only when it is impossible to build seamless. Lastly our installation is a reflection for all our hard work.
How long does it take to get.., say a kitchen? What is lead-time?
Generally, a project the scope of a kitchen will be quoted 12 weeks. Though at first this might seem a long time, verses purchasing from a home store who might quote you six, eight or even ten weeks, and can be quite deceiving.
We too can produce a kitchen in as little as eight weeks or perhaps less. This is of course once the design is finalized. At a home store you need to have your decisions made, design approved and your purchase finalized and paid for, then their delivery time schedule begins. If they quote six weeks and they are on schedule you will need to schedule the installer and hope his schedule is as available is you need (if it is, we wonder why?). Then and only then can the countertops be measured (will this happen the same day and the cabinets are set or might there be a few days even before the measure?) and then the counters can be ordered. Wait, wait, ok now their completed and delivered, call the installer back and oh noo! They were made wrong! How long until they remake them and who's mistake is it? Get the idea?
In our 12 week proposal we will not begin your order until you sign off on the final designs and we will work with you to make sure that what you purchased, or what you intended to purchase is really what you are going to get. This design time is estimated at about four weeks. Within that time, there is a field measurement by us and as few as two or three drafts or many more if needed to get it right. From these efforts you will understand well what your project consists of and will approve the design and even consider it as your own work (go ahead, tell your friend you designed it, we won't tell, just give them our phone number!). Then we have 8 weeks to fabricate, finish, build the * counters and begin the installation.
If there were to be any problems, we are in total control to get them corrected in a timely fashion. We do not wish to move on to another job and wait for the problem to be corrected and reschedule return. If there is a problem it would be addressed, and corrected so that you are up and running again in the shortest possible time.
* Usually we are able to fabricate and install counters concurrent to the cabinet project. Only sometimes is it needed to have cabinets set to fabricate countertops, and even then it is our interest to get the tops in before we are fully complete with the installation.
Therefore, even if everything went well on the Home Stores schedule we will likely be complete, sooner, overall!
A word of caution though, when the project lingers it is usually because we have been unable to get the drawings approved within a four week period. There are variables that can affect this, but the eight weeks is usually a reliable time frame to build and deliver your project.
Is there a cost to measuring and designing?
Not to you. The cost of selling, designing, acquiring information and specifications, and preparing your project to the shop floor is a great cost against your project but built within our prices. We are prepared to spend whatever time is necessary to get your job right, before it goes into production.
What is your process, How do we begin and what should we expect?
When you first contact our company, you have a few options to begin. You may have and we invite you to visit a variety of home stores, lumberyards and competitors to become educated about cabinetry. We feel the more you know about cabinetry and your project and its needs the more you can appreciate our great value!
You can come in and visit our showroom and shop, view samples and ongoing projects within our production shop. We can discuss your project specifically and begin a quote. Or, if you have little time and somewhat of a plan we can receive your plans and begin a quote from them. Or we can come out to you, at your home, discuss your project personally and at no charge!
When we have figured out and agree to a price for your project, we will draft a contract, schedule a final 'exact field measurement' of the area, and begin detailed designing of your project. This usually is the most exciting and harried part of the project you will be involved with, selecting details, species, colors, hardware, appliances, moldings and many, many more details. You will receive drafts and progression drawings all to finally be drafted into a final shop drawing that includes detail, notes and specifications
Your approved final drawings and our field
measurements are then presented to our shop for construction.
The materials would have been procured and a tentative delivery
is set.
Once your project is presented to the 'shop floor', it might take
a week or so for the production department to actually begin cutting
out your parts. Within the eight week 'production cycle'
there is 'purge time' (the time it takes to fully complete the
jobs directly in front of yours), lay out (the time it takes the
production manager to draft out or lay out your cabinets to the
cabinet makers), construction time, sanding, finishing and prep
(when the finished project is assembled and prepared for final
delivery).
Throughout the 'production cycle' something may have become apparent
that either was missed or simply would be a benefit to the project
if discussed with you. Here you may hear either from your salesman
or directly from the production manger. These conversations would
take place only to confirm a quality product, verify expectations
or offer enhancements.
If we are finishing your project you may be contacted for color
approval.
As the project enters its final stages we can more clearly identify
a delivery schedule.
Can you match an existing cabinet or piece of furniture I already like?
To a great degree we can match something already created. Though there are many different variables that will be discussed with you and you will have a color approval, we are experienced and have been very successful in wood, color and machining detail matching.
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