New Construction Cabinets Explained: Choosing Cabinets at the Design Center
Cabinets are a major expense when building a new construction home. Upgrading cabinets typically adds thousands of dollars to your building costs. Many new home construction buyers know what color cabinets they want or how they want them to look. However, many people don’t know much about cabinet construction before walking into a Design Center or Showroom.
What is the difference between the cabinet levels at the Design Center? Is it worth it to upgrade your cabinets to the highest level at the design center? Are you getting things you care about, or are you paying for things that don’t matter to you? Before you go into the Design Center and pay thousands of dollars for cabinet upgrades, you should know the basics of cabinet construction. By the end of this article, I hope you are better equipped to evaluate your cabinet choices and costs. Watch our YouTube Video to see pictures of the things mentioned in this article!
New Construction Cabinets 101
The first step in recognizing the difference between cabinet levels is to know what cabinets are made from. Cabinets can be made from engineered wood or wood materials or a combination of the two. Engineered wood is 1) particle board, 2) MDF (medium-density fiberboard), or 3) HDF (high-density fiberboard). Plywood is the typical wood product used to make cabinets. The foundational part of a cabinet is the cabinet box, followed by your doors (and hinges) and drawers (and drawer glides). There are differences in how these materials may be used in these different aspects of cabinet construction. Those differences may contribute to the differences between cabinet levels at the Design Center.
Engineered Wood
Particle Board (also known as low-density fiberboard), MDF, and HDF are all types of engineered wood made from wood particles or chips mixed with a glue or resin substance, that is heated and pressed together. Particle board, MDF, HDF gained popularity for uses in furniture production because they are dense and strong, and less expensive than plywood.
Plywood
Although it has the word “wood” in its name, Plywood is technically engineered wood. It is made from thin veneers of wood, that are laid on top of layers of resin and wood fiber that is bonded together. It makes a wood sandwich that has a cross-grain structure that helps make it super strong. The more layers of the sandwich (plies) the thicker and stronger the plywood.
NEW CONSTRUCTION CABINETS TIP: Much of what is in this article applies to a typical design center experience during new home construction. However, if you have the option of getting cabinets made by a high-end or custom cabinet maker, you will have many options to choose from including but not limited to the type of wood used to make your cabinets and the specific door, drawer, and crown styles, as well as pull-outs and custom measurements.
New Construction Cabinets: Boxes, Doors, Shelves, and Drawers
Cabinet Boxes
Cabinet boxes made from engineered wood are of great value, but there are some drawbacks. Engineered wood cabinets are more susceptible to impacts from moisture like buckling, warping, and expanding (with particle board being the most vulnerable and HDF being the least). While these engineered wood products are strong, there may be limitations on how they handle the weight of heavy countertops. Also, engineered wood may not hold screws well. As a result, hinges or other things screwed directly into engineered wood cabinet boxes may loosen or become damaged over time.
Plywood is less susceptible to the effects of moisture. It doesn’t expand and contract like normal wood. The layers of the wood sandwich resist movement so it stands up to buckling, warping, expanding, and shirking. Plywood is also very strong and can hold the weight of heavy countertops, and keep its shape during storage, shipping, and delivery. That’s what makes plywood an excellent and frequently used material for cabinet boxes.
Cabinet Doors and Shelves
Engineered Wood
Typically, a thin strip of wood or veneer is used to cover the engineered wood, so it will have a smooth and uniform appearance. This gives a nice, clean, and modern look to cabinet doors and drawer fronts. This is what makes engineered wood a popular choice for cabinet doors (and for creating feature walls). However, it can be difficult to repair engineered wood if it is damaged by water, or things banging into it. In addition, you may not be able to reuse screw holes if you have issues with repairing drawer glides or door hinges. Cabinet shelves made from engineered wood are sturdy but can sag over time from the weight of heavy objects. Engineered wood cabinet doors and shelves are popular because they are strong, look great, and are typically significant cost savings.
Wood
Wood cabinet doors and shelves are more expensive, but are sturdy and the shelves will not sag under pressure. These doors can be made from a range of wood types giving a variety of appearances, especially when stained. Wood cabinet doors can also withstand nicks, dings, and scratches well, which are easier to fix or cover-up. You can paint, re-paint, strip, sand, and re-stain wood cabinets. They are also easier to repair because you can reuse or refurbish screw holes.
In some cases, a cabinet can be made from an engineered wood cabinet box and have a wood door on it. To do this a wood frame is put on an engineered wood cabinet box, and a wood door is put on the cabinet. This way the cabinet door hinge is screwed into the wood door and the wood frame, and not screwed into the engineered wood cabinet box.
Soft-close cabinet door hinges will raise the cost of your cabinets regardless of the materials used to make the cabinet doors and door frames.
Drawers and Glides
Drawers made from MDF are typically stapled together at the corners and have side glides. Side glides usually don’t allow the drawer to be fully opened (you’ll have to reach your hand inside to get all the way to the back of the drawer). In some cases side glides may impede getting soft close drawers, but not necessarily. Drawer bottoms made from MDF are more susceptible to sagging which puts stress on the drawer glides and can make the drawers pop off track. Despite these drawbacks, the cost savings and sleek look of cabinet boxes, doors, and drawers made from MDF or HDF make it a popular choice.
Drawers made from wood are more durable and less susceptible to the breakdown issues of MDF or HDF drawers. However, they will also be more expensive. High-quality wood drawer boxes are typically constructed using a dovetail method, where the joints of the drawers fit together like puzzle pieces. If you pull out the wood drawer and look at the sides, you can see the dovetail construction. This, combined with a plywood bottom makes the drawer strong. The wood, dovetail drawers can be fitted with under-mount glides, allowing the full extension of the drawer and soft close mechanism. Although not typical, I have seen a dovetail drawer with side glides that soft close as well.
New Construction Cabinets: Door and Drawer Styles
This is an area where there are either an array of styles to choose from at the Design Center or there are a few basic options with slight variations. The styles generally fall into three buckets: flat panel, raised panel, and shaker. Cabinet doors can be made out of wood or MDF or a combination of the two. However, there may be certain techniques more likely to be found on solid wood cabinets. Glass panel doors may also be an option. However, you will need to get a framed door type to accommodate the glass panel.
Flat Panel and Slab Front
You will recognize these immediately because they have a smooth surface with little or no detailing. Slab front doors have a uniform appearance and can transition between multiple types of looks from traditional to modern to contemporary, depending on the materials used to make the door.
Raised Panel
This is where the middle panel of the door is slightly thicker than the frame around it, giving it a raised look in the middle. There are many variations of raised panel door looks such as an arched panel or beaded panel. Beaded cabinet doors (a popular farmhouse look) are a kind of raised panel door where a beadboard panel is surrounded by a frame.
Recessed Panel
In this style, the frame is more prominent and sits outside or on top of the inside panel. There are many ways that recessed panel doors can be done with various cuts and shapes of the frame. Shaker is a type of recessed panel door style where there is no detailing and the frame has straight edges.
Some people like the drawer style to match the cabinet style for a uniform look. Others opt to combine a raised or recessed panel cabinet door, with a slab drawer front.
New Construction Cabinets: Styles/Configurations
Most, but not all cabinet boxes are made with a frame on the front face, to which the cabinet door hinges are attached. The position of the doors relative to the cabinet frame is called the overlay. The difference between the configurations is a matter of style and cost.
Partial Overlay
The cabinet door and drawers cover most but not all of the frames of the cabinet box. You can usually see the space between the cabinet doors and drawers. This is also called standard overlay because this is the method that gives more of a traditional look to the cabinets. Partial overlay tends to cost less than full overlay or inset methods. We chose shaker cabinet doors and slab drawer fronts in a standard overlay for our new construction home. We plan to put hardware on after we move in. Check out our YouTube Channel to follow our progress and see how it turns out!
Full Overlay
The cabinet door and drawers are fully or nearly fully covering the frame of the cabinet. You won’t see much if any, space between the cabinet doors and drawers. This method gives more of a contemporary look and feel. This tends to be more costly than a partial overlay. However, there may or may not be a significant price difference – it depends on the cabinet maker and materials used.
Inset
The cabinet doors and drawers are recessed into the frame of the cabinet. With the inset style, you can see the entire frame and the doors and drawers are flush with the frame. I think this style makes the cabinets look more like a nice dresser or bureau. I’ve seen inset cabinets used in both traditional and contemporary styles. This is typically going to be the most expensive of the three configurations because of the precision it takes to ensure that the cabinet doors and drawers fit exactly into the frame.
TIP: NEW CONSTRUCTION CABINETS: HARDWARE
Many people opt out of purchasing cabinet hardware (pulls and knobs) from the design center when building a new construction home. The builder’s markup on the hardware and installation can be ridiculous which makes skipping hardware a great area to save money. In addition, there are many online shopping choices and price points for hardware. You can either hire someone to put the hardware on after you close, or DIY installation if you are not worried about damaging your cabinets.
If you are getting the partial overlay style, there will be enough space for you to use your fingers to open and close the cabinet doors and drawers. Thus, choosing and installing hardware won’t need to be done urgently. However, if you are getting the full overlay or inset configurations, and you don’t put on some hardware ASAP, it may be very challenging or damn near impossible to open your cabinet doors and drawers!
What is the difference between new construction cabinet levels at the Design Center?
Typically, factors that influence cabinet levels at the design center are the materials used to make the cabinets, the cabinet box style, drawer style, door style, color choices, and associated features like the crown, soft close, specialty drawer inserts and pullouts, pot drawers, and side panel detailing. A major indicator of how many levels up you will need to upgrade is what the cabinets are made from at the starting level. Particle board, MDF, and HDF cabinet boxes are less expensive than plywood cabinet boxes. In some situations, the sides of the cabinet will be made from plywood, and the backs of the cabinets are made from MDF. Cabinets, where the cabinet box (sides and back) are made from plywood, will cost more than cabinets that are made from particle board, MDF, or HDF.
Other contributing factors to upgrade levels are the elements of the cabinet construction you want (e.g. partial, full overlay or inset) the doors and drawers (e.g. shaker doors and drawers with dovetail joints and under-mount glides), the color of cabinets you want (and if you want two-tone cabinets), and whether certain features (e.g. soft close, pot drawers, glass fronts, and specialty inserts) are available independent of which level of cabinets you choose.
Often, certain features or colors are only offered at the higher or highest level, causing you to pay a premium cost to upgrade to the max level to get that feature, even if you didn’t want everything included in the upgrade.
NEW CONSTRUCTION CABINETS: NOT ALL LEVELS ARE CREATED EQUAL
The most advantageous time to find out what is offered at a particular level is before you choose your builder. That way you can tell how many levels up you will need to upgrade, and potentially how much those upgrades will cost. A-l-a carte offerings that span across levels can also be a helpful way to control your budget. Because so many builders offer popular colors and features at the top level, finding a builder whose cabinets are made from high-quality materials, with a good choice of colors and features, without upgrading to the top level, will save you money in the long run!
Let’s See Some Examples New Construction Cabinet Levels
Let’s suppose you saw beautiful navy-blue shaker cabinets with gold pulls in the model home’s kitchen. The door style was a full overlay, but you like the inset look better. There were 6 pot drawers, with pullouts for kitchen utensils and garbage pullouts. All doors and drawers were shaker style, and the drawers had side mount glides. You want a kitchen to look substantially like this one. You don’t need the cabinet box to be made out of plywood or all wood doors and drawers. HDF cabinets will be sleek looking and sturdy enough. With inset doors and drawers, it will look great! You don’t want to spend extra money unless it is absolutely necessary, so you plan to skip getting soft-close doors and drawers and cabinet pulls from the builder.
New Construction Cabinets: Scenario 1
Builder A’s Design Center offers 7 cabinet levels. All the cabinets look very nice! Levels 1 and 2 are cabinets that are made completely out of lower-density engineered wood (box, doors, and drawers). You get to choose between 3 brown cabinet colors, standard style doors, and drawers, with partial overlay, side glide drawers, and a 1-inch crown. Levels 3 and 4 are MDF. You have to upgrade to a level 5 to get cabinets made from a higher-density engineered wood (HDF).
At levels 3-6, you can get full overlay doors and drawers in a range of styles. You also get side glide drawers, 2 pot drawers, and a 2-3 inch crown. You can get shaker cabinet doors. However, shaker cabinet drawers, glass front cabinets, and specialty pullouts are offered for an extra cost per item. Levels 3 and 4 offer more colors than levels 1 and 2, but not many. Levels 5 and 6 have a greater choice of colors, but not Navy Blue. It is only offered at Level 7.
Inset-style doors and drawers are also only available at Level 7, which includes all wood cabinets. Level 7 includes soft close wood doors and drawers, with dovetail construction and under-mount glides, your choice of partial, full, or inset cabinets in an array of cabinet colors or wood stains, two-tone cabinets, up to 4 pot drawers, 2 pullouts, your choice of crown, glass front cabinets with lights, and side detailing on all of the cabinets.
In this scenario, you would have to upgrade to a level 7 to get an inset style, shaker drawers, and doors in Navy Blue. You would also avoid the per-item cost of the shaker drawers, pot drawers, and pullouts. However, you would also be paying for some things that you did not want.
New Construction Cabinets: Scenario 2
Builder B’s Design Center offers 5 levels of cabinets. All of the cabinets look very nice! Levels 1-3 are cabinets that are made from HDF and come in an array of colors including Navy Blue, at level 3. Stapled, side glide drawers are standard, as are partial overlay doors and drawers. For an additional cost, you can choose shaker-style cabinet doors and drawers and upgrade to a full overlay.
Levels 4-5 are made from plywood, with wood doors and dovetail under-mount drawers. Choose from an array of door and drawer styles. You also get premium paint, and stains, your choice of crown, side detailing, and full overlay. Soft close door hinges and drawers only come with under-mount drawer glides, which only come on wood dovetail drawers.
For an additional cost, at any level, you can add pot drawers, specialty pullouts, and glass front cabinets with lights. Also, no matter the level, inset cabinets can be done for a premium upgrade charge.
You can get the Navy Blue cabinets you want at level 3, without upgrading to the highest level. It is also easier to manage your budget. To cut costs you could eliminate one or more extra features. Forego inset style doors and drawers and get fewer pot drawers. Because this builder offers many features, a-l-a carte, you can only pay for the things you want. This way you can get what you want without over-upgrading to the highest level.
If Builder A’s Level 7 is less than Builder B’s Level 3 plus, you may be better off with Builder A.
New Construction Cabinets: Conclusion
I hope this article helped you to understand how cabinets are made. Understanding this will influence your choices when choosing new construction cabinets at the design center! Follow our new home construction journey on our YouTube Channel
Have a blessed and successful week!
