How to Build Base Cabinets: The Complete Guide {Houseful of Handmade} (2023)

FAQs

Is it cheaper to build your own cabinets or buy them? ›

While building your own cabinets saves about 66%, the cost of tools and time eats into this significantly for someone who is not an experienced woodworker.

There are three types of cabinets: partial overlay, full overlay, and inset. Each term is used to describe how the cabinet door or drawer sits on or in the cabinet frame.

As far as depth goes, a standard base cabinet is 24 inches deep. For islands or other areas where there isn't enough space for such a deep cabinet, the size is generally reduced by three inches at a time. The shallowest base cabinets are 12 inches deep (Usually, a wall cabinet is used to achieve this depth).

The 10x10 kitchen layout is a standard dimension that cabinet retailers use to help you estimate and compare the cost of new cabinets for your kitchen. The 10x10 represents the square footage of a kitchen, 100 square feet in total—the size of most small to average kitchen layouts.

Depending on what kind of primer you're using and the state of the cabinets, you will need 1-2 coats of primer. For many cabinets, one coat is plenty, but if you're uncertain, a second coat won't hurt as long as it's not applied too thick. When it comes to the actual paint, you will need at least two coats.

While building kitchen cabinets is not overly difficult, it can be a big job–even for an experienced carpenter. Before you take on this DIY project in your own home, you should understand that it does require some basic woodworking knowledge, precise measurements, and certain tools of the trade.

The term base cabinet refers to storage cabinets that rest on the floor, as opposed to the wall cabinets that are hung from the wall or suspended from the ceiling.

Hardwood. Arguably the most durable material for kitchen cabinets, hardwood is solid wood. Some hardwood types, such as hickory or maple, will resist scratching and denting more than softwood species like walnut and mahogany. However, the former will cost more due to durability and overall quality.

Average labor cost

Including preparation and cleanup, the typical labor cost to install kitchen cabinets can range between $80 and $190 per cabinet, or $50 to $450 per linear foot.

How much does it cost to build a base cabinet? ›

For a kitchen base cabinet, material cost is between $200 to $600. Meanwhile, labor costs fall between $60 to $300. Overall, your expected average cost for constructing and installing a kitchen base cabinet is between $110 to $250 per square foot.

There are two types of cabinetry styles: face framed and frameless. In the past, most cabinets were constructed with a face-framed approach but both applications now offer endless styles and design. Stock, semi-custom and custom cabinet designs are available in both framed and frameless construction.

Kitchen Cabinet Wood Choices

The 5 best and most popular woods for kitchen cabinets are pine, oak, hickory, cherry, and maple. Pine, oak, and hickory are cheaper and easier to get. Cherry and maple look luxurious and cost more than the others.

The most widely used kinds for cabinet boxes are constructed from medium density fiberboard (MDF), plywood, particleboard with melamine and sometimes stainless steel. MDF is a high-grade composite material made from recycled wood fibers and resin.

The most common style for cabinets today is the Shaker-style. The Shaker-style consists of five pieces of flat-panel, creating a frame with four pieces and with a single flat centre panel as the fifth piece.

Base Cabinet

A cabinet that sits on the floor. These cabinets usually support the countertops. They differ from wall cabinets which hang on the wall. Base cabinets are typically 24" deep, and vary by width.

Kitchen and bath cabinets will generally fall into one of two types of cabinets, face frame or frameless. The face frame style cabinet will have a framework which surrounds the opening of the cabinet at the door and the drawer opening.

Toe Kick. Below the base cabinet, there is a recessed area known as the toe kick. It typically measures 3 inches in height and the depth is approximately 3.5 – 4 inches. The toe kick is an ergonomic feature which places countertops and cabinets within arm's length.

Standard Dimensions for Toe Kicks

Toe-kick depths greater than 3 inches do not hurt the effectiveness of the toe kick, but depths less than 3 inches should usually be avoided, as they interfere with ergonomic effectiveness. The optimal height for a toe kick is 4 inches, and heights up to 4 inches are common.

The optimal depth for a toe kick is 3 inches. This provides an adequate recess to stand comfortably and maintain balance while working at a countertop. Almost all factory-made stock cabinets will comply with this depth standard.

How perfectly level do Base cabinets need to be? ›

The rear of the base cabinet must be level with the front. If the highest point on the floor is closer to the wall, the front of the cabinet must be raised with shims. If the highest point on the floor is farther away from the wall, the rear of the cabinet must be raised to the equal height.

Standard kitchen base cabinet height without countertop: 34 1/2 inches. Standard kitchen base cabinet height with countertop: 35 to 36 inches. Standard kitchen base depth (front to wall) without countertop: 24 inches. Standard base cabinet depth with countertop: 25 to 26 inches.

Obviously, some models of wall or base cabinets will differ from these, but this will be called out for that cabinet in the catalog as well as on your quote. These depths are from the back of the cabinet to the front of the face frame and do not include the thickness of the door and drawer front.

There are five basic kitchen layouts: L-Shape, G-Shape, U-Shape, One-Wall and Galley. The size and shape of the room will typically determine your layout. Although variations and deviations do exist, most kitchen layouts are based on one of the following shapes.

On average, a 10×10 kitchen remodel costs between $15,000 and $30,000 or $75 to $150 per square foot. Most homeowners spend around $17,280 and $32,803 or $80 to $200 per square foot. Further, the total 10×10 kitchen remodel cost varies depending on various factors.

Good quality kitchen cabinets will generally be 18mm thick, with an 8mm solid back for extra rigidity.

On the fronts and backs of drawers and doors, you can use a roller. This will apply the paint in a more smooth and even manner and is much faster than only using a paint brush. Then, use a brush for touching up small areas or for hard-to-reach spots.

Depending on how strong or bold the previous color is, it may be necessary to apply more than one coat of primer. However, it is not necessary to over apply the primer with so many coats. As long as the primer applies uniformly over the previous color, then one or two coats should be sufficient.

In short, you will typically need 2 coats of primer for most painting projects. Apply primer liberally and allow to dry fully before applying your final coat of interior paint.

Oak or birch hardwood is good for cabinets, storage and furniture.

How long does it take to learn cabinet making? ›

Cabinet makers use power and hand tools to craft consumer goods from timber. While there are no formal educational requirements for a career as a cabinet maker, it generally takes at least two years of on-the-job training to acquire the necessary skills of the trade.

The cost of building your own kitchen cabinets usually ranges due to the size of the kitchen space. According to the cabinet building calculator, one can expect to pay around $800 to $1,200 per cabinet depending on the quality of the materials used.

There are no strict rules as to whether painted kitchen cabinets should be lighter or darker than the walls, essentially it comes down to personal preference and the look you're trying to achieve.

With a stationary floor, the kitchen cabinets can be attached to the subfloor or in some cases, to the flooring material itself without hampering the functionality.

Attach the cabinets to the studs with at least two screws in each mounting rail, while attaching the cabinets to each other with at least four drywall screws. Once all cabinets are securely in place, trim off the exposed shims with a utility knife.

Domestic plywood used in cabinetry can be commonly found in thicknesses of 5/32 inch and up, but for the purposes of a frameless cabinet ANSI HP-1 nominal ¾-inch thick panels are ideal.

A-grade plywood is ideal for furniture or cabinet doors. B-grade plywood also features a smooth, sanded surface, but may have more repaired defects up to 1-inch across.

For interior and exterior strength, plywood is the best. However, this does not rule out MDF and particle board. MDF is the best for painted door panels. Particle board is the best for inexpensive cabinetry.

While building your own cabinets saves about 66%, the cost of tools and time eats into this significantly for someone who is not an experienced woodworker.

Fully Custom Kitchen Cabinets: The average cost of replacing fully custom kitchen cabinets is between $500 to $1,200 per linear foot. Additionally, you'll need to spend between $12,500 and $18,000 for installation and materials.

How much does it cost to install 10x10 kitchen cabinets? ›

Typically, you can expect to spend between $150 and $500 per cabinet, plus installation costs, or $150-$380 per linear foot for total installation. Each cabinet will take 60-90 minutes to install, so you can also expect to pay an hour or two of labor per cabinet that you are installing.

Cabinets made of MDF, particle board, or other mixed synthetic materials are going to be much less expensive than lacquered cabinets or those made of solid wood or glass.

Made of pressed wood, MD, or plywood topped by a layer of paper coloured with a heat-fused melamine resin, melamine is the least expensive cabinet material.

While building kitchen cabinets is not overly difficult, it can be a big job–even for an experienced carpenter. Before you take on this DIY project in your own home, you should understand that it does require some basic woodworking knowledge, precise measurements, and certain tools of the trade.

The most widely used kinds for cabinet boxes are constructed from medium density fiberboard (MDF), plywood, particleboard with melamine and sometimes stainless steel. MDF is a high-grade composite material made from recycled wood fibers and resin.

The 5 best and most popular woods for kitchen cabinets are pine, oak, hickory, cherry, and maple. Pine, oak, and hickory are cheaper and easier to get. Cherry and maple look luxurious and cost more than the others. All 5 work well in the kitchen's hot and humid environment.

A cabinet install normally takes two to three days. And, countertops take an additional two weeks from template to install. Long story short, a kitchen remodel timelines for a simple remove and replace typically spans six to eight weeks.