What Are Stock Cabinets?

Your home's kitchen is probably the social center of the entire residence, and you will spend a lot of time there since you need to eat several times a day. Cabinets are often the most striking visual feature of a kitchen, and the storage space serves a crucial function, too. One decision you have to make is whether to get custom cabinets or stock cabinets. Before you take advantage of a free kitchen design, we’ve defined what stock cabinets are to ensure you are making the right choice for your kitchen.

Defining Stock Cabinets

Stock cabinets are manufactured off-site with standard styles and measurements. One potential downside is how they offer limited options for consumers. However, a possible benefit is that they're often cheaper.

When you choose stock cabinets, you can choose from a number of different styles. There are also several kinds of wood you can pick from. Still, your options might not be as diverse as with custom cabinets. Having said that, you can usually find the style you want among the selections of RTA cabinets available to you.

Whether you choose Northpoint cabinetry or one of the other available brands, you can usually have stock cabinets put into place faster since they're already made. You'll save money in most cases, but you might have issues with physical consistency throughout your kitchen. Stock cabinets aren't always available in specific measurements that meet your kitchen dimensions.

Who Might Benefit From Stock Cabinets

Stock cabinets often appeal to two different groups. Whether you're renovating a current home or building a new one, two things that you might be interested in are keeping costs down and having expedient installation. Both are areas where stock cabinets might help you out.

A kitchen construction or renovation can be an expensive project. Even renovating an existing kitchen can have a price tag that quickly hits five digits, and some even hit six if you're not careful. Since stock cabinets are mass-produced in consistent dimensions, the extra labor involved with custom creation doesn't drive the price up.

Installation speed can also be crucial to a project. If you're doing construction, then waiting on cabinet installation might delay how long it is until your home is ready. Should you be doing a renovation, any project delays might mean days to weeks of eating out or having food delivered. Putting a microwave in the dining room or living room can help, but it's a serious limitation. Stock cabinets are ready to go or only need minimal assembly, so installation can happen as soon as the materials arrive.

In the past, many homeowners have chosen to go with custom cabinets so they could access special features and even detailed craftsmanship. While custom cabinets might still have a general advantage in these areas, the lead over stock cabinets isn't what it once was. If hardware, moldings and special features, such as a coffee station or appliance garage, matter to you, then modern stock cabinets have more options than ever before. It's worth taking at least a little time to look over the available options.

Making a Decision

You'll probably start off thinking about your dream kitchen, only to come to the moment when you need to manage expectations. In the case of kitchen cabinets, that might mean applying the rule of three. Your three objectives are likely cost, speed and quality, but you might get to emphasize only two of them. For instance, if you're willing to be patient with how long the process takes, then you might get to enjoy cost savings and higher quality. Consider which of the factors are most important to you and if there's one area you can be flexible on.

Your home's kitchen is there to serve you and your family, so choose the cabinets that work best for you and those you love. If you're having a hard time choosing between stock cabinets or custom options, always remember that kitchen cabinet samples might help you make your decision. Once you make your decision, turn to WC Supply for options that suit your taste while staying within your budget.