Homeowners have become so accustomed to go to the big home supply stores, that they often don't think to look anywhere else for big ticket items like kitchen cabinets. Typically what you find at that supply stores and kitchen design centers are the name brand cabinets, but there are other types of cabinets out there. Below are the three categories that cabinets fall into.

Name Brand or Stock Kitchen Cabinets

You can buy manufactured kitchen cabinets through a home center, lumberyard, kitchen-products center or designer. The cabinets can be installed by the dealer, a contractor or the homeowner. The cabinets are typically made in specific or stock sizes, so it is not uncommon to use filler strips and trim to fill gaps where the cabinets meet the walls or where a standard size cabinet will not fit. Since they are mass-produced and can be made in batches, they are able to sell the cabinets significantly lower than custom cabinets. Delivery can take anywhere from 2-6 weeks.

Custom and Semi-Custom Kitchen Cabinets

A kitchen cabinet or millwork shop builds custom and semi-custom cabinets to specifications. An experienced cabinetmaker can offer the most design flexibility and can handle a wide range of sizes, materials, finishes, hardware and configurations. The only difference between custom and semi-custom is that semi-custom will have some pre-cut or pre-built parts that are customized after being made. Shop-built kitchen cabinets can also be built in large sections to fit site-measured situations. Kitchen cabinets are delivered and installed from 6 to 20 weeks after the order. The shop will install the kitchen cabinets. Since the cabinet quality will depend on the skill of the craftsman, it is important to get references and go view previous installations to gauge the quality of the work.

Ready to Assemble Kitchen Cabinets

Ready-to-assemble (RTA) kitchen cabinet parts are an option for the fairly handy. Much like the stock cabinets, RTA cabinets are mass produced and come ready to assemble which helps keep down the cost. Companies like Ikea allow you to pick out each part of the cabinet separately, while most of the RTA cabinet importers offer cabinets will all the components in one box. Most RTA Cabinets will have the same level of quality as the stock cabinets, but the savings comes from buying them unassembled and performing the labor yourself. Delivery can take anywhere from 1 week to 3 weeks depending on the source.

So when you are beginning your plans to remodel your kitchen, take a look at all the options that are available. Your budget, the style you are looking for, and the time frame of your project will all dictate which type of cabinets you go with.