Where is the best place to buy Kraftmaid cabinets?
We’ve gotten a rough estimate at Home Depot, but I’d like to make sure we’re spending our money wisely. Are there other providers that offer better prices?
We’d still need a little help putting an order together. We have our measurements and design. However, we’ll need someone who knows the ins-and-outs of the Kraft-maid line so we get everything ordered correctly (product ids, veneers on interiors, side panels, etc.).
We’re looking at around 60 lineal feet of cabinets. We can find our own installers and counter tops. We’re in the Illinois/Chicago area, but don’t mind working online or via phone.
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I got mine at Lowe’s, but I can’t tell you if it was cheaper or not. You might be able to get custom made cheaper than Kraftmaid, but I think Kraftmaid has good quality and stands behind their product. Custom cabinets are usually much cheaper quality or more expensive.
Some things I found out. Use a designer who listens to you and has the patience of Job. It takes a long time to design a kitchen with many revisions. Go in with your own plan and see if Kraftmaid has the cabinets you want to make the plan. The design may have to be changed to accommodate Kraftmaid, appliances, and zoning. Also you will think of all kinds of things you hadn’t thought of before. Double check EVERYTHING they do. They make mistakes.
Get references for the installer, unless you do it yourself, and be there when they install. Kraftmaid sometimes sends mis-matched pieces, including doors, but will replace them if you ask. Have your installer check the cabinets with you carefully when you get them. Some of mine were damaged or didn’t have all of the shelves or the doors had knot holes in them (someone else might not have cared, but I wanted my doors clear). Kraftmaid replaced everything. Some things didn’t come and had to be reordered.
Don’t let your designer over order unless she tells you they can be returned if they aren’t used. If the installation is included and you return something, get the installation taken off as well. If your state has sales tax, Lowes (in CA at least) doesn’t charge tax, if you use their installer. I don’t know about Home Depot. Lowes will work with Kraftmaid and/or the installer if something is wrong with the cabinets or installation. That’s one thing I like about Lowe’s, they are on the customer’s side. I did have the counter’s done by a different contractor, because that was much cheaper.
Well yes Home Depot sells Kraftmaid but they also charge full list price. You would not pay full list price/MSRP/sticker price for your new car so why pay it for cabinets? Instead go to any number of kitchen showrooms who advertise with the magic words 35 to 50% off list. Everyone is selling less then list price in this economic depression.
Next big issue is the big box stores do not employ Kitchen Designers, certified or not. They are just Cashiers or floor clerks who were chosen to take a 3 days course on CAD. They are nothing but cabinet salesmen, They are not Kitchen Designers by any stretch. They are trained to make a simple kitchen for maximum profit. The poor homeowner never knows the design possibilities because the salesmen dont know them to present to you. You the homeowner will be very short changed.
With that said, it is a certain deal that you will get wrong parts because those cabinet salesmen never put a kitchen in in their lives.
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/7_on_your_side&id=5788308
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/homeowners/home_depot_kitchen.html
There you find a list of consumer complaints against HD cabinet sales people longer then the federal deficet.
You are in Chicago I think you said. Merillat and Kraftmaid (same company all owned by Masco) all dominate your area because of a local plant. You will very easily find the showrooms who offer 50% off list price. If they dont offer it then walk away. Most do today, I promise. You will have a much easier time finding Merillat Cabinets because of HDs insistence there be little to no Kraftmaid dealers because they dont want the competition. Like I said, They are the same company as well as about 5 other brands all owned by Masco. I much prefer Merillat.
You will also enjoy working with a professional Kitchen Designer CKD from a smaller showroom. And they dont charge for consultation like HD and Lowes does.
Hope that helps you to start.