People have heard of ready-to-assemble and custom cabinets, but what about semi-custom cabinets? Some people consider going out with the remodel when remodeling a kitchen home. However, there are many different ways to remodel a kitchen.
Why Should You Choose Semi-Custom Cabinets For Your Next Kitchen Remodel
When looking for kitchen cabinets, there are many different forms, from full custom to RTA cabinets. So why would a home remodeler choose semi-custom cabinets for their next dream kitchen?
The biggest difference in the form of cabinets the customer chooses may be price and time difference.
RTA cabinets will be readily available based on a store’s stock and inventory. Custom and semi-custom cabinets will have a production time from purchase. Any custom form will have a higher price tag than in-stock cabinets.
Differences Between RTA, Custom, and Semi-Custom Cabinets
Let’s explore the differences between each option and see which is best for your next remodel.
RTA Cabinets
Ready-to-assemble cabinets (commonly referred to as RTA cabinets) are cabinets that are packaged in flat boxes. These are easy to store for companies and typically the less expensive option for many customers. Some stores may have these ready to pick up the same day an order is placed.
Where RTA cabinets are lacking is that they are intended for the general public. Cabinet availability is based on the popularity of the public.
Common colors like white and gray shakers dominate the market as the popular choices. These limited colors may not be what some people desire or what designers have in mind.
Options like blue cabinets are much more difficult to find and require custom cabinets for these specific needs.
Since RTA cabinet stores will stock cabinets based on popular colors, special inventory will immediately be an issue for those looking for cabinets.
Less popular colors like wood grain cabinets may not be as heavily stocked as White Shakers. This is because White Shakers tend to sell more often than mahogany wood grain cabinets.
Pros
- Readily in stock
- Easy to ship
- Cost efficient
Cons
- Limited options
- Assembly
- What’s in stock is in stock
Custom Cabinets
Not happy with RTA options? Something you want is not in stock? Custom Cabinets is the answer.
Yet, on the opposite spectrum, custom cabinets are the most costly option.
These cabinets are hand-cut, painted, and installed by a cabinet maker. The cabinet maker measures the kitchen himself and processes the whole cabinet himself.
Custom means these cabinets have almost no color, design, or finish limitations. Odd-sized glass doors, elaborate countertop legs, and uncommon wood stains are all options for the customer at a much higher cost.
Custom brands like Omega Cabinetry even provide different wood options, allowing one to change how the cabinet feels on the exterior.
Pros
- Wide range of options
- Detailed customization is not found anywhere
- Made in USA
Cons
- extremely costly
- Long wait
- Cabinet maker’s availability
Semi-Custom Cabinets
Semi-custom cabinets are a mix of both RTA and custom cabinets. The RTA portion comes from the body itself. Since most cabinets use plywood boxes, the body does not need to be anything special.
Most companies carry RTA cabinets, which are easier to store in warehouses than custom or prebuilt cabinets, sometimes found on Home Depot shelves. Customers must then find a cabinet store or cabinet door maker to make custom doors.
The door options set semi-custom cabinets apart. Most companies utilizing semi-custom will have modern cabinets in matte and gloss options.
Pros
- Customization
- Availability
- Affordability
Cons
- Wait time
What Makes Semi-Custom Cabinets Unique From RTA and Custom Cabinets
What sets semi-custom unique from the rest of the kitchen cabinets is the flexibility and the timeframe. Stock cabinets are typically abundant, but demand can make obtaining your cabinets a difficult hunt.
RTA cabinets come in pairs, with the cabinet body and the door facing. Not having one or the other means one does not have a complete cabinet.
Custom cabinets will have the customization on any style cabinet for most cases. The preferences, styles, and details are as creative as possible. All of these are packed into one big receipt.
The limits here are based on how much one will pay for all the minor touches. With full custom, you pay for the material and labor to cut and install the cabinets.
Semi-custom mixes both options, getting the best of both worlds. Typically, kitchen cabinets will come in a white or gray option. The option of semi-custom allows one to explore unique graining and colors that are not readily available or common.
An example is the popular rising trend of blue cabinets.
Despite this popular color, not everyone wants to remodel with blue cabinets. Thus, cabinet stores will not try to keep this color readily available.
Having the option for custom without going through a cabinet maker gives customers the option to pick unique finishes without using the whole remodeling budget on the cabinet.
