Planning on redoing my kitchen as it’s still the original 1960’s gallery kitchen and I hate it. I’ve used the kitchen design from Lowe’s to get an idea of what I want it to look like, and have my list of cabinets needed. I added them all in a shopping list from cabinets.com because I saw the website recommended a few times on this subreddit. Total comes to ~$7,100 which I guess isn’t terrible but is a big chunk of change, considering I need at least a new range plus countertops and floor with this remodel.

I had researched kitchen remodels when I first bought the house as it was one of the first projects I was going to do, but instead I did just about everything else. I had found a website that I believe was recommend on this subreddit as well, and they were ready to assemble cabinets. I can’t remember which site it was from, and there seems to be dozens when I Google “RTA” cabinets.

So are there any highly recommended RTA cabinet companies or are they all similar in the end? I’m not looking for anything fancy, just the typical white shaker style cabinets with all plywood constructed boxes. I’m not 100% certain on going with RTA but just want to see the price difference, if it’s substantial I’ll probably go with it as my FIL has built cabinets before and would probably be willing to help me out with constructing them.

Here are pics of my kitchen currently and what I designed: https://imgur.com/a/OpiOw70/

Note: I know there’s no oven in my design, the Lowe’s design softwares wouldn’t let me out a slide in range where I wanted it, so I just put a stove top for visualization.

Hello all, do any of you have any experience with RTA cabinets? I’m looking to redo my kitchen but don’t want to spend a fortune doing so. The RTA cabinets seems like a great alternative but I don’t know what a decent brand is. Everyone I seem to start liking I find horror stories about. Thanks in advance!

So I recently got a few quotes and design layouts from local cabinet shops and have wanted to explore the option of DIY cabinet replacement.

If you search RTA cabinets on Google it seems there are dozens of options that all look reputable and many of them appear at least on the surface to be high quality. I know IKEA seems to be the popular recommendation here but there are companies out there that seem to be better build quality with added bonus of being local cabinet makers just shipping out their product.

The issue I'm having a bit of choice paralysis, I can't seem to find a site where I can get unbiased reviews on these places, so I'd like some feedback from people that have went with a specific company and what they thought.

Interested in opinions on the build quality, ease of installation, and functionality of features like soft close or other cabinet options.

Looking for recommendations on quality RTA cabinet manufacturers and suppliers.

Has anyone had any experiences of their own? Who to use, who not to use etc.. I’ll be starting construction on a new home this spring and am starting to get items priced out now. I received a quote from the local Home Depot store for 13,000 on Kraft maid line pre- assembled cabinets for my kitchen and bathrooms.

Pricing out the cabinets with a few online Ready-To-Assemble retailers the price seems to be around half of that depending on which finishes are selected.

As for the reviews I’ve found very limited personal reviews on YouTube and other platforms for each cabinet maker.

Any information would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks for reading. Have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving!

Is there such thing as a high quality RTA cabinet? If so, who makes them?

Hi all. I am hoping to replace my cabinets with RTA cabinets and I wanted to check for recommendations on who has the best ones. Any suggestions?

Hey Guys. I’ve Been Building and Installing RTA Cabinets for about two years. I am always Making sure my Cut- outs, Screw holes and Builds are as clean as possible. Ensuring for Level and plumb as much as I can.

I would like to know what the typical rates Are for installing and Building these cabinets. I work full time at a custom cabinet shop but I enjoy Installing and I hope that becomes my full time job.

I am currently charging contractors

100$ per box to just assemble. 150$ per box to assemble and install.

We have a straight up 80's kitchen we are looking to give a face-lift. We have new appliances, so not factoring in that cost. Our budget is only about $10-12k (we will do the work ourselves as hubby us very handy and has contractors in family).

We are looking at HD Avondale cabinets, Ikea, and Diamond Express Jamestown from Lowes. We aren't looking to move any time soon since we have a 9 year old and a 6 month old.

Any suggestions? I was trying to stick to plywood for longevity, but I keep hearing Ikea kitchens are amazing... I'm hoping to swing Quartzite counters if we have enough $. Thanks.

Hi! We bought a home with an older kitchen that is not our style. We got a couple of kitchen quotes and were blown away at how much it cost....$47,000 for stock cabinets plus labor, not even custom cabinetry. We are thinking of doing our own demo and putting together a kitchen.

Is it a better idea to do RTA or IKEA kitchen? Seems like there’s mixed opinions on here about ikea kitchen, it’s a great deal but some say it’s cheap material and flimsy. Those who have built ikea kitchens, have you run into issues with out of stock parts or ordering?

If you have built an RTA kitchen, what online suppliers do you recommend? Was assembly straightforward?

Would appreciate any insight on this! For context, we have a U shaped kitchen with a small island and want to get classic shaker white cabinets and quartz countertops. Something basic but functional. We would also like lower cabinets to have mostly drawers rather than doors.

Thank you!

I was a cabinet installer back in the day so I'm comfortable doing it, but have no interest in making them. We will only be in the house for 5 years so don't want to go full fancy custom. Who are some USA based, quality (plywood build, not MDF) "ready to assemble" (RTA) suppliers other than IKEA?

Hi, has anybody ordered RTA kitchen cabinets? I am looking for recommendations. How much time they took to deliver? How was the quality? And price point? Thanks!

I need to put a kitchen in my house that is being renovated and the demand is such that even if I was willing to pay 30k for custom cabinets, none would be available until summer. Some of the cabinet guys also sell a small line of what seem to be more or less RTA cabinets that they will assemble and install for around 20k, but they are so busy they can’t even make that guarantee.

I’ve looked at a few different internet sites and the main difference I can see in the RTAs I can find is that the recessed panel on my shaker doors would be made from MDF instead of wood. I would still get soft close doors and drawers, and dovetailed drawers and .5 inch plywood, lazy susans in the corners and slide out boxes in the base cabinets, 42 inch uppers and a few glass doors if I want them. My final cost would be around 10k (plus my time) and the various sizes available allow me to fit my dimensions perfectly, so I also wouldn’t need filler strips and would still get a “custom” look. Not to mention, they would ship out to me in a week. I’m perfectly capable of putting them together, hanging them and even making some minor modifications (like turning an 18 inch one drawer/one door base into an under sink cabinet for a small prep sink.

I’ll probably pull the trigger this weekend to get the benefit of the MLK day sales, but I’m nervous to even be spending 10k on something sight unseen and I was wondering if anyone had used them and would recommend any particular brand or vendor.

Thanks!

I’m looking for solid wood, ideally!

I found this site… but not a ton of info or reviews. https://buywholesalecabinets.com/kitchen-cabinets/

Thank you!!

Does anyone here have an RTA kitchen? I’d love to hear honest reviews of the product and any pitfalls or tips. Many thanks!

Update: here’s the side by side https://imgur.com/gallery/BpOqKe3

If anyone is using the RTAcabinetstore.com sale right now, beware! I had put my cabinet selections into their system Monday, and saved a screenshot of the shopping list before going back today to buy them during their Easter sale. When I put the list back in, it increased by over $300! They clearly raised their prices, and then discounted the higher rate. I’m taking my business elsewhere now, even if it’s more expensive.

Hi r/Homeimprovement,

I am in the beginning planning stages of a kitchen remodel, and have become interested in RTA cabinets as I am handy enough to assemble them, but not willing to bite off the task of building my own from scratch. I'm looking for the best value, not necessarily the cheapest, and RTA seems like a viable candidate.

Have any of you worked with RTA cabinets in the past? If so, could you share some of your experiences?

Some questions I'd have are:

• Who did you purchase from, and how was the quality?

• What was your total cost of the project, not including countertops?

• Were there any large "surprises" i.e. things that you assumed were included, difficulties in the project, etc...

• What all came with your cabinets? Soft-close hinges? Hardware? Fasteners?

Thanks!

We’re getting our ducks in a row for our spring ‘23 build and thinking cabinets. We could go through Lowes or ‘nards locally, but also considering an online RTA store as an option. Experience? Horror story? Anything?

Hey all, I'm hoping someone here can give me a good starting point. I'm helping my mom update her 1979 house. She needs to get some kind of home equity loan to do the updates, but that requires having an idea of how much to borrow.

We walked into a custom cabinet place and the lady was helpful, but it's clearly way more than my mom wants to spend (like above twenty grand for a 10 foot galley kitchen. She wants more of a midrange, durable set of cabinets that won't break the bank.

I guess I really have two questions... does anyone have any RTA cabinet brands that aren't Ikea that they recommend? Also, what's the best way to find someone to install the cabinets? Thanks!

Previously, I posted a question about cheap, pre-assembled cabinets from Home Depot/Lowes/Menards, and was trying to figure out why people still claimed that "finding cheap RTA cabinets online" was a good deal. Most sites people linked quoted my small kitchen order at over $5000. I just wanted to share information I've found, and what I eventually ordered for anyone else in my situation.

First and foremost: Home Depot/Lowes/Menards pre-assembled cabinets are fully made of MDF wood, which is a type of material you don't really want in a kitchen, or near water of any kind. People who previously worked at Home Depot said that the quality was so bad that people returned them all the time. Good enough for a cheap laundry room, but you probably want something slightly better in a kitchen.

People claimed Ikea was cheap. Maybe they are, compared to cabinet stores, but still not cheap enough for my project.

I began looking around craigslist and found a few RTA cabinet stores that priced a 10x10 kitchen painted with plywood boxes and dovetail doors "from $995." No MDF, quality drawer construction? Alright, I'm intrigued.

This is where things get a bit crazy. I found the one kitchen cabinet supplier company owned by legitimate schizophrenic. He quoted about $200 above what I priced out in cabinets at Home Depot, and it included toe kicks and panels (which I didn't even price out at HD).

His site said "free shipping with orders over $3300," and my quote was $100 over that at $3400. He began telling me that my order was under the "free shipping" quote, and wanted me to add on other cabinets to get it above that number. I decided I might as well slap in 2 bathroom vanities. I needed them anyway. Now my quote was over $3600. Still, he claimed I wasn't over his "free shipping because of taxes." I took a screenshot of his site and sent it back to him, also asking "well what is your tax rate then?" (His invoice didn't mention it at all)

His push for more and more made me uncomfortable. I began researching his company a bit deeper. This man, who goes by "Woody," abandoned a $50k sailboat at a dock in Florida. He was convicted for felony fraud, and has abandoned multiple kitchen cabinet businesses in multiple states. Multiple DUIs in news reports (so you know they are bad). When things get tough, he just disappears. WHEW BULLET DODGED. Thanks for being greedy with shipping costs, Woody!

Now what to do? Well, I had a fully itemized invoice with SKUs all over it. I took the SKUs he listed and began Google searching. I found that the SKUs he was using for his cheap cabinets were used by other cabinet sites. I found a cabinet site selling the exact same cabinets. How do I know? The SKUs matched, and the cabinets that "Woody" said were out of stock were also out of stock at this place. Clearly they are coming from the same warehouse.

I just placed my order today, with free shipping, and kept the vanities. The total came to $3250. This is actually CHEAPER than home depot pre-assembled MDF cabinets, and comes with everything I need to put this kitchen together. And it's from a legitimate company with multiple store locations. They just happen to have the same cabinet supplier (among many other suppliers they offer)

So I just wanted to share this story, and also thank everyone for contributing ideas. I really love the r/homeimprovement hivemind! I will update this story when the cabinets arrive next week.

tl;dr; MRW when I nearly order cabinets from a legit psychopath

(PS: If anyone ever wants to know the company name with the psycho, please PM me. I just don't want this showing up in a Google search with his company name. I seriously am scared of this guy.)

EDIT: Cabinet company I'm using is Discount Kitchen Direct. I'll update when it comes in with quality. They seem to stock different levels of quality, and I'm definitely buying the lowest that they offer. So keep in mind they aren't going to look like a $50k kitchen.

Edit 2: Updated Post here

Everyone keeps telling me "look for RTA cabinet wholesalers for deals" but Home Depot/Menards/Lowes pre-assembled cabinets seem to be much much cheaper than RTA cabinets from all the online sites I've looked at. And if you buy more than 10 at HD, they knock off 10%, which makes it even cheaper. For example, this is only $192.60 with the 10% discount. I can't find anything close to that price unless it's unfinished.

Is there something I'm missing here? I've personally looked at the HD cabinets, and while they aren't exactly high-end, they actually look pretty decent. Much better than the cheapest "shaker cabinets" from RTA wholesale stores online.

Edit: Updated Post here