Key takeaways
- Custom cabinets are built to your exact room and style.
- Semi-custom offers many sizes and finishes with shorter lead times.
- Stock cabinets are the simplest option in standard sizes.
- Refacing replaces doors and fronts when the boxes are sound.
Custom cabinets
Custom cabinets are built to the inch for your room, with unlimited sizes, finishes and details. They fill odd spaces perfectly and offer special features such as integrated appliance panels. They take the longest to build.
They suit unusual rooms and design-driven kitchens.
Semi-custom and stock
Semi-custom cabinets start from standard boxes but offer many size increments, finishes and options. Stock cabinets come in fixed sizes with fewer choices and are the quickest to get. Both can look excellent when planned well.
Filler panels and trim handle small gaps.
Refacing and refinishing
Refacing keeps your boxes and replaces doors, drawer fronts and veneers. Refinishing paints or restains what you have. Both are less disruptive and quicker, but they cannot change the layout or fix damaged boxes.
They work best when the layout already suits you.
How to choose
Start with the layout. If the layout is right and the boxes are sound, refacing may be enough. If you need a new layout or have an unusual room, semi-custom or custom is likely better. Ask each supplier about door construction, drawer boxes, hardware and lead times.
Look at samples in person.
Official sources and further reading
These are independent organizations. Links open in a new tab.
Quick answers
Which cabinets last longest?
Quality construction matters more than the label. Look at box material, joinery and hardware.
Can I mix cabinet types?
Yes. Many kitchens combine custom islands with semi-custom perimeters.
