New Cabinet Installation

When the Boxes Themselves Have to Go

Some kitchens should not be refaced. Nationalvideogamearchive installs new cabinets when the existing boxes are damaged, badly built, or arranged in a layout that no longer works, and we try to be clear about which of those reasons applies to your kitchen. New cabinets cost more and take longer. They are worth it when refacing would only put good money on a structure that is already failing.

Reasons We Recommend Replacement

• Water damage beyond one cabinet. A dishwasher leak or a failed supply line can soak several bases along a run. Swollen particleboard does not dry back to its original strength.
• Site built or poorly made boxes. Some 1960s and 1970s south Scottsdale ranch kitchens have cabinets built in place, with no backs, walls that are not square, and a soffit overhead. They can be refaced, but the results are rarely good.
• A layout that does not work. Aisles narrower than 42 inches, a refrigerator door that hits the wall, or a range with no landing space beside it are layout problems, not finish problems.
• A different kitchen altogether. Moving the sink to an island, opening a wall to the living room, or adding a full height pantry wall means new cabinets.
• Ceiling height. Many homes in DC Ranch and the north Scottsdale custom neighborhoods have tall ceilings with uppers stopping well short of them. Taking cabinets to the ceiling is usually a replacement job.

Framed or Frameless, Plywood or Particleboard

Framed cabinets have a face frame on the front and feel traditional, particularly with inset doors. Frameless cabinets give slightly more interior space and suit slab doors and a clean modern line. Either is a reasonable choice.

Box construction matters more than style. We prefer plywood sides and bottoms for sink bases and anything near the dishwasher, because plywood holds screws and survives a small leak better than particleboard. Dovetailed drawer boxes on full-extension soft-close slides are worth paying for, since drawers take the most daily abuse. Overlay doors cost less than inset doors, which need precise fitting and adjustment.

Permits, Plans and Inspections

Replacing cabinets in the same footprint generally does not change anything inside the walls. Moving a sink, adding circuits for an induction range or new under-cabinet lighting, or removing a wall does. Those changes go through the City of Scottsdale with plans, permits and inspections at the rough-in stage and at the end. If a wall is load-bearing, a structural engineer designs the beam before any demolition. In master-planned communities we also check HOA rules on work hours and dumpster placement.

Electrical work is often part of the job: dedicated circuits for the dishwasher, disposal and microwave, GFCI protection on countertop receptacles, and a look at panel capacity if you are moving from gas to induction.

The Order of Work

1. Measure, design and order cabinets. Lead times vary by line, often several weeks for semi-custom and longer for custom.
2. Demolition and haul away, with the rest of the house protected from dust.
3. Rough-in plumbing and electrical, followed by inspection where a permit applies.
4. Drywall repair, then cabinets set level, shimmed and fastened into studs.
5. Countertop template once the cabinets are fixed in place, then a wait for fabrication.
6. Counters installed, sink and appliances connected, backsplash, hardware and final adjustments.

Plan on several weeks without a working kitchen. A temporary sink in the laundry room and a microwave on a folding table make it bearable.

What New Cabinets Cost

For a typical Scottsdale kitchen with around 25 linear feet of cabinets, installed new cabinets range from about $22,000 for a good semi-custom line to $60,000 or more for custom work with inset doors and specialty interiors. Countertops, appliances and any plumbing or electrical changes are priced separately.

If your boxes turn out to be in better shape than you expected, cabinet refacing may do the job for far less. Call (480) 637-3170 and we will look before recommending either.