Choosing new cabinets for your kitchen remodel is a big decision. Cabinets can go up to half your remodeling budget. Because it is a significant investment, you will probably want to look at all your alternatives. You will want the most cost-effective option so you can have a bit more to spend on the rest of your kitchen. You might want to consider RTA kitchen cabinets.
RTA kitchen cabinets defined
Many people choose RTA cabinets for their kitchen remodel because they are a readily available and cost-effective.
RTA or ready to assemble kitchen cabinets are just like any other cabinet. The main difference is you have to put them together on site. They are made of the same kind of materials, and they can be good quality or bad. It really depends on the brand. However, it wasn’t always like that.
Back in the day, RTA cabinets were quite bad in general. They were of poor quality and esthetics, mostly MDF in thermofoil or melamine finish. Sometimes, they would be made of wood rather than engineered wood. However, those were limited in options.
RTA kitchen cabinets have progressed a lot since those times. You can still get them in thermofoil or melamine for the busy homeowner, but they are of better quality materials and quite bit more stylish. You can also choose from a much wider variety of materials, styles, and finishes, from stained real wood to MDF wrapped in sleek, modern coatings.
Cost of RTA kitchen cabinets
RTA kitchen cabinets are cost effective than stock or custom cabinets for different reasons. Stock cabinets come assembled, so you pay something like 25% more than RTA cabinets. They also take up more space during shipping, which adds to their overall cost. For similar cabinets from the same source, expect to pay about 25% more for stock cabinets for shipping. RTA cabinets come in flat containers, so shipping them the same distance cost much less.
Custom cabinets, on the other hand, cost more than RTA cabinets because of the labor involved in making them. They are great if your storage needs require non-standard configurations, or if you have other unique requirements. RTA cabinets are mass-produced, so each piece of a particular model is identical to one another. That said, the cost savings could be very persuasive.
While RTA cabinets are less expensive than custom or stock cabinets, it still costs quite a bit if you are replacing all your cabinets. The cost is between $1,800 and $4,500, unassembled, for a typical 10 x 10 foot kitchen. This includes the basic set: cabinet boxes, doors, drawers, and accessories. You can add extras such as spice racks, rollouts, and lazy Susans, but you will have to pay extra for those.
Assembly
You can assemble some RTA kitchen cabinets on your own. You only need a few common tools, and the pieces fit together without having to cut, hammer, staple, or glue anything.
Other RTA kitchen cabinets are a bit more complicated. You need to know your way around a saw and drill, and you may need to do some stapling, gluing, and hammering. Find out how much assembly your kitchen cabinets may require before buying if you plan to assemble them yourself.
In either case, you have to put aside some time to put them together. You are assembling a minimum of six cabinets for a 10 x 10 foot kitchen. That is a small kitchen. If you have a bigger kitchen, that number can easily blossom into 10 to 15 cabinets plus drawers.
Of course, you still have to think about installing these cabinets. Base cabinets are easier because you will not have to lift them. Wall cabinets are a two-man job, however. It is also not as easy as you think to install them. You have to make sure they are secure and level, and that takes some doing. It might save you time and money (not to mention grief from all the thumb striking you may endure) to have a professional assemble and install them for you. Since you saved some money by choosing RTA cabinets, you have some to spare.
Conclusion
RTA kitchen cabinets are a good choice for any kitchen remodel. Stock and custom cabinets are also good choices if you have the budget for it. The most important thing when choosing cabinets is the source. You can save yourself a bit of money and stress by choosing the right cabinet supplier and remodeler to handle your kitchen remodeling project. Cabinet Land Kitchen and Beyond is just the help you need.
We offer free consultation services and quotes, so you can have the benefit of our expertise without spending a dime. We carry only the top cabinet brands, including Schrock, Fabuwood, J and K Cabinets, Forevermark, and Wolf Cabinets, at lower prices than big box stores. This goes for all cabinet types, from RTA to custom cabinets. Our turnaround is none too shabby, either, compared to our competitors such as Cabinets to Go, Advance Cabinets and Handsome Cabinets.
We are a local remodeling company with a showroom located in Schaumburg, Illinois. We service the Illinois area in general, but if you are in the Chicago, Schaumburg, Arlington Height, Des Plaines, Hoffman Estate, and Elk Grove Village area, we are within easy reach.
Visit us today to see what we have to offer. We service Chicago land and have the expertise and resources to complete virtually any type of kitchen cabinets – ON TIME and ON BUDGET with top quality craftsmanship that will exceed your expectations.
