Many different stores, manufacturers, and custom millworkers offer a variety of types, grades, and prices of cabinets.

In Canada, the most common type of cabinet is called an "European frameless” cabinet, meaning there is not a picture frame of wood that surrounds the cabinet and the door sits proud and overlaps the cabinet case. These types provide the most storage and are the most sustainable to manufacture.

In the U.S., the most common cabinet is called a “face-frame” cabinet and may also be a “hybrid face-frame.” This is the kind that has a picture frame around the face of the cabinet, and the cabinet door sits flush with the frame. This type of cabinet is the least common in Canada, but they can be made this way if the manufacturer has the right tooling and parts to produce them.

To learn more, check out this section of cabinet components on Wikipedia.

There are four different grades of cabinets and we choose to work with custom grade. To help you understand why we choose to work with custom cabinetry, we want to explain the common types of cabinets first:

1. Ready-to-assemble cabinets. Are pre-manufactured (mostly overseas) and sold in flat-packed boxes. They must be assembled by the homeowner or installer and often are the most difficult type of cabinet to make square. They are usually only available in one cabinet case type and generally only have 5 door styles with up to 10 finishes options. These are the most economical types of cabinets.

2. Stock cabinets. Are pre-manufactured (sometimes overseas) and stocked on the shelf. This means that there are limited door styles, wood species, finishes and inside case options. Stock cabinets are made in sizes between 9-inches and 36-inches wide, and made in 3-inch increments. These are the most economical type of cabinets and sometimes called cash-and-carry. Many big-box stores have stock cabinets. There are no customizable options or changes that can be made to stock cabinets and they often do not have a long warranty. We do not often recommend this cabinet grade but we can work with them.

3. Semi-custom cabinets. Are made-to-order and will need at least six to twelve weeks for the factory to fulfill the order. This is an upgraded option and will be more expensive, but there are many door styles, finishes, and colours to choose from. Semi-custom cabinets range in size from 3-inches to 48-inches wide, and are most often available in 1-inch increments. Semi-custom cabinets must be purchased from a manufactured cabinet dealer. There may be upgrade options for the cabinet case and we recommend a urea-free formaldehyde plywood.

4. Custom cabinets. Are built-to-order and will need at least eight weeks or longer for the custom shop to cut and build the order. Custom cabinets come in any size within 1/8-inch increments. This is not premium-level millwork, but custom cabinets can cost more because of all the unlimited and beautiful options available. Yet, from time-to-time, custom cabinets may come in at the same price as semi-custom cabinets.

Premium millwork is also available and these types of cabinets are built and finished on-site.

Built-to-order custom cabinets are made by a custom cabinet maker and millworker. They are not manufactured in a large factory but rather in a cabinet shop. Articulated works with a select number of local cabinet makers in the Metro Vancouver area. They have an incredible amount of skills and experience with millwork, casework, and finishing.

Built-to-order custom cabinets are ideal for any residential or commercial project. This may include kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, mudrooms, home theater built-ins and walk-in closets, to name a few.

The cost of built-to-order custom cabinets may be the same as that of semi-custom cabinets, but it is the added level of customizations available that is an advantage to us. Now, “custom” is trigger-word for expensive and compared to mulit-million dollar homes, but our costs are inline with high-end european brands. There is not a standard way of calculating the cost of cabinets. Based on an average-sized kitchen, the order will cost you between $20,000 and $200,000, depending on the amount of cabinets and details involved, and sometimes the final order may be more. The nature of custom will take longer to price because everything is designed and priced by us in-house.

You can purchase custom cabinets from Articulated directly. We will even include cabinet installation, countertops, backsplashes, sinks, faucets, and any decorative lighting. Built-to-order custom cabinets need to be designed first, especially for a kitchen. Not to worry, we already offer kitchen and bath design services. From here, we will select all the parts and pieces for your custom order and prepare a quote for your built-to-order custom cabinets once we have finalized the finishes and styles.