Stock Cabinets vs Semi Custom Cabinets
As you start shopping for new kitchen or bath cabinets, we feel it is important to understand the difference between cabinet types. The best choice for your home will be based on a variety of things including budget, finish options, style, and lead time to name a few. There are so many decisions to make in a kitchen renovation as it is, so we’ve made it easy for you to learn what contrasts our two largest cabinet types - Stock and Semi Custom.
It is best to start by learning what stock and semi custom cabinets are. As you read through this article, keep in mind that these terms refer to their method of production and not the quality of the cabinetry. All cabinets sold at Prime Cabinetry are made of high quality materials and finishes. For more information, check out our Product FAQs.
What are stock cabinets?
Stock kitchen and bath cabinets are readymade and mass produced for your ordering convenience. They are available in predetermined sizes often in three inch increments. All of the items are stocked so when you order they are picked, packed, and shipped to you within a week or so. When viewing available door style and finish options in our stock cabinet lines, what you see on our website is exactly what we offer, and there are typically enough skus to accommodate 95% of design situations.
At Prime Cabinetry, we offer both RTA (ready-to-assemble) and Assembled stock cabinets. We also offer a limited amount of modifications for our Allie Nicole stock cabinets.
Standard Widths:
- 9” wide - 42” wide base cabinets in increments of 3”
- 9” wide - 36” wide wall cabinets in increments of 3”
Standard Depth:
- 24” deep base cabinets
- 12” deep wall cabinets
What are semi custom cabinets?
Semi custom kitchen and bath cabinets offer more flexibility in sizes, more finish options, more and variety in SKUs. As the name indicates, semi custom cabinets are not fully customizable, but they provide a higher level of customization compared to stock cabinets. For instance, they are able to accommodate most/all design ideas as well as reduce the need for fillers and on the job fabrication because of the additional sku availability. Due to these extra abilities, the lead time increases for semi custom cabinets to roughly 5-7 weeks.
Standard Widths:
- 9” wide - 48” wide base cabinets in increments of 3”
- 9” wide - 42” wide wall cabinets in increments of 3”
Standard Depth:
- 12” deep wall cabinets with customization of 6” deep - 24” deep in increments of 1”.
- 24” deep base cabinets with customization of 12” deep - 23” deep in increments of 1”.
| STOCK | SEMI-CUSTOM | |
| PRICE | $ - $$ | $$-$$$ |
| LEAD TIME | 1-3 weeks for RTA / 3-5 weeks for Assembled | 3-5 weeks for standard sizes / 7-9 weeks for custom sizes |
| RTA OR ASSEMBLED | RTA & Assembled Available | Assembled Only Available |
| MODIFICATIONS | Limited modifications available in the Allie Nicole Collection. | Some modifications available for all cabinets in the Veyla Rose collection. |
| WOOD SPECIES | Birch & Maple | Birch, Maple, Cherry, & Oak |
| FINISH OPTIONS | 1-2 paint or stain options per door style. | 14 paints & 5-13 stain options per door style. |
| MANUFACTURED | Imported | Made in USA |
| SHIPS TO | All continental US States | East Coast Only |
| SKUs | 2-300 Per Style | 2,000 + |
Overall, choosing the right cabinet type for your kitchen or bath remodel depends on your personal preference and budget. So, tell us your favorite cabinet types! We want to know what you are most interested in and continue to grow our business to meet those needs.
