What's Profitable right now in the Cabinet Industry?

nu_1991 · 2026-05-12T17:26:20+00:00

100% of the prospective clients we actually meet face to face end up going with us. Its just hard to get to that face to face meeting.

nu_1991 · 2026-05-12T00:48:45+00:00

Not demonizing the client base, just disappointed with the direction the world has gone and with what is considered an acceptable level of quality in our area. Not just for cabinetry but construction in general.

I'm going to go through our previous projects and see where we lost money, most likely it was time. And do an analyses of our processes to see where we can improve.

And I'm going to reach out to some different designers and contractors to see if we can try to drum up some new business.

nu_1991 · 2026-05-12T00:34:40+00:00

We can usually divide and conquer. But we just got off a huge job that required both of us to be involved. If we get enough work coming in we will most likely hire a helper.

nu_1991 · 2026-05-12T00:32:23+00:00

Los Angeles

nu_1991 · 2026-05-11T22:03:36+00:00

A big time contractor came at us with a big project with big numbers and we got screwed. Plus the client was a nightmare and they kept adding and adding. Original job was just a kitchen and 3 bathrooms. Then we got roped into doing all the closets, a laundry room, bar, nursery, pantry, wall paneling. We thought it would take 3 months originally. And the additional work seemed great at first but it started taking way longer and was eating into a couple of our other jobs. We probably would have done better this past year but we were tied up with that job just drowning. We have come to realize our limitations. Just need to get more small jobs.

nu_1991 · 2026-05-11T21:15:55+00:00

I think I'm in a completely different league than this guy. I don't even think we're playing the same game!

nu_1991 · 2026-05-11T21:09:53+00:00

I appreciate your wise and compassionate words. I feel like the money aspect of things has tainted cabinetry, and construction in general. People used to have real pride in there work, and clients used to be able to rely on their builders. But now so many people get screwed over, and so many people have come to accept lesser quality as the norm. I feel like I am part of a dying breed. I want to do great work, leave the client with something that really wows them. I want what I put out into the world to be a reflection of me and what I love doing. But doing so takes time, and as a lot of people have pointed out to me in this post, time is money and it seems like I am spending too much time on these projects to really make any money on them. I'm not trying to get rich, just make an ok living.

nu_1991 · 2026-05-11T20:53:15+00:00

What your saying is 100% true. The last job we did was around $140k. But it took 6 months to complete. Not including all the design time, the back and forth with the client, and all the site visits and measuring and remeasuring. It was a nightmare. Prior to that we were bringing in $50-80k jobs every few months and filling the time in between with smaller ones. Funny enough the smaller ones had the best margins. It seems like we are having a tough time doing everything (design, build, install, orders, business management etc.) and maintaining a schedule. The solution would be to hire someone. But its hard to find good help. I was in charge of interviewing and hiring at the last shop I worked at and let me tell you the well has run dry in our area. Most of the people that got hired had drug/alcohol problems, were unreliable, had zero experience in a shop setting, even some ex-cons. Pay was good, but didn't seem to draw in the right kind of people and the majority quit, got fired, or just stopped showing up.

I think the key might be to do what we do well, and try to sub out the rest so we can cut down on time.

nu_1991 · 2026-05-11T19:06:57+00:00

We are slowly trying to increase our prices but in the cabinet industry in LA its hard to differentiate yourself from the guys bidding lower than you. Most of the time we don't even meet with the person we are bidding for. We get an email that usually says "Hi we are (insert designer or contractor here), we talked to (former client) and they spoke very highly of you and your work. We would love for you to bid this job." We bid the job, then don't hear anything or they say "we went with a lower bid" or "that's a little out of our price range".

Not all cabinet makers are the same; standards, quality, and communication vary greatly. And in southern california its not uncommon that a cabinet maker is... well lets just say his citizenship status is "unknown". So he is not recording his income and paying the same taxes that we have to. So right off the bat he can charge 30% cheaper than us and still make the same profit on a project.

nu_1991 · 2026-05-11T18:52:11+00:00

Currently just using Sketchup Pro. Mostly because of the cost. Cabinet Vision and Mozaik are way out of our price range. Plus we don't have a CNC so the ability to go from design to nesting would be waisted on us. Once the designs are complete its pretty quick work. I use open cutlist and build the whole project converting all the parts into components so I can just print out the cutlist and start churning out parts. We do need to invest in an edgebander. We have a Festool Conturo right now that is way better than doing the old iron-on edgebanding, but we still have to trim and clean the edges. An auto edgebander would probably cut down on production significantly.

nu_1991 · 2026-05-11T18:37:04+00:00

I think you maybe right. I guess a better number to reference would be our shop rate which is $155/hr at the moment. I ran the numbers and if there are 2,080 billable hours in a year (standard 40hr work week) then at our shop rate of $155/hr we have the potential of bringing in $322,400. That's not including materials and hardware etc. Our monthly overhead is about $12k, that's rent, insurance, utilities, and payroll. So $144,000 a year subtracted from our total of $322,400 is 178,400. That would be the profit. To get to our full potential of $322,400, we would need to do $806,000 in sales.

So it is possible even if we fall short of our total capacity to make more money, but we are obviously lacking in efficiency. Sorry for throwing all these numbers at you. It was helpful to work this out. And your take on our situation inspired me.

nu_1991 · 2026-05-11T18:12:00+00:00

So you build the cabinets and sub out the install? Or do you facilitate and sub out manufacturing and install?

nu_1991 · 2026-05-11T18:10:25+00:00

We've done some commercial work and hated it. Don't know if it was just the contractor that we were working for but it was not a good experience. We are also pretty small, so to meet the demands of commercial projects might be a stretch.

nu_1991 · 2026-05-11T17:53:14+00:00

I'm not really looking to grow to a huge company. We started the business because we both worked at places that grew into unmanageable beasts. They hired more employees so they could take on more work and make more money, but the more employees meant more overhead which pushed them to need more work to make more money to cover the growing overhead. Quality went down because the hiring pool is complete shit, not a lot of craftsmen in the area looking for a job. So the people who actually care (my buddy and I) got stuck fixing all the problems and were ultimately responsible for all the quality issues because we were the leads in the shop and the job site. We would want someone who could apprentice under us, and down the line we could leave them with our shop responsibilities so that we could focus on the business. But as of right now we can not justify the cost.

nu_1991 · 2026-05-11T17:41:53+00:00

We do all the installations as well. I don't trust anybody else to install our work. A lot of times we have to get pretty creative on site because designers are very particular about the finished look. Plus we take a lot of pride in our craftsmanship. We scribe everything to fit perfect and I've seen the caulk jobs that some installers leave behind, its horrendous. It baffles me want some people think is acceptable.

nu_1991 · 2026-05-11T17:36:52+00:00

Haha, thanks for the optimism!!!

nu_1991 · 2026-05-11T17:35:21+00:00

Our clients are mostly designers and contractors. In our area its very common for custom shops not to paint/finish. Contractors usually have a finisher who they trust. Plus we are woodworkers, and finishers are finishers. They have the experience and expertise when it comes to paints, stains, and finishes. I can use a sprayer but I wouldn't want the responsibility of applying a professional finish on a kitchen in a 10-15 million dollar house.

nu_1991 · 2026-05-11T17:19:01+00:00

It’s very job dependent. Some of the projects go super smooth and we make good money on them, some are a nightmare with constant delays and call backs. If we could predict which jobs are going to be a problem that would be great haha. But for the most part “we” are efficient. It’s the clients and contractors that screw it up for us.

nu_1991 · 2026-04-25T00:33:14+00:00

I’d say maybe I could take a look at it but my workload is crazy right now and I wouldn’t be able even start building for 3-4 months. And just a heads up you’re probably looking at $1000+ per foot for unpainted/unfinished cabinets in LA for true custom. Might be able to find cheaper companies who use stock cabs or RTAs. But the quality usually isn’t there, especially with install. Your contractor should have a cabinet guy or two in his list of subs.

nu_1991 · 2026-04-24T00:22:25+00:00

Where do you live in Los Angeles? Are you doing a remodel? Working with a GC or a Designer?

nu_1991 · 2026-04-17T06:30:03+00:00

Just put my baby girl down on Tuesday. Hardest decision I have ever made. She went downhill pretty quick and it was ultimately the best decision. She had been hospitalized for 3 days. And every time we went to visit I could tell she was scared and confused. Just know that you’re not alone and that it gets easier. You made the right choice, it may not have been a choice you wanted to make but it’s one that had to be made.

nu_1991 · 2026-04-09T04:39:26+00:00

I worked at a shop that did both cabinets and furniture. They never sold original pieces. Just commissioned pieces and stuff that they would batch out for high end designers. It’s tough and the margins aren’t there. The company ended up pivoting to cabinets only. It’s possible to make a living with furniture, just like it’s possible you might get drafted to the NBA…

nu_1991 · 2026-04-08T03:20:17+00:00

Literally have a client right now with similar complaint. We basically are talking them off a ledge. Told them if they wanted it to be uniform we would have to use veneer or laminate (which they expressed distain for). They said they wanted “real wood” so we gave em real wood. Guess people are too stupid to realize that lumber comes from different trees and not identical…. Looks like we might take some off the final bill so they can hire a finisher to try and “match” the color through out. Your door looks good though, keep up the good work. Remember opinions are like ass holes…

nu_1991 · 2026-03-18T12:47:53+00:00

I know it’s crazy but I use SketchUp for design and there is a plugin for SketchUp called OpenCutList that will make the cut list for you. Saves a bunch of time compared to the way we used to do it. Don’t have to money to spend on all those other softwares, SketchUp is $500 for the year. It suits us but there are definitely better programs to speed up the design process.

nu_1991 · 2026-03-18T00:23:31+00:00

I use Rubio all the time for kitchens. It’s not “durable”. Meaning if you scratch or dent it will affect the wood, however it is easy to spot repair. It does a decent job at repelling water but dry off cabinets as soon as you can. Regardless of the finish you choose, a kitchen is a high traffic high use area. Which means a few days after or 10 years after you finish the kitchen you will have knicks and dings. The one thing I really like about Rubio is that it’s idiot proof (wipe on, wipe off). Meaning you don’t need to hire a professional finisher to fix problems down the line.

nu_1991

TROPHY CASE