Cabinet Contractors in Saint Louis, MO

St. Louis Cabinets

As any homeowner knows, kitchen cabinets play a critical role in the overall function of your kitchen. Everything from the decorating scheme to your kitchen storage capacity is largely determined by your kitchen cabinetry. Older cabinets might not present the eyesore of old laminate counters or linoleum floors, but homeowners who neglect their kitchen cabinets do so at their own peril and to the detriment of their kitchen remodeling projects. Since there are plenty of older kitchens in and around St. Louis, kitchen cabinets are often worn enough to warrant an upgrade; whether for form or function, replacing or enhancing Gateway City cabinetry is often the key to kitchen remodeling success.

Stock vs. Custom
While there are literally thousands of choices for upgrading your cabinets, whether you choose handles or knobs, faceless or face-frame, or any of hundreds of color options, most St. Louis kitchen cabinets are one of two varieties: stock and custom. Stock cabinetry offers convenience and affordability; custom cabinetry is a whole other ballgame.

• St. Louis Stock Cabinets: By far the most popular type of new kitchen cabinets in and around St. Louis, stock cabinets are mass-produced, inexpensive, and easy to install. While the number of design options will be somewhat limited, the versatility of these cabinets has increased exponentially over the last few years. Semi-stock cabinets can largely be made to order, although they may take some time to make and will cost quite a bit more.

• St. Louis Custom Cabinetry: If your budget allows, there is no better choice for upgrading your kitchen than custom cabinetry. St. Louis is a city where old-fashioned workmanship never goes out of style, and finding a local cabinet maker to construct high-quality custom cabinets is the perfect choice for higher-end kitchen remodels. Custom cabinet makers will survey your kitchen space and measure cabinets for the optimal storage, layout, and design. There is no space too big, small, or awkward for a custom cabinet maker. Plus, custom cabinets are substantially more durable. As is the case all over the country, there's no shortage of modest budgets in St. Louis. Custom cabinetry is hardly the best choice for those who need to squeeze the most from their remodeling dollar, but in the long run, the value, durability, and overall performance of custom cabinets simply can't be matched by stock models.

Cabinet Upgrades
If your existing bathroom isn't as spacious as you'd like, changing your cabinetry will not just enhance the look of the space, but might even give your bathroom more room. Small bathrooms are frequent offenders when it comes to insufficient storage space, but adding more cabinetry is often a mistake in an already cramped area. Instead of installing additional cabinetry, consider upgrading to built-in cabinets that utilize space behind the wall rather than floor space. Another good option for small areas is to use the wasted space over sinks, mirrors, and toilets to install bathroom cabinets. St. Louis homeowners should be careful, however, that their overhead cabinetry isn't too high overhead to be easily accessible!

Options for Replacing Cabinets in St. Louis
In most cases, replacing your cabinets falls into one of two categories: stock and custom. Stock cabinets are generally far less expensive than custom cabinets and are usually easier to install. Custom cabinets, on the other hand, are more expensive but they allow you to fit your needs exactly. It should be noted that many custom cabinets cost $5,000 or more to build (not including installation), but in St. Louis, we've seen many custom cabinet built at well under the national average. Instead of searching for stock cabinets online or at your local home improvement center that will meet some of your expectations, custom cabinetry is made to your specifications. They are often more durable and of higher quality than many stock cabinets, too. Refinishing Cabinets: Replacement Alternative
Of course, if you are fairly happy with your existing bathroom cabinets, St. Louis homeowners can easily enhance the look of their cabinetry without spending the thousands of dollars replacement generally runs. Painting, of course, is probably the fastest and most direct route to making old cabinets look new, but you need to be careful! The moisture rich nature of bathrooms can be very hard on paint, so it is extremely important to do all the proper preparation and pick the right paint for the job, or you may be left with cabinets that looked better before!

Refinishing wood cabinets allows you to get the look and feel of new wood by actually removing the surface of your existing cabinets to expose a fresh surface underneath. Since refinishing requires removing some of the existing surface, there are a limited number of times the operation can be performed. Unless your cabinets are over 100 years old, chances are they have one or two potential refinishing times left in them; once their surface is stripped, sanded, sealed, and possibly stained, your cabinets will look like you spent a lot more on them than you actually did!

Cost Cabinet Remodels in St. Louis, MO
The cost of new or renovated kitchen cabinets can range all over. There is always a wide range with home improvements as the law of statistics says different estimates from contractors will show a certain amount of various, but with new kitchen cabinets, you can spend as little as one or two grand on the simplest and smallest possibility for your kitchen or $25,000 or more for top-of-the-line custom cabinets. Most homeowners naturally gravitate toward the middle and for good reason. While it's nearly impossible to overestimate the importance of your kitchen cabinetry, in terms of kitchen remodeling budgets, every dollar you spend on cabinets is another dollar you can't spend on countertops, flooring, or appliances.

Finding Cabinet Remodeling Contractors
Too many homeowners seeking new cabinets rush to their local home improvement stores. The price tags and discounts may look appealing, but these stores are also notorious for over-charging on installation. In many cases, your local St. Louis custom cabinetry builders are happy to perform installations of stock cabinets for a lower cost than the big box stores will offer.

When looking at the difference between cabinet installation contractors and custom cabinet makers keep in mind, too, there is no reason you can't mix and match. Particularly if you have an odd corner, an idiosyncratic under-counter design, or special needs associated with elderly or disabled homeowners, you may have limited and specialized cabinetry needs. Whatever you decide, ServiceMagic can help you find the right professional. Ask us to find the best local cabinet contractors and take advantage of our quality-controlled, online customer ratings and reviews.