Kitchen Cabinet Costs: Compare Quotes on the Same Scope

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To compare kitchen cabinet costs, hold the kitchen configuration and specification fixed, correct missing scope in each offer, and resolve product differences before selecting a price. Below, a USD 12,200 headline quote becomes USD 13,700 after matching drawers, panels and packing. It is then USD 300 below the competing USD 14,000 offer, rather than the apparent USD 1,800 saving.

They are not NOVARMIA prices, current market averages or a prediction for your kitchen. Their purpose is to show exactly how to compare actual quotations once your layout and requirements are defined.

Download the fixed kitchen baseline, completed quotation comparison and layered budget example.

First define the kitchen both suppliers are pricing

The example is a cabinet supply package for one L-shaped kitchen: six base cabinets, four wall cabinets and four finished visible panels. Countertops, sink, appliances, freight, taxes and site installation are outside the supply comparison. The quotation includes the specified hardware and export packing.

For a real comparison, the drawing register provides the dimensions behind this schedule. A total number of cabinets is not enough: a drawer base, corner unit and simple shelf cabinet can occupy similar lengths while containing different parts. That is also why a price per linear foot or meter needs a stated configuration and counting method.

Read the two original quotations line by line

Supplier A includes the full configuration. Supplier B’s base-cabinet price contains only one three-drawer unit; the second is a shelf unit. B also includes only two visible panels and excludes export packing. Both offers use USD and the same defined collection boundary.

The USD 1,800 headline difference is not yet a saving on the same product. B has answered part of the required scope differently. Instead of estimating corrections yourself, request a revised offer with the missing requirements priced explicitly.

Normalize the omissions with confirmed adjustments

In the example, B returns three changes: USD 450 net to convert the shelf base into the required second three-drawer unit, USD 400 for the two missing panels and USD 650 for matching packing. The drawer conversion is a complete configuration adjustment, including credit for the displaced doors and shelf; it is not an extra charge piled on top of an unchanged cabinet.

The calculation is 12,200 + 450 + 400 + 650 = 13,700. The matched difference is now USD 300. A’s packing and panels are not added again because they are already present in its original total. Keep adjustments traceable to the supplier’s revised response so the comparison is reproducible.

Do not price away an unresolved product difference

Suppose B initially describes the hinges as “equivalent,” without a model. The financial normalization does not resolve that technical gap. Mark the offer on hold for specification comparison and request the exact model and supporting information. If the alternative needs approval, show it separately rather than assuming a monetary adjustment makes it acceptable.

In this case, B’s revision R02 confirms the same accepted H01/R01 hardware models and the required construction, with no further price change. Once the other requirements and delivery assumptions are also aligned, B is the lower-priced compliant supply offer at USD 13,700. That is the price conclusion; supplier capability, quality evidence and project timing still inform the final award.

If B cannot confirm the required product or an approved alternative, there is no qualified USD 13,700 comparison yet. The appropriate action is to request a compliant revision or evaluate a formally accepted alternative, not to award on an unresolved “equivalent.”

Build a separate delivered-and-installed budget

The cabinet supply subtotal is not the complete kitchen budget. Continue the same example with separately identified transport and site inputs:

Duties, taxes, countertops, appliances, demolition, utility connections and all unlisted work are excluded from this subtotal. Replace each inputs with a project-specific figure. Do not describe USD 18,670 as an all-in renovation price.

Transport scope must match the quotation boundary. The ICC Incoterms® rules address delivery responsibilities, costs and risks. Record the chosen rule, exact named place and edition when used. If the supplier already includes a freight leg or destination service, remove the duplicate addition from your budget.

Use the comparison to make the next decision

If the qualified offers still exceed the budget, request a controlled option against the fixed baseline. For example, price a different internal accessory or front detail while retaining required function and performance. Ask for the specification difference and net price effect; do not apply an assumed industry saving percentage.

Keep quotation validity, currency, approved sample references and outstanding site information beside the totals. For repeat apartment kitchens, confirm which layouts and quantities support the offered rate. Repetition alone does not establish a guaranteed discount or remove site-measurement responsibility.

Before selecting an offer, the comparison should answer three questions plainly: Are the products and quantities aligned? Are required services included on the same boundary? Are the remaining qualifications accepted or closed? Only then does the lower total describe a meaningful price difference.