Options that affect the cost of cabinet doors

Do you need to know which cabinet door options affect the cost? Read this article to learn about cabinet door options that increase the cost, and why.

Five cabinet doors in a variety of wood types, door styles, and profiles.

If you quote kitchen renovations, kitchen projects, or cabinet door pricing frequently, you have probably had a customer ask for multiple quotes for multiple door styles. 

Or, maybe you already quoted a project, and now the customer has changed their mind and wants a different profile or door style.

Do you need to re-quote the customer? Will the price change? How can you ensure you have not underquoted or overquoted the customer? 

At Cutting Edge, we quote cabinet doors every day. We understand how important it is for you to quote your customers accurately. Once you know which cabinet door options affect the cost, you can quote your customers more confidently.

In this article, you will learn:

  • Which cabinet door options affect the cost;
  • Approximately how much each option changes the cost;
  • And when you need to re-quote a job due to a profile or door style change.

How 5 common options affect the cost of your cabinet doors

Because of the wide variety of cabinet door options available, some profile options only affect the cost of specific cabinet door styles. Throughout this article, we will look at how these common options change the price of six general door styles: cope and stick, mitered, 1pc MDF, 2pc MDF, slab, and NEXGEN.

Five common cabinet door options affect the cost of your cabinet door. You will find the following information about each cabinet door profile option:

  1. The cabinet door option
  2. The approximate price variation
  3. Which door styles each option affects
  4. Which door styles are not affected
  5. Whether or not you should re-quote your cabinet doors if this option changes.

1. Stile and rail width

At Cutting Edge, our standard stile and rail width for most profiles is 2.25”, or 57.15mm. If the stile and rail width you request is not 2.25”, the cost of your cabinet door increases by approximately $1.00 per square foot. We keep the machines used to cut the stiles set up for 2.25” wide pieces. Changing the stile and rail width means we have to change the machine set-up.

In addition, we add a $25.00 fee per stile or rail that is 6” (152.4mm) or wider. Most of the wood we receive from our suppliers is between 4” and 5” wide, so 6” stiles and rails take two boards. Our team has to join those two boards together and then machine them down to the correct width.

Stile & Rail Width
Price difference: Approximately $1.00 per square foot. Once the stiles or rails are over 6" wide, $25.00 total for each wide stile and rail.
Door styles that this profile option can affect: Cope and stick
Door styles that this profile option does not affect: 1pc MDF, 2pc MDF, slabs, mitered, NEXGEN
Should you re-quote your project if the stile and rail widths change? YES

2. Panel profile

The panel profile specifies how the center of your cabinet door looks. Obviously, only some door styles have a center panel selection available so this profile selection only affects those specific door styles.

Changing the center panel from a plywood panel to a sturdier solid wood panel increases the price; but how much the price increases depends on the wood type, door style, and wood grade.

  • Alder increases by approximately $12.00 per square foot
  • Hickory increases by approximately $17.00 per square foot
  • Maple increases by approximately $22.00 per square foot
  • Red Oak increases by approximately $17.50 per square foot
  • Walnut increases by approximately $44.00 per square foot
  • White Oak (flat cut) increases by approximately $30.00 per square foot
  • White Oak (rift cut) increases by approximately $50.75 per square foot

Furthermore, choosing one solid wood center panel style over another may affect the price slightly as well. For example, selecting a ‘Beaded’ panel profile instead of the ‘A’ panel profile increases the price by an additional $3.00 per square foot.

From left to right: plywood panel, solid wood panel, and beaded solid wood panel cabinet doors.
Panel Profile
Price difference: Varies depending on wood species and panel profile selection
Door styles that this profile option can affect: Mitered doors and drawer fronts, cope and stick doors and drawer fronts
Door styles that this profile option does not affect: 1pc MDF, 2pc MDF, slabs, NEXGEN, mitered frames, cope and stick frames
Should you re-quote your project if the panel profile changes? YES

3. Inside profile

Changing the inside profile does not affect the price as long as the door style does not change. In other words, if the door style you have selected is a cope and stick door style, you can choose any other inside profile within the cope and stick door style option without the price changing. 

However, the price will change if the inside profile change also affects the door style. For example, if the new profile you select is a mitered profile, then the door style changes from cope and stick to mitered. Door style changes fall under the next section.

An infographic showing different inside profiles for different cabinet door styles.
Inside Profile
Price difference: None (as long as the door style doesn’t change)
Door styles that this profile option can affect: Cope and stick, mitered, NEXGEN, 1pc MDF, 2pc MDF
Door styles that this profile option does not affect: Slabs
Should you re-quote your project if the panel profile changes? NO (as long as the door style doesn’t change)

4. Door style

The door style refers to the overall appearance of your cabinet doors. For example, a mitered door style has mitered stile and rail joints. A cope and stick door style has cope and stick stile and rail joints, a 1pc MDF door style is made with 1pc MDF, and so on.

Changing a door from mitered to cope and stick is a door style change. Another example of a door style change is changing your cabinet doors from 1pc MDF to 2pc MDF.

An infographic showing the difference between cope and stick and mitered wood cabinet doors.
Door Style
Price difference: Varies depending on wood type, profile selection, and more
Door styles that this profile option can affect: All door styles
Door styles that this profile option does not affect: N/A
Should you re-quote your project if the panel profile changes? YES

5. Wood species

Your cabinet door price will change if you choose a different wood species (like Maple or Hickory) or wood grade (like select or standard grade). 

Wood species is a cabinet door option that affects the price.
Wood Species
Price difference: Varies depending on the wood type
Door styles that this profile option can affect: All door styles
Door styles that this profile option does not affect: N/A
Should you re-quote your project if the panel profile changes? YES

Custom options also affect the cost of cabinet doors

Of course, more than these five options affect the cost of your cabinet doors. Custom profiles, pieces, and other custom options also increase the cost. We recommend you send our team a quote request for any custom pieces or options for the most accurate pricing or if you are in any doubt about the accuracy of your quote.

A variety of custom pieces - from left to right, a wide-bottom rail panel, a mullion frame, and a custom range hood.

Next, learn how long your cabinet door quote is accurate

When you started reading this article, you wanted to know what cabinet door profile selections affected the pricing on your quote. 

Now, you understand what can increase the price and when you might need to re-quote your cabinet doors.

What next? Learn how long your quoted price from Cutting Edge is accurate.

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