Cabinet Door Shipping Costs for Small Orders from Cutting Edge
Why are small cabinet door shipping costs so high? Learn what drives the cost and how to avoid shipping surprises on your next order.
Shipping a small cabinet door order shouldn’t feel like a punch to the gut, but for many contractors, it does. You’ve worked hard to land the job, lined up your team, and need a few more pieces to wrap it up. Then suddenly, you’re staring at a shipping fee that’s higher than the product itself. It feels unfair, delays your timeline, eats into your margin, and puts your reputation at risk. You’re left wondering, Why does this always happen? Why does it feel like I’m being punished for ordering less?
At Cutting Edge, we ship hundreds of cabinet door orders across Canada every week. We understand how frustrating unexpected shipping fees can be, especially when they throw off your budget or timeline. More importantly, we know exactly why these costs happen and how to help you avoid them.
Here’s what you need to know to understand the shipping costs behind small cabinet door orders, and how to better plan for them.
Why Are Small Cabinet Door Shipping Costs So High?
It seems like shipping a small order should be cheap. But in the world of shipping, price isn’t just based on how many items you’re sending. Three factors matter more:
- Size: Are any of the cabinet doors over 40 inches long?
- Weight: Does the order weigh more than 60 pounds?
- Destination: Are you shipping to a rural or hard-to-access area?
Even one of these factors can mean your order has to ship by truck, which is much more expensive than standard courier rates.
Let’s break down why.
Why Size Of The Pieces Increases Cabinet Door Shipping Costs
If your cabinet doors are longer than 40 inches, they can’t be shipped by courier. Couriers like Canada Post and Purolator have strict size limits, and oversized packages incur significantly higher costs, if the courier will even accept the shipment.
That’s why pieces longer than 40 inches often ship by truck. Shipping by truck is more expensive because trucking companies prefer to handle large shipments. They have a minimum rate that applies when shipments are less than 500 pounds.
Even one long door can double your shipping cost. So if your small order includes a 42″ piece, it doesn’t matter how few pieces are in your order – it will ship by truck.
In addition to the length limitation, items that are square or awkward to handle (thick bundles or boxes that are over 30” by 30”) are generally more expensive.
How Weight Impacts Cabinet Door Shipping Costs
Weight is another factor that bumps a small order into a more expensive shipping tier. Once a package exceeds 50 pounds, couriers may increase their rates or refuse to accept the shipment.
Like long shipments, packages over 50 pounds usually ship by truck. Again, shipping by truck is more expensive because the minimum rate applies.
Even if your doors are short in length, a thick, heavy stack of MDF or solid wood can still push your order over the limit.
Why Your Location Drives Up Cabinet Door Shipping Costs
Where your order is going is just as important as what’s inside.
If you’re shipping to a major city, shipping companies can keep costs low thanks to high volume and regular delivery routes. But when you’re shipping to a rural or remote area, the situation changes.
Shipping to rural locations can cost more because:
- Trucks don’t go there as often
- Couriers may be the only option, and they might charge more
- Some locations need a second company to finish the delivery
If you’re sending a long, heavy door to a rural destination, all three cost factors are working against you. This can double or triple the cost compared to sending a small order to a city.
How To Reduce Shipping Costs For Small Cabinet Door Orders
Although some costs are unavoidable, there are ways to keep shipping costs lower if you plan.
Here’s what helps:
- Choose smaller sizes when possible. Keeping your cabinet doors under 40 inches allows them to ship by courier, which is significantly cheaper than truck.
- Ask your supplier to keep the weight under 60 pounds. Your supplier can break your order into smaller packages if it makes sense. Couriers are faster and cheaper, but only for lighter packages.
- Combine orders. Ask your supplier to combine multiple orders into one shipment. This strategy works well when your orders already have to ship by truck – it spreads the shipping costs across more items.
- Avoid rushing. Rush or overnight shipping will always increase the cost dramatically. Allow enough time to use standard delivery options if possible.
- Ship to urban addresses. If you’re in a rural area, consider shipping to a supplier, friend, or project site in a nearby city to cut costs.
Planning your order around these factors can reduce shipping costs and prevent surprises. However, there’s one more strategy you can use – trying to predict shipping costs in advance.
You Can Predict the Shipping Costs for Small Orders
You may not be able to get the exact shipping cost before placing an order, but you can make a good estimate.
Here’s a quick way to gauge it:
- Are any pieces longer than 40”?
- Does your order weigh over 60 pounds?
- Are you ordering more than 10-15 items?
- Is the delivery address a rural location?
If you answered “yes” to any one of these questions, your shipping costs could be higher than usual. If you answered “yes” to two or three questions, your order must ship by truck, further increasing the shipping costs.
How Working With Your Supplier Helps Avoid Surprising Shipping Costs
The good news is that you don’t have to figure this out alone.
A good supplier doesn’t just take your order and send it off. They guide you, flag issues before they happen and help you complete your job on time and within budget. And accurately estimating shipping costs is a vital part of this.
At Cutting Edge, we help hundreds of companies each week. We check the shipping costs for every order and look for:
- Potential high-cost shipments
- Ways to reduce the shipping costs (combining shipments, changing the shipping address)
- Ways to keep your order courier-friendly
We’ve spent over 20 years helping contractors like you finish jobs on time without breaking the bank on shipping.
Learn How Shipping Works At Cutting Edge
At the end of the day, shipping shouldn’t be a mystery, and it definitely shouldn’t threaten your ability to finish a job. Now that you understand how shipping costs work for small cabinet door orders, you can start planning smarter. You know that size, weight, and destination drive up the price. You know how to spot the red flags, avoid rushed decisions, and take control of your orders. That’s a game-changer.
But knowing this isn’t enough. You need a supplier who sees these challenges before they become your problems. At Cutting Edge, we want to help you finish your projects on time, protect your margins, and stay one step ahead. We’ve helped thousands of contractors avoid shipping cost surprises, and we’re ready to do the same for you. Learn how shipping works at Cutting Edge, so you can stop second-guessing costs and start planning with confidence.
