When To Order Cabinet Doors for Christmas Delivery
Discover when to order your cabinet doors to avoid Christmas delays. Understanding cabinet door lead times helps keep your projects on track.
As the Christmas season approaches, the pressure to complete projects on time intensifies, especially with the looming holiday shutdowns. Many cabinet manufacturers close their production lines during the holidays, leaving contractors and cabinet makers struggling to get the needed materials. If you don’t order your kitchen cabinet doors far enough in advance, the Christmas rush can cause delays, leaving your projects incomplete and your clients frustrated.
At Cutting Edge, we’ve been helping contractors like you avoid these headaches for over 20 years. We understand how crucial it is to have your cabinet doors ready on time, especially when every day counts. We’ve spent those years developing experience and efficient production processes. Now, we can guide you on the best timeline for placing your orders to ensure everything arrives when needed.
In this article, you’ll learn how soon you should place your orders to avoid delays. You will find standard lead times and more for the four main product lines, including:
Most Cabinet Door Manufacturers Shut Down Over Christmas
Most cabinet door producers, including Cutting Edge, shut down a day or two before Christmas and only resume operations after New Year’s. While this holiday break is important for the staff, it impacts your lead times before and after Christmas. Orders you place in the last two weeks before the break often have to be rushed, and there’s always a backlog to tackle when operations resume.
This shutdown period means the weeks leading up to Christmas are chaotic, with companies scrambling to complete last-minute orders. Missing the ordering window can mean your project gets pushed to the back of the queue, causing delays that extend well into January.
Despite the possibility of delays and problems, many homeowners start kitchen renovations and projects in the winter months. So how can you, as a contractor or cabinet maker, avoid the hassle of delays and extra fees of rush orders?
Order Cabinet Doors Early To Avoid Holiday Delays
Place your orders in advance.
Ordering early ensures your project stays on schedule, even as production lines fill up with last-minute requests. However, how far in advance depends on the type of cabinet doors you need.
Order Raw Cabinet Doors at Least Two Weeks in Advance
If you’re ordering raw, unfinished doors, the good news is that you can place your order relatively close to the holiday deadline. We recommend ordering at least two weeks in advance. Many cabinet door manufacturers can produce raw products within this timeframe, including NEXGEN, plywood panel doors, and raised panel cabinet doors.
By placing your order two weeks before the Christmas shutdown, you allow enough time for production without the risk of delays.
Why Two Weeks?
- Raw cabinet doors have a simpler production process.
- Two weeks is typically enough to get them through production before the shutdown.
Order Custom Cabinet Doors at Least Three Weeks in Advance
For custom cabinet doors, you’ll need to plan a little further ahead. Cutting Edge recommends placing your order at least three weeks in advance, especially if you’re requesting unique designs or sizes. Custom doors take longer to produce, and last-minute orders might not make it through the line before the holiday break.
For more intricate custom pieces, such as range hoods, it’s wise to allow even more time. The complexity of these orders means production can take longer, so adding an extra week or two ensures you’re not left waiting until the new year.
Why Three Weeks?
- Custom cabinet doors need more time due to increased complexity.
- More complex custom pieces may require additional lead time.
Order Finished Cabinet Doors at Least Six Weeks in Advance
When it comes to finished cabinet doors, the earlier you order, the better. The finishing process requires several steps and additional drying time, making it more time-consuming than raw or custom doors. To ensure your finished doors are ready before Christmas, place your order at least six weeks before the shutdown.
If your project requires custom finishes or you’re ordering unique pieces, it’s a good idea to add an extra one or two weeks to your timeline. Custom finishes can add significant time to the production process, and the holiday rush only exacerbates potential delays.
Why Six Weeks?
- Finished cabinet doors involve multiple steps, including drying and finishing.
- Custom finishes or pieces may extend the production time.
Order Dovetail Drawer Boxes at Least Four Weeks in Advance
If you need dovetail drawer boxes, plan to place your order at least four weeks ahead of time. Yes, even raw dovetail drawer boxes require this longer lead time due to the possibility of backlogs during the Christmas rush. For finished dovetail drawer boxes, we recommend ordering six weeks in advance to avoid any delays.
Since dovetail drawer boxes are a staple in many kitchen projects, ensuring these pieces arrive on time is essential for keeping your project on track.
Why Four Weeks?
- Dovetail drawer boxes require precise craftsmanship, making production more time-consuming.
- Holiday season backlogs can delay orders, so four weeks ensures timely delivery.
Receive Your Cabinet Doors and Products When You Need Them
By ordering your cabinet doors and products well in advance, you’ll ensure that they arrive when you need them. However, if you don’t want your orders to come too early, Cutting Edge offers flexible shipping options. You can request a specific shipping date, and we’ll schedule your production so your products are ready to ship when you want them.
This system allows you to control the timing of your deliveries. However, requesting a shipping date means you may be unable to expedite your order if the situation changes.
Order Your Cabinet Doors Now To Avoid Christmas Delays
Avoiding project delays during the Christmas rush comes down to one thing: timing. By understanding the lead times for different types of cabinet doors and placing your orders early, you can ensure your projects stay on schedule and avoid the headache of extended delays into the new year.
At Cutting Edge, we understand the pressures you face when working with tight deadlines, especially around the holidays. Now that you know how far in advance to place your orders, it’s time to take the next step. Learn how to order your cabinet doors online today to ensure you can complete your projects before the Christmas shutdown.
