Should You Buy Cabinet Doors From A Cabinet Door Supplier?
Should you outsource cabinet doors? Learn when it makes sense, which doors to buy, and how outsourcing can reduce stress.
You’re swamped, the shop is behind, and your team is burning out trying to meet deadlines as new projects keep rolling in. You know something has to give, but you’re stuck wondering, should you outsource cabinet doors? It sounds like a simple fix, but new questions come up just as quickly. Will the quality match what you build in-house? Will your clients notice the difference? Will it actually save you time and money, or create more problems? You’re trying to deliver top-tier work under pressure, and your reputation depends on getting this decision right.
At Cutting Edge, we’ve worked closely with cabinet makers and contractors like you for over 20 years. We understand the pressure of juggling project timelines and managing customer expectations while growing your business. We’ve seen firsthand how outsourcing, when done correctly, can reduce that pressure. Whether you build everything yourself or are just starting to explore what a supplier relationship could look like, we’re here to be your guide.
By the end of this article, you’ll learn:
Why You Should Consider Buying Cabinet Doors From a Supplier
When your team is stretched thin, choosing to buy cabinet doors from a trusted supplier can be a game-changer. You don’t need to give up what you do well to protect your quality, time, and peace of mind. However, producing cabinet doors in-house is time-consuming, often making them the first item companies like yours choose to outsource.
Let’s explore some of the common reasons you might choose to buy cabinet doors:
1. Buying Doors Saves Time Without Sacrificing Quality
Manufacturing cabinet doors in-house takes time. Every step adds up, from cutting and assembling to sanding and finishing. The time your team spends making doors is time they can’t spend installing, finishing, or serving clients.
Outsourcing doors from a supplier can dramatically reduce production time. You receive completed doors ready for finishing or installation, which helps keep your project timelines on track, or even ahead of schedule.
2. Outsourcing Cabinet Doors Can Reduce Team Burnout
If your shop is busy, chances are your team is already working long days. The more time they spend making standard doors, the less energy they have for higher-value work. Over time, this can lead to burnout, missed deadlines, or quality issues.
Outsourcing even some of your cabinet doors can ease the workload and give your team more capacity to focus on what they do best.
3. Expand Your Offerings Without New Equipment
Some door styles require specialized tools, jigs, or machines that take up floor space and cost thousands of dollars. Buying cabinet doors from a supplier lets you offer more styles, finishes, or profiles without investing in new equipment. This is especially helpful for shops that want to sell raised panel or five-piece doors but don’t currently have the machinery to do so.
When you work with a supplier that offers customizations, you can say yes to more jobs without overextending your resources.
How to Know When It’s Time to Outsource Cabinet Doors
You may already be thinking about outsourcing, but how do you know when it’s the right time to act? Here are some clear signs it’s time to consider buying doors instead of making them all in-house.
1. You’re Missing Deadlines or Turning Down Work
When your backlog is growing, and clients are waiting longer than usual, it’s a sign your shop may be at capacity. If you’re turning away new jobs to stay afloat, outsourcing cabinet doors could help you regain balance.
By freeing up internal production time, you can take on more jobs, complete them sooner, and reduce the stress that comes from constantly playing catch-up.
2. You’re Spending Too Much Time on Low-Margin Work
Let’s face it – not all work pays equally. For example, producing low-profit basic slab doors may not be the best use of your team’s time. Buying those cabinet doors from a supplier could allow you to shift focus toward custom work, installations, or high-margin services that grow your business faster.
3. Mistakes Are Happening More Often
More callbacks, remakes, or complaints are a symptom of an overloaded team. When production is rushed, quality can slip. A dependable supplier can help you maintain high standards, even when timelines are tight.
But deciding it’s time to outsource cabinet doors is only the first step.
How to Decide Which Cabinet Doors to Outsource Vs Make In-House
Deciding to outsource cabinet doors is one thing – figuring out which ones to outsource is another. Many shops continue making some doors in-house, while purchasing the rest from a supplier.
Here are key factors to help you make the right decision:
1. Which Cabinet Doors Take the Most Time To Make?
Start by tracking how long your team spends on each style of door. Complex door styles that take time to produce, such as raised panel or five-piece doors, may be good candidates for outsourcing. On the other hand, slab doors may be quick and easy enough to make yourself.
Time studies can reveal opportunities you didn’t realize existed and make it easier to justify the shift to outsourcing cabinet doors instead.
2. Which Cabinet Doors Cost More To Make Than Buy?
Look beyond material costs. Once you factor in labour, equipment maintenance, waste, and rework, making doors in-house can be more expensive than it seems. In some cases, you may save money by buying those same cabinet doors from a supplier, especially if you consider the opportunity cost of what your team could be doing instead.
A simple spreadsheet comparing your in-house costs with supplier pricing can quickly show you where you’ll gain the most efficiency.
3. Can Outsourcing Specific Door Styles Free Up Valuable Space?
Some machines take up a lot of floor space and only get used for a few jobs a month. Outsourcing a door style that requires tools that clutter your shop or slow your workflow can open up valuable space for finishing, storage, or assembly.
For example, if a machine for five piece doors sits idle 80% of the time but takes up a full workbench, it may make more sense to outsource those doors and repurpose that space for higher-impact work.
4. Can Your Supplier Match Your Cabinet Door Styles?
Losing control over style and quality is one of the most common fears contractors have about outsourcing cabinet doors. That’s why it’s critical to work with a supplier who can match your specifications, from profiles and edge details to materials and finishing options.
Most suppliers, like Cutting Edge, offer flexible customization that makes it easy to maintain design consistency from job to job, even if you only outsource some of the cabinet doors.
5. Will Your Supplier Provide The Support And Communication You Need?
Lastly, outsourcing only works if your supplier delivers what they promise. On-time delivery, clear communication, and responsive support are essential. Look for a partner, not just a vendor – one who cares about your success as much as you do.
Working with a consistent and reliable supplier gives you more confidence to outsource cabinet doors, and more freedom to grow your business without compromising your brand.
Choosing to outsource cabinet doors can save time and space, but it can be difficult to trust someone else with a piece of your process. First, you need to decide whether the benefits of outsourcing outweigh the risks or drawbacks.
Discover The Pros And Cons Of Outsourcing Cabinet Doors
Outsourcing cabinet doors doesn’t mean giving up control – it means taking back your time, reducing pressure on your team, and building a system that helps you finish jobs faster with the same level of quality your clients expect. You’re in the position to make the right choice for your shop and customers now that you’ve seen the key benefits, signs it’s time to make a change, and how to decide which cabinet doors to outsource.
It’s time to rethink what’s holding you back if you’re feeling overworked, behind on deadlines, or stretched too thin to take on the jobs you want. At Cutting Edge, we’ve helped hundreds of contractors like you simplify their workflow, protect their reputation, and grow their business with consistent, high-quality cabinet doors. Your next step is to discover the pros and cons of outsourcing cabinet doors so you can proceed with confidence, and finally make room to grow without compromise.
