 | Larry Setzkorn
is President of S/B and Sons, a position he has held since 1992. S/B and Sons is a family-owned business speciallizing in wood products such as cabinets, furniture and special orders. Larry is a graduate of Rose Hill High School and Wichita State University. You may contact Larry at S/B and Sons, 1115 E. Harry, or by phone at (316) 269-2188. |
Home Improvement
2003-01-01 11:40:00
Kitchen cabinets
: What characteristics of kitchen cabinets affect the price the most.
ANSWER: There are three areas of cost in all manufacturing. Overhead, material and labor. If the manufacture has a new building, expensive equipment, large electrical, heating and other expenses, the overhead will be high. This is offset by productivity. The more items built per hour the lower the overhead cost per item. Material, for the most part is not affected by productivity. It is governed by what material you use and how much waste there is. Cherry costs more per board foot than Poplar. The cost of cabinets will be higher for Cherry than Poplar. Hinges can cost as little as $.50 each up to $12.00 or more. Drawer slides can cost little if you use wood or $15.00 or more for full extension slides.Door knobs can cost little or more than $25.00. This depends on the customer’s wants and needs. Labor is the third cost. This, like overhead can vary due to productivity. The more a person produces the less the cost per hour is included in the cabinet. Most manufacturers today know this and produce standard boxes.It is faster and easier (productivity) to build cabinets this way. These are the costs that govern the final price of your new cabinets. Of course there is an additional cost over and above these prices if the cabinets have to be customized for handicap reasons or to fit an area that standard cabinets will not fit. Productivity is no longer in play. Labor and overhead increase and the possibility of waste in material goes up. Knowing these things can help one understand what makes up the final price of cabinets while also assisting the buyer in what he/she can do to control these costs.
