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Carpenter hands fitting a painted cabinet door in a new kitchen

Cabinet installation and refacing

Custom kitchen cabinets in Portland, fitted to your walls

New cabinets or refacing, built and installed to fit older Portland homes where walls and floors are rarely square.

  • New installation or refacing
  • Scribed to fit uneven old walls
  • Door and finish choices explained in writing

Step 1 of 3

What is the project?

What are custom kitchen cabinets, and how are they different?

Cabinets come in three broad levels. Stock cabinets are built in set sizes and finishes. Semi-custom cabinets start from set sizes but give you choices in width, depth, finish and details. Fully custom cabinets are built to your room, down to the inch, in the material and finish you pick.

If you want custom kitchen cabinets Portland homes with odd corners, sloped ceilings or deep window sills often benefit from a made-to-fit approach. Stock boxes can leave gaps and filler strips that look awkward, while custom runs can reach the wall, the ceiling and the window frame cleanly. As part of a full kitchen remodel, the cabinet plan comes first, because counters, appliances and lighting all follow it.

Should I replace my cabinets or reface them?

Refacing keeps your existing cabinet boxes and replaces the doors, drawer fronts and visible surfaces, sometimes with new hardware. It can make sense when three things are true:

  • The boxes are solid, with no swelling, sagging or water damage.
  • You like the current layout.
  • You want a new look with less demolition.

Replacement makes more sense when the layout is poor, the boxes are damaged or the kitchen is being opened up. In Portland, moisture is the deciding factor more often than people expect. Cabinets under a sink or beside a dishwasher can swell after years of small leaks, and refacing cannot fix a damaged box. A short inspection of the boxes before you decide can save money either way.

What problems come up when fitting cabinets in older Portland homes?

Craftsman bungalows, Foursquares and Victorians were built by hand, and walls, ceilings and floors move over a century. Installers often find:

  • Walls that are out of plumb or bowed.
  • Floors that slope toward the middle of the room.
  • Plaster walls that crumble where screws go in.
  • Windows or doors in the way of a standard run of cabinets.

Good installers shim, scribe and fasten into studs so the line of cabinets looks straight even when the room is not. Because Portland is in earthquake country, it is also smart to ask that tall cabinets and pantry units be anchored to the wall framing. Moisture is the other local concern. Wood moves with the seasons, and a good finish on all sides of the door and the box helps it stay flat through wet winters.

Price depends on the cabinet level, the number of boxes, the door style, the material, the finish, the hardware and any special pieces such as pull-out trays, glass doors or a tall pantry. Painted finishes cost more than stained ones in many shops, and fully custom work costs more than semi-custom. Installation labor depends on how much scribing and wall repair the room needs.

Timing varies by supplier. Stock and semi-custom orders often arrive in a few weeks, and custom orders can take several weeks to a few months. Order before demolition starts, and confirm the delivery date in writing. Installation of a typical kitchen run usually takes a handful of working days after the walls and floor are ready.

What should I expect on installation day, and when should I call?

Cabinets arrive in boxes. The crew checks every piece against the plan, protects the floor, marks the layout and sets upper and lower cabinets in order, starting with a corner or the highest point of the floor. Doors and drawer fronts are adjusted last, then hardware goes on. Expect noise and some dust. Counters are measured after the cabinets are fixed in place, so the countertop template follows soon after.

Call when you are first drawing up the room, before you order. Call earlier still if your cabinets show swelling, mold or a musty smell, because the cause may need fixing first. For the full picture of the project, start from our home page.

How it works

Tell us your plan

Scope, budget band and timing.

Design and proposal

A design and a fixed price.

Build

A schedule you can hold us to.

What you can expect

1

Free consultation
2

Fixed-price proposals
3

Clear communication
4

Design help

Request custom cabinets

Tell us what you need and we call you back.

No obligation.

Step 1 of 3

What is the project?

Questions about kitchen remodeling in Portland

How much do custom cabinets cost in Portland?

It depends on size, materials, finish and how custom the work is. Stock, semi-custom and custom cabinets sit at very different price levels, and cabinets are often one of the largest parts of a kitchen budget. We do not quote without a visit, but you will receive a written, itemized estimate.

How long does it take to get custom cabinets?

Lead times vary by supplier and by season. Semi-custom orders often take a few weeks and fully custom orders can take several weeks to a few months. Confirm the date in writing and order before demolition, so the kitchen is not left unfinished while you wait.

Can you reface cabinets that are already water damaged?

Usually not. Refacing only replaces the visible surfaces, so swollen or rotted boxes stay swollen or rotted. If the boxes under your sink are damaged, replacing those units, or the whole run, gives a better and longer-lasting result than refacing over the damage.

Which cabinet material holds up to Portland humidity?

Plywood boxes handle humidity better than particleboard, which can swell when wet. Solid wood doors may move slightly through the seasons, so a good finish on every side helps. Ask your supplier what the boxes and doors are made of and how the finish is applied.

Do tall cabinets need to be anchored for earthquakes?

Portland sits in an earthquake region, and securing tall units to wall studs is a common and sensible precaution. It is not a promise of protection in a major quake, but it reduces the chance of a pantry or tall cabinet tipping. Ask your installer how they fasten tall units.

Ready when you are

Call now or request a quote online.

(503) 555-0199
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