Why Are Kitchen Cabinet Prices Increasing? Understanding the Industry Trends

By: Jenny Cazares

Kitchen cabinet prices have continued to increase in the past 2 years, due to supply and demand, along with labor costs, increased taxes & fuel costs.

When did we start to see these price increases?

In March 2020, states began to shut down businesses to prevent the spread of Covid; many Americans were telecommuting from home for months on end. This caused significant changes in 2020 and early 2021. We began to see a huge spike in customers wanting to remodel their homes. Contractors and builders have been booked months in advance since it began, and it’s not slowing down any time soon. All goods, including building materials, appliances, and more have been difficult to come by and very pricey due to the new demands.

What happened during this time that affected the price changes?

Well, plain and simple…everyone working from home for an extended period of time during a pandemic forces you to take a good hard look at your life, your home, and your family. You start noticing pesky things, like not having enough room in your kitchen for everyone making a sandwich, at ONCE! 

With many parents now telecommuting from home, they began revamping their existing spaces and adding additions to their homes. Another solution to working from home was utilizing backyard space. You may have seen the series Backyard Builds, and if you haven’t yet…watch it and get inspired! This dynamic duo has transformed back yards to help free up space inside the home, and bring home outdoors. 

Some decided that their home is just too small and want to build new construction. While others wanted to enhance their home by expanding, remodeling, and yes, even adding some family fun recreation, pool companies can hardly keep up with the demand since Covid.

Did this create a huge demand for remodeling and building materials?

Yes, all of these reasons contributed to a huge demand spike for many building products, as well as appliances; this then affected the supply chain. Many of these products come from other countries, and during a pandemic, this became challenging. There were health risks, exorbitant shipping fees, fuel surcharges, and tax (Tariff) increases. For these reasons, the costs of goods went up significantly; there were long delays and many items were and continue to be on backorder. Most wood products were hard to come by; with long delays and back ordered for months. Most materials involved in building and construction skyrocketed by 30-40% in costs.

How do these factors affect my cabinetry pricing?

Many cabinet partners have had no choice but to raise prices, as their vendors continue to increase their pricing. For this reason, when a cabinet company gives you a quote, it’s usually only good for 30 days…due to price fluctuations.

Will the cabinet pricing go down?

That’s a very good question. So far, the pricing has not changed much. Why?… because of the demand for these products and shipping costs. As long as there is a great demand and if the shipping and fuel costs continue to rise, many companies cannot afford to reduce their pricing.

Although many cabinet providers have increased pricing several times since 2020, Dean Cabinetry has worked very hard to keep our pricing affordable for our customers. We are a lean company; reducing waste which helps to bring more value to our customers. If we find that our vendor’s cabinet pricing is rapidly increasing, we do our due diligence and search for new cabinet vendors with exceptional quality, but sustainable pricing.

We may not always be the least expensive cabinet provider, but keep in mind, that quality and customer care is our main priority. Choose a cabinet company that offers quality products and the very best installation; a company that takes pride in its craftsmanship and stands by its work. Read their reviews and see what their clients have to say about them! 

Should I wait to order my cabinets?

I had a client tell me that they were waiting to frame their new construction home, hoping that the exorbitant wood costs would come down. That was a year ago, and only recently we are starting to see that pricing on certain products is starting to stabilize. My opinion is don’t wait if you’re purchasing cabinetry. Kitchen cabinets are in such great demand, that cabinet distributors have no reason to lower their pricing, which affects many kitchen cabinet dealers like us.

Remember what I mentioned before about your quote only being good for 30 days? If you delay a few months and return to your cabinet partner, they might need to do another budget for your cabinetry with updated pricing. 

The sooner you can finalize your design plans and get your cabinets ordered, the better. Your cabinet partner will keep you abreast of any price increases that are coming; usually, they will receive notice, which could be effective immediately or within 2-4 weeks. You may need to make a decision sooner rather than later, to get your order placed before any increase, which could affect your budget. 

Don’t forget to order your kitchen appliances early on in the process, they could have extended lead times. Some customers have waited over a year for their appliances to be delivered. I say, better to be safe than sorry, store them until you’re ready to use them, or ask your supplier if they are able to store them until you’re ready for delivery. It would be a shame to have your beautiful new kitchen installed, and you have to wait for your new appliances!