Cabinets & Countertops
Kitchen Cabinet Cost and Quotes in Charleston, SC
New cabinetry, and the three decisions that decide the price.
New cabinetry, and the three decisions that decide the price.
Quick answer: Kitchen cabinet cost is set by box construction (plywood or particleboard), stock versus semi-custom or custom sizing, and drawer hardware, not by color. Compare quotes on the same cabinet list, with installation, removal, trim and countertops marked included or excluded. Southeastern Renovation supplies and installs cabinets in the Charleston area and York County as a licensed SC general contractor (CLG.127339); see cabinet installation for collections and lead times. Call (843) 718-8177.
Looking for someone to install new cabinets? See kitchen cabinet installation for our collections, lead times, permits and how installation works in Charleston and York County.
Box construction is the first. Plywood boxes cost more than particle board and matter most where they get wet — the sink base is where cheap boxes fail, and it fails invisibly until the floor of the cabinet gives.
Stock, semi-custom and custom is the second, and it is really a question about your walls. Older houses here are rarely square, and stock cabinetry with filler strips is a reasonable answer as long as everyone agrees in advance where the fillers go.
Drawer hardware is the third and the one people notice daily. Soft-close, full-extension runners rated for real weight are the difference between a kitchen that feels expensive and one that does not, and they are a comparatively small part of the total.
If the existing boxes and layout can stay, compare refacing versus replacement costs and scope before ordering new cabinets. Price each option against the same door, drawer and hardware list.
A cabinet-only quote covers a different scope from a complete kitchen remodel. Start with a measured cabinet layout and written specifications, then separate cabinet supply from installation and related work. A whole-kitchen budget cannot tell you the price of your cabinets alone.
For stock cabinets, identify the available sizes and the fillers needed to fit the room. For semi-custom cabinets, list the selected size modifications, finishes and storage options. For custom cabinets, specify the dimensions and details being made for your layout. Ask each quote to use the same cabinet list so a change in design is not mistaken for a difference in price.
Ask for countertops, backsplash, appliances, plumbing or electrical changes, wall repairs and painting to be listed as included, excluded or separate allowances. Record how concealed damage and changes to the agreed design will be handled. If a quote uses a price per linear foot, ask which cabinet sizes, upper and lower runs, finishes, hardware and installation it assumes; wall length alone does not describe those selections.
For your Mount Pleasant estimate, bring room photos, approximate dimensions, appliance specifications and a list of what you want to keep. Final cabinet measurements and specifications should be confirmed before ordering. If the work also changes the kitchen layout or finishes, compare the broader Mount Pleasant kitchen remodel cost guide and identify the cabinet portion separately.
We take this work across greater Charleston, from Summerville and Goose Creek to Mount Pleasant, West Ashley and the sea islands, and on the York County side around Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Tega Cay and Lake Wylie. More on our cabinet and countertop services.
It matters most under the sink. Particle board that gets wet swells and does not recover, and that failure is hidden until the cabinet floor goes.
Elsewhere the difference is smaller than the price gap suggests.
Rarely, but older Charleston houses are rarely square, so the real question is how the gaps are handled.
Stock cabinetry with well-planned filler is honest and cost effective; stock cabinetry with unplanned filler looks like what it is.
Drawer runners and hinges, because you use them every day, and the sink base box, because that is where cabinets fail.
Door style is taste; those two are function.