Home Depot or Lowes for kitchen cabinets...

[HelenePA]

You can also use competitors coupons, so when you do "move" again, make sure you let HD know too

I dont have to move anymore, Patrick works at lowes part time They have awesome clearance's... We have got a ton of stuff dirt cheap! Right now I have him on the look out for bathroom stuff. I want to tear out our bathroom upstairs and redo it next year

 

[Colleen27]

I'm in the middle of pricing out both my own kitchen remodel and the rebuilding of my mom's house, so let me share what I've found and maybe save you from running around to dozens of stores like I did.

Re: Lowes/Home Depot - If you're going with off-the-shelf cabinets, HD's line have a more solid, higher quality feel to them and come in more styles/finishes. If you're ordering custom, there's really no difference between the two and you'd likely be better off looking for local cabinetmakers rather than going with KraftMaid or Thomasville or the other brands the big boxes carry.

Beyond cabinets, they're about even on basic elements. Home Depot has a slight edge in decorative elements, lighting, tile, etc. Lowes selection tends to be more basic. We found them to have comparable prices on countertops. They're both more expensive than going through a stone company for granite slab. Neither has a good selection of decorative backsplash tile, so we're going through a tile shop for that, but they both beat the tile shop's price for our basic travertine floor tile and for granite tile if we decide to take that route with the countertops.

I can't really offer any advice on their installers, because my DH is a contractor so he does all the work on our home himself, but I will say we weren't impressed with their process for becoming one of their subcontractors. They require more extensive insurance coverage than most small contractors carry, but their application process is pretty much just certifying that you meet the licensure and insurance requirements. There's no need for references, samples of work done, etc. So I'd be a little wary of using them simply because it seemed to us that pretty much anyone with a builders license who is willing to foot the insurance bill could become an approved installer.

 

[momrek06]

I built my MA home in 2005. We have the THOMASVILLE Cherry cabinets from Home Depot. The entire kitchen is Home Depot. Cab's, appliances, Corian countertop, sink etc! The cab's look as awesome today as the day they were installed. I found the Kitchen personel at HD fabulous.

 

[minnie56]

I cannot compare Loews as they are pretty new to Canada and few locations. We did our Kitchen last year. Big renovation. We went to a place comparable to Home Depot, a Canadian company called 'Rona'. Went through weeks (months actually) of plans and taking in and taking out. Finally, we had our Kitchen. Decided on the Cabinets, Kraft Maid. Two woods, Glazed Maple and Cherry Island and Cherry fluting and trim. We had not done a Kitchen in MANY years so thought probably-we should comparison shop the cost. We took our plan to HD and asked them to price exactly the same. They carry the same make and it was an easy easy quote. They came in at $59,000 MORE!

Our jaws dropped. The Girl looked at us and said "Are we high"? We left..

Just my 2 cents..

 

[Pigeon]

Be sure to check out the kitchen forum at gardenweb.com. I got so many good ideas there.

I bought my faucets from an ebay store which is a Price-Pfister outlet. The kitchen faucet was $475 at a plumbing supply store and I got it for $75 online. HD/Lowe's faucets are really low quality. Even though they may have the same brands as you find in plumbing supply stores, the guts are different.

I also got my lighting for a fraction of HD/Lowe's prices by buying online.

 

[wildernesslodgelover]

Thank you pigeon! I will DEFINITELY look into shopping online. I will look for that price phister outlet store on Ebay.

minnie-OMG! That is terrifying!Imagine of you had paid that and then found out you could have gotten it cheaper. not THAT would have been a tragedy!

momrek-gorgeous! Just absolutely GORGEOUS! Do you like your wood floors in the kicthen? we will be doing that, too!

Colleen-That is very interesting about their requirements for subcontractors. Thanks for that tip. Enjoy your kitchen remodel!

allison-That is a good point...the interior of the cabinets is a BIG deal for me. I want pull outs everywhere! And a special storage for pots and their lids.

Thank you Helene, luvmy and mtdevine!

 

[Promomx2]

funny you should ask. Last week I met with Home depot and then the next day Lowes to get prices for new cabinets and countertop. Lowes was alittle cheaper and the designer worked a new plan of just moving the dishwasher and the fridge and it gives me more cabinets and it's a much better layout. HD designer never thought of. As of right now we're getting new cabinets and corian countertops for about $4500 installed. These are the cheapest cabinets, we're hoping to move in the next 6 years. And we're using our tax refund and dh bonus to pay for the remodel. And yes, got the 10% moving coupon, free sink base, $250 Lowes gift card and free sink w/corian purchase. So I think I did pretty good.

 

[momrek06]

momrek-gorgeous! Just absolutely GORGEOUS! Do you like your wood floors in the kicthen? we will be doing that, too!

wildernesslodgelover!!! Thank you so much!!! I ABSOLUTELY love our floors!! I have solid wood flooring. We did look at the laminate but ended up going with solid wood. We tried to match the floors to the cabinets as well.

Here is a link to the pros and cons of solid wood floor vs. laminate!!

http://www.homeadditionplus.com/Solid Wood vs Laminate Flooring.htm

Read up on it and see what best fits your family. My good friend also went with solid wood flooring and then got a puppy and he has scratched her floors pretty badly with all this running around. Laminate is great for kids and pets.

 

[momrek06]

funny you should ask. Last week I met with Home depot and then the next day Lowes to get prices for new cabinets and countertop. Lowes was alittle cheaper and the designer worked a new plan of just moving the dishwasher and the fridge and it gives me more cabinets and it's a much better layout. HD designer never thought of. As of right now we're getting new cabinets and corian countertops for about $4500 installed. These are the cheapest cabinets, we're hoping to move in the next 6 years. And we're using our tax refund and dh bonus to pay for the remodel. And yes, got the 10% moving coupon, free sink base, $250 Lowes gift card and free sink w/corian purchase. So I think I did pretty good.

I do not remember what the costs were for the kitchen because it has been awhile but what I do remember is deciding on the Corian. HD measured it all out and it came to $4000.00 for just the countertops!!! NO WAY!

Then the HD Kitchen tech said they have about 12 Corian colors that are discontinued and if we selected one of them the price would be 1/2!!

Well we went with SANDSTONE (as it was told to us that it was discontinued) ...

AND that color is STILL available. So always ask about discontinued colors in anything...you might find something you like and the cost will be

 

[wildernesslodgelover]

funny you should ask. Last week I met with Home depot and then the next day Lowes to get prices for new cabinets and countertop. Lowes was alittle cheaper and the designer worked a new plan of just moving the dishwasher and the fridge and it gives me more cabinets and it's a much better layout. HD designer never thought of. As of right now we're getting new cabinets and corian countertops for about $4500 installed. These are the cheapest cabinets, we're hoping to move in the next 6 years. And we're using our tax refund and dh bonus to pay for the remodel. And yes, got the 10% moving coupon, free sink base, $250 Lowes gift card and free sink w/corian purchase. So I think I did pretty good.

WOW...very good price! I guess I need to check it out and see...will they give a free estimate? I guess if they come to the house it won't be free, but what if I take pictures into the store with me? Hmmmm....

momrek-I am going to that link now. I will tell you, DH and I SWORE we would never get laminate. I hate the clicky clacky sound when you walk on it, and it just LOOKS fake to me...so smooth and shiny.

Well, my DH went to a supplier he is friendly with and brought back some samples...some wood, some laminate. He did not tell me some were laminate and I could not tell! He showed me where the laminate will cost about $2000 for our area (about 1k sq feet), while wood will be at least 5k...at the VERY least...more likely 7k or so. Plus, the laminate has a 30 year warranty. We have a pool, so kids will be dripping on the floor, plus we plan on getting a big dog (we have a chihuahua now, she doesn't damage anything, really) so maybe laminate is the way to go? He said his friend told him that the proper way to install laminate is to put a pad, kind of like a carpet, under it, so it has some "give"on the floor, plus eliminates the sound. I need to look at that link I guess.

Your corian counter is GORGEOUS! Love that color. I am kind of stuck on granite. Of course, when I start pricing it, we'll see if I change my mind. My good friend just got silestone and it was pricey and she is very disappointed, she showed me a few chips, and some discoloration, and it has been installed only a few months.

Thanks again for all your help. If you think of anything else, post away!

 

[luvmy3]

OP I went to Home Depot this afternoon to get an estimate on my bathroom vanity from Thomasville. I just wanted to let you know that right now they are running a special on their premium finishes and glazes for all their cabinetry, they are 50% off until May 3rd. They were nice enough to print out a design for my bathroom using the door style I choose, which was good because when I saw it on paper I absolutley hated it. Now back to the drawing board for the bathroom. We were going to wait to do the kitchen but maybe with this sale I could convince dh to do both

 

[wildernesslodgelover]

ooooh, 50% off? I may have to take a trip over there tomorrow. Thanks for the info!

 

[mickeysgal]

We've bought Kraftmaid cabinets for our entire house (two houses ago) at Home Depot and recently we bought Diamond cabinets from Lowes for our current house (basement).

Number 1 criteria: The key is finding a good, and I mean GOOD designer. We've sat down with one too many designers that bumble their way through not knowing how to add the trim work and the bells and whistles to the design. We shopped around until we found a designer that really knew her products and how to work the CAD design.

We recently met with Home Depot for estimates on our kitchen remodel. She complained the whole time that the design for our kitchen was taking her away from other customers and that the designs were supposed to be charged for. Kitchen designs take awhile and she was fumbling with the computer program (some new upgrade she complained). We were so frustrated and she made us feel so uncomfortable. This was Home Depot and they just lost a $15,000 kitchen remodel - in this economy. We're designing with Lowes now and will buy there as the designer is great.

We use our own installer.

We are currently pricing out cabinets once again. I look for good, solid, customer service on the cabinet line. Ones that will honor and stand behind their products. Ask the designer which line has the best sales rep that they work with. Which line has the least problems, which has the most, which can turn around replacement pieces the quickest, etc. When we bought our Diamond cabinets, we had issues. So much that the rep came to our house to inspect and subsequently reorder many pieces. That was good service!

In this economy, I would stick with name brands - like KraftMaid and a big box retailer like Home Depot and Lowes instead of small local custom shops. Sorry if that offends anyone. Hopefully these bigger companies will stick around and be available should warranty work be needed 6 months or a year down the line. The last thing you'd need is a company that financially went under and you can no longer get pieces and parts that you need.

Finally, years ago when we designed a kitchen, Home Depots base standard cabinet sides were x amount thick sides, certain type of material with an upgrade to stronger, thicker sides, different material. Lowes, at the time, started their base cabiets at Home Depot's upgraded sides. Not sure if there are any differences anymore in standard, base pricing. So make sure you're comparing apples to apples if you get quotes from both.

Hope this helps.

 

[Pigeon]

A few of our local custom cabinet shops are now 50% off the price of the cabinets themselves!

We also got a great deal on Corian. We were planning on just doing one of the nicer granite look laminates, but the kitchen place was having a sale (sounds like the "discontinued" pattern sale) on certain colors. We still had I think 24 patterns to choose from and ended up with one similar to momrek's, but with a slightly larger grain and a bit grayer background. Twenty-four was more than enough choices for me--I wished I only had five choices for every decision, cabinets, floors, backsplash, etc. With the integral sink, installed, the Corian was the same price as the laminate with no sink.

I never wanted Corian especially. If I didn't have two kids to put through college, I'd have been looking at granite. But I actually love the Corian, far more than I ever would have imagined. It looks great, it's warm and is easy.

 

[momrek06]

A few of our local custom cabinet shops are now 50% off the price of the cabinets themselves!

We also got a great deal on Corian. We were planning on just doing one of the nicer granite look laminates, but the kitchen place was having a sale (sounds like the "discontinued" pattern sale) on certain colors. We still had I think 24 patterns to choose from and ended up with one similar to momrek's, but with a slightly larger grain and a bit grayer background. Twenty-four was more than enough choices for me--I wished I only had five choices for every decision, cabinets, floors, backsplash, etc. With the integral sink, installed, the Corian was the same price as the laminate with no sink.

I never wanted Corian especially. If I didn't have two kids to put through college, I'd have been looking at granite. But I actually love the Corian, far more than I ever would have imagined. It looks great, it's warm and is easy.

Me too!!! I love it. I was NO WAY when I was first told the price...but when HD told me (I never thought to ask) about the discontinued colors...DH and I were SURE!!! Oh and have them factor in enough for a backsplash!!! Very important. Look at my pics...definitely get it!!!

ALSO one biggie that I sooooooo wish I did was UNDERMOUNT the kitchen sink!!!! I did a DROP IN!!!! Do the UNDERMOUNT...it looks sooooo much nicer!!!

OP, I think you will hear from your RL friends and from posters here on the DIS all different stories on where to get your kitchen designed. I think you should go to HD, Lowe's and a few custom kitchen design stores!! We found the custom design stores horrifically priced. We went to three custom shops and sat with them and had the CAD all done out. The prices were crazy! Then we went to HD. We were amazingly surprised at the knowledge of their kitchen designer. She could work that CAD like an engineer (DH/engineer, does CAD all day long) so we were impressed. We had BEAMS in the ceiling and windows she had to work with!!! She did awesome. Cabinets arrived EARLIER than we expected!!! Not one thing wrong with cab's, corian or appliances!! It actually went very smoothly.

 

[JR6ooo4]

did you look at KDA?
Anyone should be at about their lowest prices available...

also see if there is a HOBO near you. Home Owners Bargain Outlet.

Mikeeee

 

[rie'smom]

My husband was a cabinetmaker and he liked the Kraftmaid cabinets and the Diamond cabinets but with the real wood option where available. He's a perfectionist, so if they received his seal of approval, they're good.

 

[Promomx2]

I measured (three times to get it close to right) and took my measurements to both Lowes and Home Depot, where the designers made up a kitchen and gave me a price. Both took about 2 hours. HD charges $100 and Lowes $75 to come to your house to do exact measurements,but you get the money credited to your purchase. Dh is determined to get nothing but corian, since he works for dupont. It's a guy thing. He's looking into to see if we can get a discount, they used to , but don't know if they still offer it.

 

[mickeysgal]

My husband was a cabinetmaker and he liked the Kraftmaid cabinets and the Diamond cabinets but with the real wood option where available. He's a perfectionist, so if they received his seal of approval, they're good.

One thing I need to mention here. I was insistant for a couple of reasons to have certain cabinets built with all wood sides vs. whatever the standard non-wood material was. Same side thickness. Honest to goodness, the full wood box construction was more flexible and moved a lot more than the non-wood. If I had to do it again, and pick an all wood construction, I'd upgrade the side thickness because it simply wasn't as sturdy as the non-wood option at the same thickness. I hope that makes sense.

 

[momrek06]

I measured (three times to get it close to right) and took my measurements to both Lowes and Home Depot, where the designers made up a kitchen and gave me a price. Both took about 2 hours. HD charges $100 and Lowes $75 to come to your house to do exact measurements,but you get the money credited to your purchase. Dh is determined to get nothing but corian, since he works for dupont. It's a guy thing. He's looking into to see if we can get a discount, they used to , but don't know if they still offer it.

Promomx2, I love my CORIAN countertops. Just like Pigeon said...it is just so lovely, warm and so easy to care for and looks good ALL THE TIME. Measure out for a backsplash as well. Actually, HD, contracts out the Corian. You order through and pay HD and then a separate contractor contacts you to set up a time to measure and then they return to install it.