Three ways to get new cabinets — three very different budgets
Custom-built cabinets, refacing, and RTA (ready-to-assemble) sit at completely different price points, with different timelines and different quality ceilings. The regional comparison below covers Birmingham, Montgomery, and Hickory — including the premium Catawba Valley market.
| Location | Area | Service | Low | High | Timeline | Scope / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | Kitchen | Custom Cabinets | 10,000 | 30,000 | 4 to 8 weeks | Hand-built custom replacement, solid hardwood, dovetail joinery, soft-close |
| Birmingham | Kitchen | Cabinet Refacing | 5,000 | 15,000 | 3 to 5 days | Keep frames, replace doors/drawers, veneer to match |
| Birmingham | Kitchen | RTA Cabinets | 3,000 | 8,000 | 3 to 9 days | Flat-packed unassembled boxes, requires assembly |
| Birmingham | Bathroom | Custom Vanities | 2,000 | 6,000 | 4 to 8 weeks | Made-to-order moisture-resistant construction |
| Birmingham | Bathroom | Vanity Refacing | 1,000 | 3,000 | 3 to 5 days | Keep vanity frame, replace outer doors/drawers |
| Montgomery | Kitchen | Custom Cabinets | 10,000 | 30,000 | 4 to 8 weeks | Hand-built custom replacement, solid hardwood |
| Montgomery | Kitchen | Cabinet Refacing | 5,000 | 15,000 | 3 to 5 days | Keep frames, replace doors/drawers |
| Montgomery | Kitchen | RTA Cabinets | 3,000 | 8,000 | 3 to 9 days | Flat-packed unassembled boxes |
| Montgomery | Bathroom | Custom Vanities | 2,000 | 6,000 | 4 to 8 weeks | Made-to-order moisture-resistant |
| Montgomery | Bathroom | Vanity Refacing | 1,000 | 3,000 | 3 to 5 days | Keep vanity frame, replace doors |
| Hickory | Kitchen | Custom Cabinets | 12,000 | 35,000 | 4 to 8 weeks | Premium Catawba Valley furniture-grade |
| Hickory | Kitchen | Cabinet Refacing | 6,000 | 17,500 | 3 to 5 days | Keep premium frame, replace fronts |
| Hickory | Kitchen | RTA Cabinets | 3,600 | 9,500 | 3 to 9 days | All-wood plywood construction |
| Hickory | Bathroom | Custom Vanities | 2,500 | 7,000 | 4 to 8 weeks | Hand-crafted Catawba Valley |
| Hickory | Bathroom | Vanity Refacing | 1,250 | 3,500 | 3 to 5 days | Keep vanity box, replace doors |
How to read this
Custom cabinetry is a 4-to-8-week investment with the longest life; refacing keeps your existing boxes and finishes in days at roughly half the cost; RTA is the entry point but the assembly quality is on you (or your installer). Solid hardwood construction beats particle board at every price point — which is why the premium Hickory numbers run higher.
The short version
- Birmingham custom cabinets run $10,000-$30,000 over 4-8 weeks, refacing $5,000-$15,000 over 3-5 days, and RTA $3,000-$8,000 over 3-9 days.
- Bathroom scopes are smaller, with custom vanities in Birmingham at $2,000-$6,000 and vanity refacing at $1,000-$3,000 over 3-5 days.
- The premium Hickory, North Carolina market runs higher, at $12,000-$35,000 for custom kitchens, $6,000-$17,500 for refacing and $3,600-$9,500 for all-wood RTA.
- Refacing keeps the existing frames and replaces doors and drawers with matching veneer, landing at roughly half the cost of replacement.
- RTA cabinets ship flat-packed and unassembled, so assembly quality is on the buyer or the installer, which the article flags as the entry-point trade-off.
- The article notes solid hardwood construction beats particle board at every price point, which is why the premium Hickory numbers run higher.
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