Buy kitchen cabinets online and pay less than at any home center

When buying from a local dealer or a home center like Home Depot or Lowe's, you're not actually buying from them. You are really buying from a long line of middlemen who have marked up the cost each step of the way. Each business has to cover their own costs and make a profit, with those costs all being passed on to you. Buying kitchen cabinets online with Mei Kitchens cuts out the middleman and passes the savings directly on to you.

The retail distribution chain

Buy kitchen cabinets online and never pay retail prices again

Manufacturers

Save money buying cabinets onlineManufacturers based in the US have much higher overhead and labor costs compared to their overseas counterparts.

Distributors

Cabinet distributors mark up the costAs the cabinets are passed along to distributors, the cabinet cost is marked up. Distributors must cover their costs associated with transportation, warehousing and labor.

Home Centers

Home Centers charge a lot for their kitchen cabinetsDealers and home centers add the highest markup to your new cabinets. Their operating and business costs, coupled with trying to make as much money as possible, cause the price of cabinets to increase exponentially.

Customer's Cost

When buying retail, the consumer is paying costs which are built up through a long line of middlemen – in addition to the retail markup. The final price can be extremely high. When you buy kitchen cabinets direct you save money!

The Mei Kitchens way - buying cabinets online

We save you money by having a direct relationship with our own manufacturer. We have our own warehouses and keep a gigantic inventory in stock. When you order online from us, you're bypassing all of those middlemen and the costs associated with them.

Buy kitchen cabinets online and save money with Mei Kitchens

Overseas Manufacturer

Mei's overseas manufacturersThe advanced machinery and lower operating costs of overseas manufacturers decreases the cost of making cabinets. Mei Kitchens’ cabinets are shipped to us in low-cost containers via freight ships.

Order online from Mei

Lower overhead, lower costsYou can order new, high quality cabinets online from the comfort of your home using our website. Because we don’t have huge retail stores nationwide, we are able to cut down on operating costs which allows us to pass those additional savings on to you.

Customer's Cost

When buying online from us, your costs are marginally reduced by our smart and efficient business model. We save you time and money by letting you go direct!

How Quality Relates to the Retail Cost of Your Kitchen Cabinets

There are many individual factors that combine to create the cost of your new cabinets. Here we break down the primary (most influential on final price) and the secondary (least influential on final price) components of kitchen cabinets.

Primary Factors Reason
Box Material Cabinets with plywood boxes and shelves normally cost 15-40% more than cabinets with particle board, especially for brand names carried in home centers.
Box Thickness Thicker and stronger material is more expensive, thus affecting the overall cost.
Shelf Material Cabinets with plywood boxes and shelves normally cost 15-25% more than cabinets with particle board, especially for brand names carried in home centers.
Shelf Thickness Thicker and stronger material is more expensive, thus affecting the overall cost.
Drawer Sides Material Wood and plywood material are considered a premier option, which normally increases the price by $30-$50 more per drawer.
Drawer Joint Construction Dovetail joint structures are generally $50-$90 more per drawer in comparison to expoxy coated metal drawers.
Door Material Cabinets with wood doors are normally at least 50% more than cabinets with MDF or laminate doors.
Door Profile Cabinets with the lowest profile wood doors are normally 50%-80% more than cabinets with standard MDF doors. Cabinets with high profile doors are normally 50-60% more than cabinets with low profile doors.
Secondary Factors Reason
Matching Sides With matching sides, both the interior and the exterior of the cabinets have to be painted to match. The additional coating of paint will affect the cost.
Drawer Sides Thickness Thicker and stronger material is more expensive, thus affecting the overall cost.
Drawer Bottom Material Plywood is the best and most expensive option. Some manufacturers use MDF or Particle board, neither of which will be as durable in the long run.
Drawer Bottom Thickness Thicker and stronger material is more expensive, thus affecting the overall cost.
Drawer Slide Material Metal parts are more expensive, but they are much more durable than plastic and nylon parts.
Drawer Slide Type Undermount is the most expensive option but side mount drawers are nearly just as good.
Drawer Extension Full extension drawers cost more than 3/4" extension drawers. Full extension drawers are much more convenient.
Drawer Self Close Drawers with the self-closing feature normally are more expensive than cabinets without it.
Door Thickness A standard wood door should be 3/4". Thinner, cheaper doors can cost less but will not hold up over time and are prone to warping.
Door Finish Finished doors cost more because of the finished look and the labor involved.
Frames No major price difference between framed cabinets and frameless cabinets. However, frameless cabinets do provide 20-30% more space than framed cabinets.
Pre-Assembled Cabinets that are pre-assembled cost more for the labor and also have much higher shipping costs. Cabinets can be self-assembled or assembled by a professional generally for much less.