The Best Places To Buy Budget-Friendly Cabinets That Are Not IKEA Or Home Depot

If you're trying to decide where to buy kitchen cabinets, IKEA and Home Depot may be the first retailers to come to mind. But they're far from the only good options. Online companies such as Lily Ann Cabinets and Wholesale Cabinets also offer a wide range of styles, competitive prices, and strong customer reviews. If you're looking for budget-friendly ready-to-assemble or stock cabinets as renovation costs keep climbing, they're worth considering.

Cabinets are typically the most expensive part of a kitchen remodel. While new cabinetry can deliver a strong return on investment, the quality of the cabinet materials, construction, and installation all affect how much value they'll ultimately add to your home. It's easy to get caught up comparing cabinet door styles, colors, and hardware while dreaming up your new kitchen. However, nothing beats seeing and feeling cabinet quality in person. If you're shopping online instead of visiting a local home improvement store, consider ordering physical samples first. Both Lily Ann Cabinets and Wholesale Cabinets offer sample programs that cost far less than correcting an expensive ordering mistake.

Other practical considerations can also help determine which budget-friendly cabinet company offers the best overall value. Before placing an order, it's important to educate yourself on shipping processes and return policies to avoid unexpected scheduling issues or additional costs if you run into a problem with your order. And no matter where you purchase your new kitchen cabinets, warranties and assembly requirements are also worth comparing, since some retailers offer more support than others.

Founded in 2004, family-owned Lily Ann Cabinets has grown into a major direct-to-consumer retailer specializing in ready-to-assemble kitchen cabinets made from solid wood. For example, a 12-by-24-inch base cabinet from Lily Ann's bestselling Colorado White Shaker line retails for $273, while a similarly sized Sektion base cabinet from IKEA costs $166. Lily Ann's cabinet boxes feature solid birch construction and dovetail drawer boxes, while IKEA's system relies primarily on engineered wood products such as particleboard and plastic. A similar tradeoff exists at Home Depot, where popular budget cabinets are slightly less expensive but often incorporate MDF and plywood construction.

Many customers report that paying more for Lily Ann Cabinets' all-wood construction, upgraded joinery, simple concealed assembly, and outstanding customer service justify the higher price. The company maintains a 4.7 overall rating on Shopper Approved, across feedback from over 17,000 reviews. The Better Business Bureau has given it an A+ rating. Price match guarantees, limited lifetime warranties, and a clear return policy may also provide shoppers with added peace of mind.

Even with its competitive pricing, planning your own kitchen cabinet makeover comes with challenges. Before assembling cabinets yourself or hiring an installer, you'll need accurate measurements, select the perfect size and configuration, think through door swings and clearances, and figure out how to remove and dispose of your outdated cabinets. Unless you live near one of Lily Ann's showrooms, it can also be difficult to evaluate finishes in person. To help address those challenges, the company offers free 3D kitchen planning tools, one-on-one design consultations, and free samples.

Wholesale Cabinets may be a better choice if you want a broader selection of colors and styles without significantly spending more. The nationwide distributor sells both ready-to-assemble and assembled kitchen cabinets in a wide variety of sizes and configurations. Thanks to multiple warehouses across the country, most orders ship within 3 to 7 business days. Unlike IKEA and Home Depot, which charge delivery fees on large cabinet orders, Wholesale Cabinet offers free shipping on qualifying orders over $2,400. Door samples also ship free, and if you're working with a contractor, the trade discount program can help you score an additional 35% off.

Wholesale Cabinets sells both birch and plywood cabinet frames. Although the company never uses particleboard, dozens of different interior and exterior finishes incorporate melamine and MDF. You'll only spend $190 on a basic 12-by-24-inch white base cabinet. That beats the pricing of Lily Ann, IKEA, and Home Depot on comparable products. Hundreds of customers have been pleased with the quality and price of Wholesale Cabinets, resulting in a 4.7 overall rating on Trustpilot.

There are a few tradeoffs to consider. Wholesale Cabinets only offers a five-year limited warranty, and all sales are final. While that's not unusual for made-to-order cabinets, many competitors offer more flexible return policies. However, the company provides several tools to educate customers and achieve high customer satisfaction, including a free design service, an extensive online project gallery, and assembly videos for DIY installers.