Cabinet Door Manufacturers: How to Choose the Right Supplier

Selecting a cabinet door manufacturer? Learn how to evaluate suppliers for build quality, lead time, and material reliability.

Cabinet doors have a large impact on the overall design and function of busy kitchens and bathrooms. This means that choosing the right cabinet doors is essential to achieving your client’s design goals. The supplier you choose has a big impact on the ordering experience, cabinet quality, and project timeline.

Common challenges that remodelers, cabinet shops, and carpenters face include long lead times from cabinet manufacturers, along with inconsistent quality and poor service. All of these issues negatively impact the project timeline and quality of the finished installation.

This guide will cover the importance of choosing the right cabinet door manufacturer, as well as the criteria cabinetmakers, designers, and contractors can use to evaluate them, including lead times, style and finish options, and minimum order requirements.

In this article:

• Key Factors to Evaluate in Cabinet Door Manufacturers
• Benefits of Working with a Specialist Cabinet Supplier
• Things to Consider Before Choosing a Cabinet Door Manufacturer
• Comparing Top Cabinet Door Manufacturers
• Selecting the Right Cabinet Door Supplier for Your Project
• Frequently Asked Questions

Key Factors to Evaluate in Cabinet Door Manufacturers

There’s a lot to think about when you’re evaluating companies for cabinet component sourcing. Not only does the material quality matter, but the end result also depends on construction techniques and attention to detail. When you factor in customization capabilities, good communication, and production lead times that fit your schedule, there’s a lot to consider. 

The supplier you choose should offer consistency across batches and provide an easy ordering experience. In addition, different cabinet door manufacturers meet different manufacturing standards and hold different certifications, which can help you narrow your choices if you know what you’re looking for.  Ultimately, knowing how to choose a cabinet door supplier can save you a lot of headaches throughout your project.

Material Quality and Species

Determining the best wood cabinet door options means understanding the hardwood species available. Each species has unique characteristics that work best with certain design styles and budgets.

• Maple: Durable with a smooth, even grain. Ideal for painted and natural wood finishes
• Cherry: Perfect for custom woodwork with a smooth grain that darkens over time to create a natural, warm patina
• Walnut: Elegant grain patterns with deep, rich tones
• Red oak: Strong, open grain that is durable and ideal for busy kitchens
• Poplar: Smooth, consistent grain that makes it easy to paint
• White oak: Naturally resistant to wear and tear with a strong grain pattern that can handle a bold finish
• MDF: High-quality fiberboard that’s more affordable than solid wood

Classification standards such as the Architectural Woodworking Institute (AWI) Standard Grades cover the material quality and aesthetics of a variety of woodwork, including cabinetry. Eagle Woodworking’s products meet AWI premium-grade specifications, representing the highest quality in materials, workmanship, and installation.  

Sustainability certifications, like the KCMA Environmental Stewardship Program (ESP), show the company’s commitment to protecting the environment. If sustainability is important to your client or your business practices, this is a good indicator that the cabinet manufacturer shares these values. 

Construction Techniques and Joinery

Construction techniques and joinery methods have their own advantages, and understanding what they offer can help guide you to the manufacturer that’s the best fit. Using these techniques, cabinet manufacturers can create many types of cabinet doors.

Cabinet doors are constructed from multiple pieces of wood to create a range of wood cabinet door options. 

Techniques to build the cabinet door include:

• 5-piece framing: This technique uses a center panel framed by two stiles and two rails. The inside profile can include a framing bead for additional design and character. A 5-piece cabinet door takes more time and skill to construct, but its superior craftsmanship elevates the space.
• 2-piece: This cabinet door is made with MDF materials and includes a panel and a frame as a budget-friendly alternative to the 5-piece framing method.
• 1-piece: This cabinet door is made with MDF materials and includes a single piece of MDF with a routed design and is also a budget-friendly option.
• Slab: A single piece of wood or MDF with no detailing, ideal for high-traffic areas because it's easy to clean.

5-piece cabinet door frames are constructed using either a cope-and-stick joint or a mitered joint:

• Cope-and-stick: Made with a mortise and tenon joint at a 90-degree angle for superior strength.
• Mitered: Made with a joint cut at a 45-degree angle and joined at the corner. This creates a polished and intentional look, but the mitered joint isn't as strong as the cope-and-stick joint.

Customization and Finish Options

The customization and finish options that a cabinet manufacturer offers mean the difference between cabinets that look like everyone else’s and cabinets that enhance or even guide the kitchen or bathroom design. 

Check what stain and paint options the manufacturer offers to help narrow down your choices. You should also know what edge details and panel profiles are available and ask about consistency across batches to ensure you’re getting the same finish on each of the wood cabinet doors.

Finish options include:

• Paint
• Stain
• Glaze
• Distressed finish
• Primed only
• Low-VOC
• Thermofoil

Lead Times and Production Capacity

On average, lead times for custom cabinet doors range from two to 12 weeks. For larger orders or those with specialized details or finishes, you can expect longer lead times, while simple designs are finished and shipped faster. 

Our standard lead time for Eagle Woodworking wood cabinet doors is one to two weeks. This includes production and shipping, so you’ll get high-quality custom cabinet doors on a timeline that fits your project. Predictable timelines allow you to plan your project accurately and reduce jobsite delays.

Service and Communication Quality

Poor communication can derail a job, which is why evaluating a cabinet manufacturer's responsiveness is essential. If you find yourself waiting for a response to a simple question, chances are you’ll face similar delays if you end up having an issue that needs to be resolved. Technical support and design collaboration keep a project on track, and a reliable cabinet maker incorporates all of this into their services. 

Benefits of Working With a Specialist Cabinet Supplier

Working with a specialist cabinet supplier offers the advantage of deep product knowledge and consistent quality. Compared to a big box store that deals in volume and offers premade cabinet doors, a specialist is focused on serving its client base with superior craftsmanship. You can expect fast quotes and predictable timelines because they are hyper-focused on and committed to the product they manufacture. 

When you work with a company that truly cares about what they do and understands the benefits of not only a high-quality product, but also a high-quality experience, you’ll get better communication and the ability to handle custom runs. 

At Eagle Woodworking, we’re proud to offer superior service to the contractors, woodworkers, carpenters, home builders, and millwork shops that we work with. Our quality products and fast timelines allow you to focus on other areas of your project, knowing that the cabinet doors are taken care of by a team that cares just as much as you do. 

Things To Consider Before Choosing a Cabinet Door Manufacturer

When choosing a custom cabinet door supplier, make sure they can scale the order to your needs. Some cabinet manufacturers have minimum order requirements, which is important to know if you’re working on a smaller project. Whether you need four doors or 40, the company should be able to deliver consistent quality and lead times that fit your project’s timeline.

Custom cabinets may require a larger budget than cabinets from a big box store, but this investment is meant to support the long-term quality of the installation for projects with specific design goals. This may not be the best option for clients who come to you with tight budget constraints, but there may be a way to make it work. 

By ordering samples and confirming project specifications, you may find that custom cabinet doors are actually more accessible than the client expects. This can also mitigate risks associated with ordering directly from the manufacturer and ensure the project progresses as planned. 

Comparing Top Cabinet Door Manufacturers

Comparing top cabinet door manufacturers side-by-side can give you an idea of how their products and services may fit your needs. Some important comparisons include:

• Material options
• Finish options
• Cabinet door styles
• Lead times
• Ease of ordering
• Warranty

Some suppliers, like Eagle Woodworking, allow you to get a quote and order directly through their website, while others rely on local dealers. Identifying the cabinet door style and materials you want to use in your project can help you narrow down your choices. Eagle also offers a limited 1-year warranty for the epair or replacement of defective Eagle Woodworking products.

Here is how Eagle stacks up to our competitors.

Selecting the Right Cabinet Door For Your Project

Selecting the right cabinet door supplier can mean the difference between a job that runs smoothly and on time and a job that’s held up by delayed order delivery or inconsistent craftsmanship. Follow this checklist to ensure the manufacturer you choose can reliably fit your project needs:

• Materials that meet project specs
• High-quality construction and joinery techniques
• Customization and finish options
• Lead times that fit the project timeline
• Production capacity able to meet the order
• Quality customer service
• Easy online ordering process

Choosing a supplier will depend on your needs and the project you’re working on. If the client has a larger budget, then high-quality construction and materials may be at the top of the list. For those with smaller budgets, you might focus on ease of ordering. If the project is on a tight timeline, then lead times should take center stage. In an ideal world, you would find a supplier that checks all of these boxes.

Eagle Woodworking offers custom dovetail drawers and cabinet doors for the trades — built to spec, delivered fast, and easy to order.

Frequently Asked Questions  

What is the typical lead time for custom cabinet doors? 

Typical lead time for custom cabinet doors ranges from two to 12 weeks. However, Eagle Woodworking is proud to offer fast 1-2 week lead times.

Generally, larger orders take longer to produce, and the same goes for custom finishes or a more detailed design. To ensure prompt delivery, double-check your order and make sure that you’ve clearly stated all of your order details.

How do hardwood and MDF cabinet doors compare in durability? 

Hardwood cabinets are highly durable and resistant to moisture and humidity, though high levels can cause them to expand and contract. MDF cabinet doors are also durable, and at Eagle Woodworking, we construct our MDF doors from high-quality fiberboard that has undergone a rigorous double refining process. Climate control is essential to preserve the quality of both hardwood and MDF doors.

How many door styles can I customize per order? 

The number of door styles you can customize per order will depend on the manufacturer. Some may allow you to include multiple door options, while others will need you to submit a separate order for each door style. The same goes for mixing different wood types. You’ll likely have to place a separate order for each wood type. Eagle Woodworking has no maximum for the number of door styles per order. 

What are the minimum order quantities for cabinet doors? 

Minimum order quantities for cabinet doors will vary by manufacturer. You can check with your supplier to see how they set minimums and negotiate smaller runs if necessary. The more doors that you order, the better the pricing is likely to be. Eagle Woodworking has no minimum order quantities for cabinet doors.