What is the cheapest RTA cabinet? [2024]
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This post has been updated for 2024.
What is the cheapest RTA cabinet? On this blog, I have written about many different RTA cabinet brands and cabinets. I’ve done a lot of comparisons of quality and ease of assembly. But one thing I haven’t discussed too much is price. So in this article, I will look find the cheapest RTA cabinet brand.
Table of Contents
Introduction
So far on this blog, I have looked at many different cabinet brands. Some of these include: The RTA Store, RTA Cabinet Supply, WholesaleCabinets.US, Lily Ann Cabinets, and RTA Cabinet Store.
Within the linked articles above, I have extensively covered the advantages and disadvantages of each cabinet brand, providing a thorough analysis of their respective qualities. However, one aspect I have not delved into is their pricing.
There are several reasons for this omission. Initially, it’s important to note that the price points of these cabinet brands generally fall within a similar range. Despite this, there’s a notable variability in their pricing structures over time, making it challenging to provide a consistent and accurate comparison. Additionally, the pricing strategies of these brands differ significantly. Some brands frequently run promotions, offering discounts through sales events and coupons, which can significantly alter the perceived value. In contrast, other brands opt for a more straightforward approach, maintaining a consistent, lower price without the need for ongoing sales or special offers. This variance in pricing tactics complicates a direct price comparison, as the actual cost to the consumer can fluctuate depending on the timing and availability of these discounts or the inherent pricing strategy of the brand.
Nevertheless, a lot of readers have asked that I do an article on pricing — specifically, which RTA cabinets are the cheapest. So I have assembled all of the cabinet brands above, along with some standard products at Home Depot and IKEA into a pricing chart to make price comparisons.
In order to have a consistent and fair comparison, I will compare the cost of a basic 7.5 ft line of cabinets. These include: 1 x 36″ sink base, 1 x 24″ 3 drawer base, 1 x 30″ x 12″ over-refrigerator cabinet, 1 x 36″ x 12″ over sink cabinet, and 1 x 24″ x 36″ wall cabinet.
For each brand, I use the white shaker model in order to try to make the comparison as fair as possible.
Pricing for common cabinet sizes
Note: These numbers are correct as of the writing of this article, but they are subject to change
Brand | Model | 36″ sink base | 24″ drawer base | 30″ over refrigerator | 36″ over sink | 24″ wall | Total |
Lily Ann Cabinets | White Shaker | $464 | $514 | $150 | $174 | $282 | $1584 |
WholesaleCabinets.us | Bright White Shaker | $412 | $514 | $184 | $202 | $321 | $1633 |
The RTA Store | Brilliant White Shaker | $349 | $436 | $156 | $171 | $273 | $1385 |
RTA Cabinet Store | Elegant White Shaker | $495 | $718 | $294 | $235 | $314 | $2056 |
RTA Cabinet Supply | Madison White Shaker | $423 | $493 | $228 | $260 | $334 | $1738 |
IKEA* | SEKTION Matte White | $288 | $392 | $120 | $192 | $223 | $1215 |
Home Depot | Hampton Bay (assembled) | $230 | $319 | $129 | $149 | $204** | $1031 |
* IKEA does not offer all standard sizes, so reasonable substitutions were chosen
** Some sizes were not available to reasonable substitutions were chosen
What is the cheapest RTA cabinet?
So what is the cheapest RTA cabinet? Technically, it’s IKEA, which comes in at $1215. That being said, Home Depot’s Hampton Bay cabinets come in at just over $1000, but they are pre-assembled cabinets.
Having worked with both the Hampton Bay and the IKEA cabinets, I would definitely choose the Hampton Bay, since they feel more solid and they’re significantly cheaper — not to mention, you don’t have to assemble them.
IKEA, from our IKEA cabinets review, is not up to the same quality standard as the other RTA cabinet brands in this article. So if you’re looking for the cheapest high-quality cabinet brand, it looks like it’s The RTA Store. The RTA Store is also one of my favorite cabinet brands for their top level quality and ease of assembly.
Conclusion
Most of the RTA cabinet brands in this article are priced relatively closely. The prices also vary based on time of year, sales, and coupons, so the prices listed above may not be the same as the ones you find.
Nevertheless, this comparison gives you a reasonable look into the price comparisons of the different RTA cabinet brands.
I find that — as expected — IKEA is the cheapest true RTA cabinet. This shouldn’t be of surprise, given that IKEA uses MDF in many of its cabinets. However, surprisingly, Home Depot charges significantly less for its Hampton Bay cabinets, which are at least of comparable quality.
But more importantly, I find that The RTA Store edges out the other brands for similar quality RTA cabinets. Given these results, I would definitely pick The RTA Store cabinets for my next project.