Cabinetmaker or kitchen designer: who should you hire for your kitchen?
A kitchen designer (in Quebec, a cuisiniste) specializes in designing and selling kitchens, usually with a showroom and established cabinet lines; a cabinetmaker builds the cabinets in their own workshop, to the exact dimensions of your room. A kitchen designer suits a standard layout chosen from a catalogue; a cabinetmaker suits an irregular room, solid wood or matching built-ins elsewhere in the house. Either way, compare itemized quotes on equal materials.
Last updated :
In short: there is no wrong choice, only projects that suit one better than the other. A kitchen designer often offers a well-structured process and proven products; a cabinetmaker offers a lot of freedom in dimensions, species and details. If the work also involves plumbing, electrical or walls, you also need someone to coordinate the job site.
What is the difference between a cabinetmaker and a kitchen designer?
A kitchen designer (cuisiniste in Quebec) is a company that specializes in kitchens. Its designer plans the layout, you choose doors, finishes and counters from its lines, often in a showroom, and the cabinets are then built in a plant, its own or a partner manufacturer's, before delivery and installation. Around Montreal you will also hear kitchen company or kitchen showroom; in French, they are all cuisinistes.
A cabinetmaker builds furniture and cabinets in their own workshop. They start from your room rather than a catalogue: every box is drawn to its real dimensions, in the species and finish you choose. Many cabinetmakers also handle the design, with plans and 3D renderings, and build from a designer's or an architect's drawings.
The two trades often overlap: some kitchen designers offer custom sizes, some cabinetmakers have a showroom. Look at what the company actually does rather than its title.
How do a cabinetmaker and a kitchen designer compare?
| Criterion | Cabinetmaker | Kitchen designer |
|---|---|---|
| Starting point | Your room and your needs | Established lines adapted to your plan |
| Design | The workshop's plans and renderings, or your designer's | In-house kitchen designer and showroom |
| Fabrication | In their workshop, box by box | In a plant, their own or a manufacturer's |
| Dimensions | To the millimetre, even between out-of-square walls | Standard widths adjusted with filler panels; custom at some |
| Materials | Solid wood, veneer or lacquer, any species | Depends on the lines offered, often a wide choice |
| Beyond the kitchen | Matching vanities, wall units, bookcases | Mostly kitchens and bathrooms |
| Seeing before buying | Samples, 3D renderings, workshop visit | Full kitchens on display in the showroom |
On price, neither is systematically cheaper: it all depends on materials, hardware and how complex the kitchen is. For benchmarks, see our guide to custom kitchen cabinet prices.
When is a kitchen designer the right choice?
- You like to see and touch finished kitchens before deciding.
- Your kitchen has standard dimensions and a simple layout.
- You prefer to choose from established lines, with options and lead times known in advance.
- You want to buy cabinets, counters and sometimes appliances in one place.
A good kitchen designer has an eye for ergonomics: the flow between sink, range and fridge, clearances, storage. Their experience with a large number of layouts is a real asset.
When should you call a cabinetmaker?
- The room is irregular: out-of-square walls, uneven floors, beams or ducts, as in many Montreal plexes and century homes.
- You want non-standard heights or depths: cabinets to the ceiling, a banquette, a breakfast nook.
- You dream of solid wood, a specific species or grain that lines up from one door to the next (see our guide to solid wood, veneer or lacquer).
- You want matching furniture elsewhere in the house: a vanity, a wall unit, a bookcase, millwork to reproduce.
- You already have a designer's or an architect's plans and need someone to build them.
Who handles plumbing, electrical and walls?
Moving the sink, opening a wall or redoing the wiring is a renovation project, not just cabinets. Some kitchen designers and cabinetmakers coordinate the whole job; others deliver and install the cabinets only. Ask at the first meeting.
For that work, the company that performs or coordinates it must hold the appropriate licence from the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ), which you can check in its online registry, as well as liability insurance. Some work also needs a permit: see our guide to renovation permits in Montreal.
What should you ask before signing?
- Who designs the kitchen, and will I see plans or a 3D rendering before signing?
- Where are the cabinets built, and from what materials: boxes, fronts, hardware?
- What does the quote include: delivery, installation, counter, removal of the old cabinets, plumbing, electrical?
- What are the fabrication and installation lead times, and who coordinates the other trades?
- What warranties cover fabrication, finish and workmanship, and are they in writing?
- What is the payment schedule?
At Ébénisterie SAM, a company with 35 years of experience in Montreal homes, we design your cabinets in 3D with you, build them in our Dorval workshop and our cabinetmakers install them. Already working with a designer? We also build from their plans. For a complete kitchen, see our turnkey kitchen renovation, or ask for a free quote: we call back the same day.