One area that tends to get misunderstood involves the terms stock, semi-custom and custom. Contrary to what many people think, these terms are not related to the quality of cabinets but rather, how they’re manufactured.

Here are the basic definitions:

• Stock – Stock cabinets are pre-manufactured in specific sizes, typically 3″ increments, with few if any options for customization other than some limited choices the manufacturer might offer. They are off-the-shelf products in a limited range of styles.
• Semi-Custom – Semi-custom units are like stock in that they’re also pre-manufactured or ordered from a catalog but come with a wider array of options and in more sizes than pure stock cabinets. With semi-custom you have some ability to pick and choose various details to tailor an otherwise pre-built stock product. In other words, you have some customization choices.
• Custom – Custom cabinets are built to the customer’s specifications, with no limitation on size, style choices, wood grade or finish. They are truly made-to-order. They may be fancy or they may be plain but the difference is that they’re made to suit your specific design requirements, in whatever size, form, color and material you can get someone to produce for you.