Schedule your free in-home consultation. We'll visit, review your space, and share a detailed plan and estimate.
(847) 847-4148 contact@deltaremodels.com1212 Ranch Rd
Lake Forest, IL 60045
Custom kitchen cabinets on the North Shore cost $40,000 to $120,000+ for a typical kitchen in 2026. Semi-custom runs $15,000 to $40,000 and stock $5,000 to $15,000. Custom cabinets are built to your room's exact dimensions, in any wood, door style and finish, and usually take 29 to 40 percent of the total kitchen budget.
A custom cabinet is drawn and built for one kitchen. Widths, heights and depths match the room to the eighth of an inch, so there are no filler strips or dead corners.
Stock and semi-custom lines come in fixed sizes, usually in 3 inch steps, with a set list of door styles and colors. Custom cabinetry removes those limits. You choose the wood species, door profile, overlay or inset construction, interior fittings and finish, and the cabinetmaker builds to the drawings.
On the North Shore that matters more than in new construction. Many homes in Winnetka, Evanston and Lake Forest have plaster walls that are out of plumb, radiators, uneven ceilings and window trim that catalog sizes cannot work around. Custom boxes and scribed panels can.
Semi-custom cabinets are factory boxes in standard widths with optional changes to depth, finish and a few door styles. Custom cabinets are built to order with no size grid. Semi-custom works well in a simple, square room. Custom pays off when the room has odd dimensions, tall ceilings, inset doors or a design you cannot find in a catalog.
They are worth it when fit and longevity matter more than the lowest price. Custom boxes are typically built from plywood with solid wood face frames and doors, dovetail drawers and full-extension soft-close hardware. In a home you plan to keep for ten years or more, that construction holds up. For a short hold or a rental, semi-custom is usually the better spend.
A cabinet shop builds and installs cabinets. Demolition, plumbing, electrical, drywall, flooring, counters, backsplash and permits are yours to coordinate. A design-build team like ours handles the full kitchen remodel, so the cabinet drawings already account for the hood duct, sink plumbing and lighting plan before anything is ordered.
Cabinetry is the longest lead item in most kitchens. Production time depends on the cabinetmaker, species and finish, and inset or specialty finishes take longer. We order only after drawings and selections are signed, then schedule demolition around the confirmed delivery date so your kitchen is not torn out while you wait.
For a typical North Shore kitchen, fully custom cabinetry runs $40,000 to $120,000+. These ranges come from our 2026 North Shore kitchen remodel cost guide.
| Cabinet grade | Typical kitchen cost | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Stock | $5,000 to $15,000 | Fixed sizes, limited door styles and colors, filler strips to close gaps. |
| Semi-custom | $15,000 to $40,000 | Standard boxes with options on depth, finish and door style. Common in cosmetic refreshes. |
| Fully custom | $40,000 to $120,000+ | Built to exact dimensions in any species, door profile and finish, including inset and furniture-style details. |
Cabinetry is the single largest swing factor in a kitchen budget, at 29 to 40 percent of the total. Most North Shore kitchen remodels fall into these tiers:
Not sure which tier fits? Compare a cosmetic refresh vs a full gut.
Linear footage and height. More cabinet runs, and uppers taken to the ceiling, add boxes and material.
Door construction. Inset doors cost more than full overlay because each door is fitted by hand inside the frame.
Wood species. Walnut and rift-sawn white oak cost more than maple or paint-grade wood.
Finish. Stain grade and multi-step painted finishes add labor.
Interior fittings. Drawer organizers, pull-outs, appliance garages and panel-ready appliance fronts.
About per linear foot pricing: cabinet shops often quote by the foot. That number covers boxes and doors only. It leaves out design, demolition, trades, counters and installation, which is why we price cabinets inside the full kitchen scope.
How the box is built and how the door sits on it set the look, the usable space and a large part of the price.
A solid wood face frame on the box, with doors covering almost all of it. The most common choice for shaker kitchens. Sturdy and easy to adjust.
Doors sit flush inside the face frame. The classic look for older North Shore homes and the most expensive construction, because each door is fitted by hand.
Doors cover part of the frame, leaving it visible around each door. Lower cost, more traditional look. Rare in custom work today.
No face frame. Doors cover the whole box, which gives more interior space and wider drawers. Suits modern and slab-front kitchens.
A five-piece door with a flat recessed panel. Works in traditional and modern kitchens, painted or in solid wood.
Slab front kitchen cabinets give a flat, clean face for contemporary rooms. Glass-front uppers display dishware and break up long runs.
| Compare | Framed (face frame) | Frameless |
|---|---|---|
| Look | Traditional, transitional, inset or shaker | Modern, minimal, continuous door faces |
| Interior space | Frame narrows the opening slightly | Full-width access to the box |
| Door options | Full overlay, partial overlay, inset | Full overlay only |
| Out-of-square walls | Face frame is easy to scribe | Needs careful filler and panel work |
Start with the house, then the budget tier. These are the recommendations we give most often.
For pre-war Colonial, Tudor and Georgian homes where the kitchen should look original to the house. Expect the highest cost tier. See our Lake Forest two-island estate kitchen.
A timeless kitchen at a lower cost than inset, and the most common choice in our Northbrook shaker kitchen and Evanston white shaker kitchen.
For slab doors, a cleaner look and the most storage per foot. It suits mid-century and ranch homes in Deerfield and open-concept kitchens where cabinets face the living area.
When the room is square, the layout stays the same and the whole kitchen budget is under $65,000. We still plan it with the same design process.
Species and finish decide how cabinets age. Stain grade cabinets use clear, select lumber so the grain reads evenly, and a factory-sprayed catalyzed finish is the most durable option for a working kitchen.
The most requested natural wood kitchen cabinets on the North Shore right now. Rift-sawn white oak has a straight, even grain. See the Lake Bluff oak island kitchen.
Walnut is dark and rich, often used on islands and in a butler's pantry as an accent to painted perimeter cabinets. Cherry darkens with age and suits traditional rooms.
Maple cabinetry has a tight grain that paints smoothly, so it is the standard for white and colored cabinets. Our Wilmette navy island kitchen pairs a midnight blue island with light perimeter cabinets.
Standard sizes are the starting point for any layout. With custom cabinets, we adjust them to the room and the people using it.
| Cabinet | Standard height | Standard depth | Widths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base cabinets | 34.5 in (36 in with counter) | 24 in | 9 to 48 in |
| Upper (wall) cabinets | 30, 36 or 42 in | 12 in | 9 to 36 in |
| Tall and pantry cabinets | 84, 90 or 96 in | 12 to 24 in | 18 to 36 in |
| Shallow depth cabinets | Varies | 12 to 18 in | Built to fit |
Common custom changes: base cabinets raised for tall cooks or lowered for a baking station, 18 inch deep cabinets where a walkway is tight, and full-height uppers with crown moulding on top of the cabinets to close the gap to the ceiling. For wheelchair or aging-in-place layouts, see accessible kitchens.
We are kitchen remodelers first. The cabinets are one part of a room that has to work, look right and pass inspection.
Design, cabinetry, plumbing, electrical, counters, tile and permits run through us.
3D plans show cabinet layouts, door styles and finishes before anything is ordered.
39+ years in older homes across Evanston, Wilmette, Glenview, Highland Park, Libertyville and nearby towns.
A 3-year workmanship warranty and a 4.9★ Google rating.
Every photo on this page is a Delta kitchen. Browse the full project portfolio for more.
White perimeter cabinetry, walnut fluted island and paneled appliances.
Custom cabinetry built around a marble island with seating.
Painted cabinetry, cooktop island and chevron mosaic backsplash.
White perimeter cabinets with a navy island and zellige tile.
A standard base cabinet box is 34.5 inches tall and 24 inches deep. With a 1.5 inch countertop, the work surface lands at 36 inches. Custom cabinets can be built taller or shorter to suit the cook.
Upper cabinets are usually 12 inches deep and 30, 36 or 42 inches tall, hung about 18 inches above the countertop. Widths run from 9 to 36 inches in 3 inch steps. Custom uppers can be any height, including full height to the ceiling.
For stained or natural wood cabinets, white oak and walnut are the most requested on the North Shore. For painted cabinets, maple is the standard because its tight grain paints smoothly. Cherry suits traditional kitchens and darkens with age.
A factory-sprayed catalyzed finish, such as conversion varnish, is the most durable option for both painted and stained cabinets. It resists moisture, grease and repeated cleaning far better than a brushed paint.
In most North Shore kitchens, yes. Running cabinets and crown moulding to the ceiling removes the dust shelf on top and makes the room look taller. In older homes with uneven ceilings, the crown is scribed to hide the gaps.
We build cabinetry as part of a kitchen remodel, not door-only replacement. If your cabinet boxes are solid and the layout works, we will tell you that at the consultation.
In a market where buyers compare kitchens closely, well-built cabinetry that fits the house helps a home sell. The value comes from fit, function and durability more than from any single finish trend.
Custom cabinets cost more than stock or semi-custom, and on the North Shore they usually earn it through fit, storage and how long they last. Set the budget tier first, choose framed or frameless and overlay or inset next, then pick wood and finish.
If you want a number for your own kitchen, we will measure the room, walk through the options on this page and give you a realistic range at the first visit. If you are weighing where to spend first, our kitchen vs bathroom remodel comparison can help.
We review your kitchen, walk through cabinet types and finishes, and give you a realistic budget range.
(847) 847-41481212 Ranch Rd · Lake Forest, IL 60045
We’ll review your answers and contact you to discuss a consultation.
Prefer to talk now? Call (847) 847-4148
