ARCAYA / THE CABINETRY BUYER’S GUIDE
Understand what you are buying.
Then decide where to spend.
YOUR QUOTES / ONE CLEAR COMPARISON
Enter each company’s price, currency and scope. Add costs missing from the quote, then compare in one currency.
Enter the amount of USD for one USD. No live rate is supplied.
Already in USD · no conversion needed
Only add an amount if it is outside the quoted price. Enter all extras in USD.
Enter the amount of USD for one USD. No live rate is supplied.
Already in USD · no conversion needed
Only add an amount if it is outside the quoted price. Enter all extras in USD.
AT A GLANCE / USD
Totals include only the quote and extra costs you enter. Unconfirmed items remain unresolved.
Enter an amount and any required rate.
Enter an amount and any required rate.
Resolve the missing amounts, exchange rates and cost categories above. Then confirm that both specifications match.
Calculated in this browser. Nothing is sent to either company.
01 / FOLLOW THE WHOLE COST
Ask for named line items. When something is excluded, keep it in your project budget instead of letting it disappear from the comparison.
THE PRODUCT
Boxes, doors, drawers, shelves, finishing pieces and the hardware actually specified.
THE SURFACES
Material, edges, joints, cut-outs and the agreed measuring and fitting scope.
THE JOURNEY & SITE
Packing, freight, destination charges and the local work needed to finish the kitchen.
“Delivered” needs a named place and a written scope. Confirm who handles clearance, destination charges, unloading, moving indoors and installation. Check applicable taxes and duties for your destination with the relevant local provider.
02 / SEE WHAT CHANGES
Kitchen size cannot tell you how many drawer systems, finished surfaces or fabricated details sit inside the price.
Illustrative comparison · no dimensions or price implied
WHAT TO REPRICE
Count complete drawer boxes and runner sets. Match the selected model, usable depth, opening method and any dividers.
Compare the specification, not the outline.Illustrative comparison · no dimensions or price implied
WHAT TO REPRICE
Include profiles, visible end panels, fillers and matching trims in the finish schedule. A front elevation does not show every surface you will see.
Compare the specification, not the outline.Illustrative comparison · no dimensions or price implied
WHAT TO REPRICE
Record additional pieces, joints, edge fabrication and pattern requirements. Compare the finished surface with measuring, cut-outs and installation included.
Compare the specification, not the outline.03 / NAME THE PART, THEN THE MATERIAL
Check the core, visible finishing pieces and hardware as separate parts of the specification.
Write the box core, door core, back panels and shelves as separate entries. PET, paint and veneer describe surface choices; they do not identify every board underneath. Ask for a product specification for each selected construction.
Island backs, exposed ends, fillers, plinths and trims can be absent from a front-view allowance. Mark them on the drawing and match the finish code, sheen and grain direction to the approved sample.
A brand can offer multiple runner lengths, load classes and opening systems. Record the selected series, model and quantity. Keep organisers and specialist pull-outs as named items so you can accept or remove them deliberately.
04 / CHECK THE COUNTERTOP SCOPE
Two stone allowances may cover different products and different work. Separate the surface specification from the services that turn it into your countertop.
MATERIAL & DETAIL
Record the product, colour, actual thickness and finish. Show the edge profile, waterfall ends, joints, splashbacks and sink or hob cut-outs on the same drawing. A deep-looking edge does not by itself identify slab thickness.
MEASUREMENT & RESPONSIBILITY
Compare factory-supplied and locally sourced countertops using the full scope. Name who confirms final dimensions and appliance templates. Agree how pieces reach the room and how a mismatch will be resolved before placing the order.
05 / PUT TWO QUOTES ON EQUAL TERMS
A missing specification is a question to resolve. It is not evidence that one supplier offers the same kitchen for less.
| QUOTE LINE | IF IT ONLY SAYS… | CLARIFY BEFORE COMPARING |
|---|---|---|
| 01Cabinet quantity | “One kitchen package” | Match the unit schedule, widths, heights and depths. Separate base, wall, tall and island units. |
| 02Core & finish | “Plywood cabinets” or “PET doors” | Record the core and thickness for each part, then the surface, finish code, edge treatment and visible end panels. |
| 03Hardware & storage | “Premium hardware included” | Name the model and quantity of hinges, runners, drawer boxes, handles and pull-outs. Identify optional fittings. |
| 04Countertops | “Stone included” | Match product, actual thickness, edges, joints, splashbacks and cut-outs. Confirm who templates and fits it. |
| 05Delivery & site work | “Shipping included” | Name the destination and handover point. Separate packing, freight, import charges, unloading and installation. |
One drawing revision. One set of assumptions. Keep currency, quote validity, payment stages and alternatives alongside the specification. Ask for changes to be priced separately.
06 / SPEND WHERE IT HELPS YOU DAILY
When the total is above budget, change one decision at a time. Ask what disappears from the specification before accepting a lower figure.
Mark the pans, plates and everyday tools you need to reach easily. Compare selected drawer locations with shelf storage elsewhere rather than deleting every drawer.
Request an alternative with fewer special profiles, curved fronts or decorative pieces. Keep the material schedule visible so the revised quote remains understandable.
Measure the items first. Confirm usable internal space and opening clearance. A pull-out only helps if your plates and pans fit when the cabinet closes.
BEFORE YOU REQUEST A PRICE
Use the answers to make your brief more precise.
A per-metre figure only becomes useful after you know its included height, depth, base-to-wall cabinet ratio, door finish, fittings and countertop scope. Ask how corners, tall cabinets and islands are measured. Use a cabinet-by-cabinet schedule to check the total.
A material name alone does not define the cabinet. Compare the specified product, thickness, finish, edges and suitability for each part. Request relevant documentation for your destination rather than treating a generic label as proof of performance.
A drawer layout changes the boxes, fronts, runners and sometimes internal accessories required. Confirm complete sets and models. Decide where daily access matters before applying the same upgrade throughout the kitchen.
Compare complete scopes. Establish who takes final measurements, fabricates cut-outs, coordinates joints, delivers and installs the pieces. Ask how a mismatch or replacement would be handled. The lower material price may not be the lower completed-project cost.
A floor plan can start a preliminary discussion. Mark assumptions clearly. A production-ready price needs confirmed dimensions, a unit schedule, appliance information, materials, hardware, countertop scope and delivery terms. Compare quotations using the same drawing revision.
YOUR PLAN / YOUR PRIORITIES / YOUR DESTINATION
Share your kitchen plan, reference images and the items you want included. Add the appliance information you already have and tell us which decisions are still open.
support@arcayaliving.comUseful files: floor plan, elevations, appliance data, finish references and an itemised quote you want to clarify.
