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Pricing for rolling kitchen island

2K views 38 replies 14 participants last post by  JackDuren 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Got a buddy looking for a custom cabinet. Anyone got an idea on how much a custom rolling island would cost. Basic material nothing exotic, painted grey. Average counter top height. 4 foot by 6 foot dimensions. cabinets and average counter top. I'm just hobbyist and wouldn't begin to know how to price. I figured someone on here could help me out.
 
#5 ·
That's a huge island, probably won't fit through any doorways (you have to get it into the kitchen somehow!).
You're on a slippery slope without factoring the size in. Tread lightly, stuff like this for friends often ends up costing more out of pocket than planned
 
#7 ·
That s a huge island, probably won t fit through any doorways (you have to get it into the kitchen somehow!).
You re on a slippery slope without factoring the size in. Tread lightly, stuff like this for friends often ends up costing more out of pocket than planned

- GrantA
good point on the size,might have to be assembled in the kitchen.i havn't seen rolling islands that big,might want to rethink that one.
 
#9 · (Edited by Moderator)
That s a huge island, probably won t fit through any doorways (you have to get it into the kitchen somehow!).
You re on a slippery slope without factoring the size in. Tread lightly, stuff like this for friends often ends up costing more out of pocket than planned

- GrantA
Make it modular. For something that large, I'd make 6 24" by 24" units and connect them. You're not going to have 48" deep drawers, right? Standard base cabinets are 24" deep and increments of 3" in width. In a pinch you could even get some junk units from the box store and screw it together, but who wants to do that?
 
#11 · (Edited by Moderator)
That s not an island, that s a work table. +1 on materials. What is the top going to be? Granite, marble, Corian, butcher block? Oak, Maple, Walnut? Lots of variables. I d say you re in for at least a grand.

- MikeinSTL
Hell yeah. My going rate would be in the neighborhood of $650 apiece for the 24" by 24" units I mentioned above, assuming paint grade materials, for a total of around $3900. More for hardwood like walnut. That's also not including the countertop. A hobbyist might go as low as say 2X materials if he were just looking to help someone out and felt generous but you're still looking at probably around the grand that Mike said and that's before the countertop. If money is a big issue do like I said and go to the box store, buy 6 24" wide base units in whatever drawer/door configurations you like and screw them together. Toss on a pre-fab formica countertop and call it a day. Remember, a countertop in something like quartz or granite is probably going to be close to $1000 on its own maybe more.
 
#12 ·
No such thing as 2 x or 3x . If your guessing you already failed. A cabinet shop has a price with cabinets or without. You want it finished or a fancy top that usually comes separate with separate pricing. It could be out sourced or in shop…
 
#13 ·
No such thing as 2 x or 3x . If your guessing you already failed. A cabinet shop has a price with cabinets or without. You want it finished or a fancy top that usually comes separate with separate pricing. It could be out sourced or in shop…

- JackDuren
If your 2X is a reference to my comment, I was talking about a hobbyist doing a favor for a friend. That's what the post was about right? He's helping his buddy. That's also not guessing by the way. It's a solid number and he's not a cabinet shop so he doesn't have to worry about overhead, blah blah.
 
#16 ·
If your base cabinet foot price is $125 a running foot on bases it's going to be at least $250 a running foot on the island. Now times that x6 foot…

Now this means nothing because you may be in Cali and I'm in Kc….
 
#18 ·
I'll throw out something weird…

Make or purchase some off the shelf base cabinets in the style he wants. Gang them together with bolts/screws in the configurations desired, make some type of rolling frame for the base or maybe just add casters to the cabinet bottoms after reinforcing the wheel area (6 wheels?) . Make a countertop for it. Take the whole thing apart and reassemble it in the location needed.
Simplistic explanation I know but you get the idea. Maybe two rows of three 24" cabinets back to back.
 
#19 ·
depends on what you call a "buddy" mine get it done at cost,i dont make money off my "friends".

- pottz
That all depends… if the so called buddy wants to help you then I see it as a good thing And a good barbecue is in order… if the so called buddy wants to watch football while you build the so call island for a friend well…you get a bill…
 
#20 ·
My buddies that ask for help like this ask because they don't know how to do it themselves so probably won't be much help making it anyway. And if they are just "so called buddies" they aren't buddies and I would probably just decline anyway.

But back on topic… If you are asking about pricing to make a little profit it is really your call. If you are just trying to cover costs, try to get a good estimate on the materials, including waste, and make sure that you tell them it could be more since you don't do this for a living and could have mistakes or miss something in your estimate.
 
#22 · (Edited by Moderator)
Easy. If you are doing it for a friend and don't need/want to make a profit on your time, give him your best estimate of the cost of materials. That shouldn't be that difficult to determine or at least get close. If he's ok with that, move ahead and tell him you will provide the receipts for the materials and ask to be reimbursed for them as they occur or on delivery if you're ok with that arrangement. The final price is what ever the material costs are.

I did an entire remodel of a house this way for a friend. Started with their budget and I did my estimate on time and materials. We arrived at reality. Each week I provided to him a list of expenditures and their respective receipts. I also provided him with my payroll and he handed me a check to cover those costs. I also handed him and estimate for the materials needed for the following week. Finished the entire house, inside and out, in less than six months. A bit more complicated than the island you are asked to build, but you get the idea. If he is asking because he wants this to cost less than an off the shelf unit, he may be disappointed. However, as long as your skills are up to the task, he'll have a one off that's better than the off the shelf unit and to his specs.
 
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