4 Questions to Ask Before Purchasing Ready-to-Assemble (RTA) Kitchen Cabinets

by Samanth Rose

If you’re looking for good quality, stylish cabinets for your kitchen - AND you love to save money! – you might want to consider purchasing ready-to-assemble (RTA) cabinets.

RTA cabinets have become increasingly popular in the past few years as they make it possible for homeowners to save on the remodeling costs of kitchen cabinetry (often one of the most expensive components of a new kitchen), without having to sacrifice durability or aesthetics.

If you’re wondering if RTA cabinets might be a good choice for your home, here are 4 questions to consider:

 

1. What, exactly, are RTA cabinets?

The name, “ready-to-assemble (RTA) cabinets,” sums up in nutshell what these cabinets are.

Rather than hiring an expensive team of professionals to install your cabinets, or purchasing your cabinets in an already-assembled, ready-to hang form, RTA cabinets are delivered in pieces with all the accompanying hardware you will need to install them. You might also hear these cabinets referred to as “knocked down (KD)” or “unassembled”. 

Because you will do the work yourself to assemble them, you save significant money that would have otherwise been spent on labor costs. Here at RTA Wood cabinets, we ship each cabinet in an easy-to-assemble way so that it can be built in just 15-20 minutes. 

 

2. Are all RTA cabinets created equal (in terms of quality)? 

Unfortunately, no. Just like kitchen cabinetry broadly, RTA cabinets are offered in a full-range from cheap and flimsy to attractively durable and ready for a high-end kitchen show room. If you’re considering purchasing RTA kitchen cabinets, you’ll want to educate yourself on what makes a quality product.

Generally speaking, you’ll want to avoid cabinets that are made of particleboard or medium-density fiberboard (MDF). You’ll also want to be wary of a mere sprayed-on veneer.

Some characteristics of quality RTA cabinets include:

• Solid wood drawers
• Full dovetail box construction
• Dovetailed drawers
• Full overlay doors
• Full extension soft closing drawers.

Here at RTA Wood Cabinets, we pride ourselves on offering high-quality cabinets that are, just like our name says, made of real wood. We offer a large selection of door styles and colors, and most of our collections even have options for glass doors.

We even offer sample doors at a $24.95 deposit, which is refunded when you place your order. This way, you’ll know exactly what you’re getting before you invest in a full cabinetry set. 

 

3. What are the costs of RTA cabinets?

Did you know you can save up to 50% of what you’d pay at one of the big box stores when you buy RTA cabinets instead? Also, because they come unassembled, RTA cabinets cost less to ship, which can add up to substantial savings.

Our cabinet collections come at a range of price points, and what you will pay will be determined ultimately by just how many cabinets you need. However, we do offer a guaranteed lowest price match if you find a cabinet with the same style, size, wood, finish, construction, and hardware offered in-stock for less by any of our competitors.

 

4. How hard is it to assemble RTA cabinets? 

We make it as easy as possible for you to DIY your new set of RTA cabinets!

All our cabinets come with full assembly instructions, so you can follow along step-by-step to construct each component. We also have assembly videos online so that you can see just what you need to do. If you’re comfortable using an electric drill, a hammer, and glue, you should have no problem putting together your RTA cabinets. 

RTA Wood Cabinets prides itself on offering a variety of the best quality RTA cabinets with an easy DIY assembly process. We’ll even help you design your perfect kitchen layout. Give us a call today for your FREE customized kitchen design at: 1-800-788-7575.