Custom vs Semi-Custom vs Stock Cabinets: Sizes, Lead Times and Where Each Fits
Stock cabinets come mass-produced in standard sizes and a short list of finishes, so they’re the cheapest and quickest to get. Semi-custom manufacturers build to order from a set catalogue, usually in 76 mm (3 in) width steps, and change height, width and depth for an upcharge. Custom cabinets cost the most and take the longest, since the manufacturer builds them for one room, to the measurement, in nearly any material or finish. The right tier depends on how odd the room is, how long you’ll stay and how much time you have.
Our four cabinet lines cover all three tiers: Access, Lectus, Merit Kitchens and our own FDC Signature line. This guide sets out the definitions, compares the tiers side by side and shows where each line fits. If you’re weighing a flat-pack kitchen against a built-to-order one, read IKEA vs custom cabinets. For resale and long-term value, see are custom cabinets worth it.
Stock vs semi-custom vs custom at a glance
| Feature | Stock and RTA | Semi-custom | Custom |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it’s made | Mass-produced ahead of orders | Built to order from a set catalogue | Built for one project |
| Sizes | Standard sizes only | 76 mm (3 in) width steps, with height, width and depth changes | Any size, down to about 1.6 mm (1/16 in) |
| Doors and finishes | A short list | A wider range, sometimes with custom paint | Almost any material or finish |
| Lead time | Off the shelf to a few weeks | Several weeks from order | The longest of the three |
| Price | Lowest | Middle | Highest |
| Our lines | Access | Lectus, Merit Kitchens | FDC Signature |
What are stock cabinets?
Factories make stock cabinets in volume before anyone orders them. MasterBrand, a North American cabinet manufacturer, describes them as coming “in standard sizes and a limited selection of styles and finishes.” That’s the trade-off: they’re the quickest to get and the cheapest of the three, with the least choice.
Stock widths rarely land exactly on your wall, so fillers close the leftover space. Depths and heights also stay fixed, and the door list is short. Still, in a rental, a basement suite or a laundry room, that usually doesn’t matter much.
Ready-to-assemble (RTA) cabinets are a kind of stock cabinet that ships flat and goes together before or during installation. Our Access line is an imported RTA line with 19 mm (3/4 in) white melamine boxes, Italian soft-close hardware and a 5-year warranty, and it’s ready in 1 to 3 weeks.
What are semi-custom cabinets?
The Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association defines semi-custom cabinets as “built to order but within a defined set of construction parameters,” as quoted in Fine Homebuilding. Merit Kitchens puts it similarly: cabinets “built to order using a defined collection of cabinet sizes, door styles, finishes.” In other words, the manufacturer builds each order for your kitchen from a catalogue of parts.
Widths step in 76 mm (3 in) increments, typically from 229 to 1,143 mm (9 to 45 in). Semi-custom lines generally let you change height, width and depth for an upcharge, which is how a catalogue kitchen fits under a low bulkhead or beside a chimney breast. Finish choices are wider than stock, and some lines offer custom paint colours. For the standard sizes these lines work in, see kitchen cabinet sizes.
Lectus and Merit Kitchens are both semi-custom lines, built in British Columbia. Lectus describes itself as “a semi-custom manufacturer,” and Merit says it “manufactures semi-custom cabinetry in Canada.” Both build to order, and our FAQ puts lead times at about 6 to 8 weeks from order.
What are custom cabinets?
Custom cabinets start as drawings for one project, and then the manufacturer builds them. Fully custom cabinetry is “built from scratch for a specific project,” according to Merit Kitchens. MasterBrand notes that custom sizing goes “down to the 1/16 of an inch,” which is about 1.6 mm.
In practice, custom means:
- Cabinets sized to the measured wall, so fillers shrink to a scribe strip.
- Finished panels in the same material on island backs, fridge ends and exposed sides.
- Unusual depths, such as a shallow pantry in a hallway or an extra-deep island base.
- Heights cut to a sloped ceiling or an out-of-level floor in an older house.
- Door profiles, species and finishes that aren’t in any catalogue.
The trade-off involves “a higher cost, longer timeline, and more complex decision making,” in Merit’s words. Our FDC Signature line is fully custom and manufactured in the Lower Mainland. Its boxes are 16 or 19 mm (5/8 or 3/4 in) pre-finished birch plywood or white melamine. The line has Blum Movento slides, dovetail drawers and a limited lifetime warranty.
Lead times and warranties
Lead time counts from the signed order to delivery, so add design and approval time in front of it and countertop time after it. Once the base cabinets are in, the fabricator templates stone counters, which take 2 to 3 weeks from template. Here’s how our four lines compare.
| Line | Tier | Boxes | Warranty | Lead time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Access | Budget, imported RTA | 19 mm (3/4 in) white melamine | 5 years | 1 to 3 weeks |
| Lectus | Mid-range semi-custom | Plywood | 5 years | About 6 to 8 weeks |
| Merit Kitchens | Semi-custom and custom | 16 mm (5/8 in) birch plywood | Limited lifetime | About 6 to 8 weeks |
| FDC Signature | Full custom | 16 or 19 mm (5/8 or 3/4 in) birch plywood or white melamine | Limited lifetime | About 6 to 8 weeks |
Read the warranty conditions as well as the length. A warranty can depend on who installs the cabinets, so ask for the written terms with your quote.
Where FDC’s four cabinet lines fit
- Access is the budget line: imported RTA, melamine boxes and a quick turnaround.
- Lectus is the mid-range line from the Merit family, with plywood cases and soft-close dovetail drawers. Our Lectus cabinets review covers its doors, finishes and construction.
- Merit Kitchens is semi-custom with custom options, built in the Lower Mainland since 1971, with 16 mm (5/8 in) birch plywood boxes, dovetail drawers and soft-close hardware.
- FDC Signature is the fully custom line, for rooms where catalogue sizes won’t work.
Lectus and Merit come from the same family, so the choice between them is mostly about door range, warranty and price. Our Merit vs Lectus comparison covers that head to head.
Which type fits your project?
- Rental unit or basement suite: stock or RTA. Budget and speed usually lead, and a newly framed suite is often square enough for standard sizes.
- Condo: semi-custom suits most condos. Height changes deal with bulkheads, and a catalogue keeps decisions moving when strata sets a tight work window.
- Family kitchen you’ll keep for years: a semi-custom plywood line or custom, depending on the walls and the door you want.
- Older or heritage house: custom. Out-of-square walls, sloped ceilings and odd window heights are where catalogue sizes leave the biggest gaps.
Budget sets the ceiling, but the room usually makes the call. If a semi-custom layout needs more than a few fillers and modified boxes to fit, compare it with a custom quote before you decide. For what each tier costs, see kitchen cabinet cost.
Timing can settle it too. Access is ready in 1 to 3 weeks, while our made-to-order lines take about 6 to 8 weeks from order. So a rental turnover or a listing date can tip a project toward RTA.
Questions to ask about any cabinet line
Quotes rarely name the tier, but these answers will tell you which one you’re looking at.
- Does the manufacturer build it to order, or pull it from inventory?
- What width steps does it come in, and can heights and depths change?
- Are end panels and fillers made in the same material and finish as the doors?
- What are the boxes and drawer boxes made of?
- How long is the warranty, and does it depend on who installs the cabinets?
- How long is it from signed order to delivery?
Frequently asked questions
Is semi-custom the same as custom?
No. A semi-custom manufacturer builds to order from a catalogue of sizes, doors and finishes, with modifications for an upcharge. In contrast, custom cabinets follow drawings for one room and can be any size or finish.
Are semi-custom cabinets good quality?
They can be. Check the box material, drawer construction and warranty of the specific line. Lectus and Merit Kitchens both use plywood boxes and dovetail drawers.
How long do semi-custom cabinets take?
Our BC-built lines take about 6 to 8 weeks from order. Add time for design and approvals before that, and for countertops after the base cabinets go in.
Can a semi-custom line make a cabinet to an odd size?
Within limits. Semi-custom lines generally change height, width and depth for an upcharge, inside the catalogue’s construction rules. Past those limits, the cabinet needs a custom build instead.
What does RTA mean?
Ready-to-assemble. RTA cabinets ship flat, so assembly happens before or during installation. Our Access line is RTA and is ready in 1 to 3 weeks.
Do custom cabinets come with a longer warranty?
In our lineup, Merit Kitchens and FDC Signature carry limited lifetime warranties, while Access and Lectus come with 5-year warranties.
Sources
- Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association definition, quoted in Fine Homebuilding: Get to Know Semicustom Kitchen Cabinets (March 5, 2014)
- Merit Kitchens: What Does Semi Custom Cabinetry Mean? (July 2, 2026) and About (accessed November 2026)
- MasterBrand Cabinets: Stock Kitchen Cabinetry vs. Custom: What’s the difference? (April 4, 2025)
- Lectus Cabinets: About Us (accessed November 2026)
- Final Draft Cabinetry: Partners and FAQ (accessed November 2026)
Last reviewed November 2026.
Find the right line for your kitchen
Start with our kitchen cabinets page, then request a free design estimate and we’ll draw your kitchen in the line that fits your room and budget.
Final Draft Cabinetry is a kitchen and bath design studio in Burnaby, BC, serving Greater Vancouver and Calgary. We design, order, deliver and install cabinetry from Merit Kitchens, Lectus, Access and our own FDC Signature line, which is built in the Lower Mainland.
