What makes the best RTA kitchen cabinets?
The best ready to assemble kitchen cabinets get three things right: a semi-custom build, a fair price for that build, and a box that does not eat your weekend. Check for a plywood box rather than particle board, real paint or stain rather than paper, thermofoil or melamine, a solid wood dovetail drawer box, soft-close hinges and glides, and how the box goes together. RTA Cabinets Plus cabinets are plywood with real paint and stain finishes, never paper, thermofoil or melamine, priced below comparable cabinets with the same build, and the box clicks together about 10x faster than traditional RTA cabinets on a licensed system, with 100% tool-free box assembly.
Seven things to check before you buy any RTA cabinet.
Ready to assemble describes how a cabinet ships, not how good it is. Two flat packed kitchens can be built nothing alike, so compare them line by line on the things below.
- The box material
- Plywood or particle board. Plywood holds a screw, carries weight on a shelf without sagging, and stands up to a wet sink base far better than particle board, which swells once water gets in. Ours: an all plywood box with 3/4" plywood shelves.
- The finish
- Real paint or stain, or a wrap. Paper, thermofoil and melamine are coverings bonded to the surface; they can peel or lift, and they cannot be touched up the way paint and stain can. Ours: real paint and stain finishes, never paper, thermofoil or melamine.
- The face frame
- A solid wood face frame squares up the front of the box and gives the hinges something solid to bite into. Ours: solid wood, on every framed cabinet.
- The drawers
- Look at the drawer box and what it runs on. Ours: a 5/8" solid wood dovetail drawer box on soft-close, full-extension glides, so the drawer opens all the way and closes quietly.
- The doors and hinges
- Concealed soft-close hinges and full overlay doors are what make a kitchen read as finished. Both are standard on every cabinet here, not an upgrade.
- How the box goes together
- Traditional RTA boxes are built with cam locks, dowels and glue, and often a second pair of hands. Ours click together on a licensed system, in under 2 minutes a box. Anything wood-to-wood clicks together, no tools, no glue, no screws, from the box to the face frame. The only parts that need screws are the metal ones: the hinges, glides and pulls. Otherwise tools come out only to hang the cabinets.
- The price for that build
- Compare like with like: plywood against plywood, real paint and stain against real paint and stain. Our cabinets are priced below comparable cabinets with the same build, and every price is printed on the product page, with no login and no quote to request.
Three checks worth doing yourself.
- Hold a door in your kitchen. A finish on a screen is not a finish next to your floor and your walls. A full sample door is $19.99 and a quarter door sample is $4.99, shipping included on both, and the sample price is credited toward your cabinet order.
- Read the warranty before you need it. Ours is a five year limited warranty to the original purchaser against defects in materials and workmanship, published in full, exclusions included.
- Ask how long it takes to ship. With more than 25,000 kitchens in stock, in-stock orders leave our dock within two business days, and freight takes 2 to 7 business days depending on the address. We ship to the continental United States.
What people ask next.
Are plywood RTA cabinets better than particle board?
For a kitchen, yes. Plywood holds screws better, carries more weight on a shelf, and resists swelling when it gets wet, which matters most under a sink. Every RTA Cabinets Plus cabinet has a plywood box and 3/4" plywood shelves.
Is paint or stain better than thermofoil for kitchen cabinets?
Real paint or stain is the more durable choice for most kitchens. Thermofoil, paper and melamine are coverings bonded to the surface, and they can peel or lift and cannot be touched up. RTA Cabinets Plus cabinets have real paint and stain finishes, never paper, thermofoil or melamine.
Are RTA cabinets good quality?
They can be. Ready to assemble describes how a cabinet ships, not how it is built. RTA Cabinets Plus cabinets have a semi-custom build: a plywood box, a solid wood face frame, 3/4" plywood shelves, full overlay doors, concealed soft-close hinges, and a 5/8" solid wood dovetail drawer box on soft-close, full-extension glides.
Who makes RTA Cabinets Plus cabinets?
RTA Cabinets Plus is an independently owned retailer, not a factory. The cabinets it sells are made by a manufacturer that builds cabinets for one of the largest semi-custom brands in the U.S.
How do I see a finish before I buy?
Order a sample door. A full sample door is $19.99 and a quarter door sample is $4.99, shipping included on both, and the sample price is credited toward your cabinet order.
Who we areRTA Cabinets Plus is an independently owned retailer that sells ready to assemble kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities direct to homeowners, remodelers and trade buyers. Made by a manufacturer that builds cabinets for one of the largest semi-custom brands in the U.S.
What are RTA cabinets?
RTA means ready to assemble: cabinets that ship flat and go together at home. How they compare with stock, semi-custom and assembled cabinets, and what to check.
RTA vs assembled cabinets: which should you buy?
RTA or assembled kitchen cabinets: what differs in price, lead time, returns and work. Same cabinet, same build; the difference is who builds the box.
How much do RTA kitchen cabinets cost?
What RTA kitchen cabinets cost: a typical 10 x 10 kitchen (13 cabinets) runs about $2,480 in Sterling Snow before freight and tax, what moves the price, trade pricing.
How long does it take to assemble RTA cabinets?
Our RTA cabinet boxes click together in under 2 minutes each, about 10x faster than traditional RTA. What needs tools, what does not, and the order of work.
Plywood vs particle board cabinets: which is better?
Plywood or particle board kitchen cabinets: how each handles water, screws, shelf weight and repairs, where MDF fits, and how to tell which one you are buying.
Are kitchen cabinets safe? Formaldehyde, CARB2 and TSCA Title VI explained.
What CARB Phase 2 and TSCA Title VI mean for kitchen cabinets: the formaldehyde limits for plywood, particle board and MDF, the label to look for, and why it matters.
What is a shaker cabinet door, and which style should you choose?
What a shaker cabinet door is, wide rail or slim rail, how a door style differs from a finish, and which finishes our Sterling, Studio and Mantel doors come in.
Painted vs stained cabinets: which is better?
Painted or stained kitchen cabinets: how each looks, wears and touches up, and why paper, thermofoil and melamine wraps are a different thing altogether.
What are the standard kitchen cabinet sizes?
Standard kitchen cabinet sizes: bases 34 1/2" tall and 24" deep, wall cabinets 12" deep in seven heights, tall cabinets to 96", vanities 21" deep, and every width.
How does a free kitchen design work?
How our free kitchen design works: what to send, what a designer sends back within 1 business day (floor plan, 3D renders, parts list and price), and what it costs.
Want a person to check your plan?(305) 782-7587, Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm ET. Or send your measurements for a free design.