POPULAR QUESTIONS
Frequently asked questions
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We manufacture only so we prefer to leave installation to you or your contractor. Our focus is on delivering practical, installer-friendly solutions, along with square, accurate cabinetry that is quick and straightforward to install. By staying focused on manufacturing, we’re able to produce more cabinets for our clients while maintaining better pricing.
Need help finding a Recommended Installer or Builder? See our list of businesses and craftsmen we work with regularly.
Yes, delivery to the ground floor of the site is available upon request. Pricing is dependent on job size and location. Alpine NW assumes responsibility for damage occurring during delivery performed by Alpine NW personnel. Risk of loss transfers to the Client upon pickup or upon completion of delivery to the site.
Yes, we will work with you to get your cabinets adequately protected for transport to your location. You can contract with a furniture mover to pick up or we can custom crate for shipping by LTL as needed.
We’re happy to conduct site visits when needed, though they’re not always necessary and do involve a cost for time and mileage. In most cases, we work from measurements or PDF plans provided by you or your contractor, which allows us to move forward efficiently.
Alpine NW can be hired to self-verify the cabinet design measurements prior to production if requested for a minimum fee of $2,000. Pricing is dependent on drive time, plus $105 per hour for site review. Changes or corrective work performed to the design will be billed at $105 per hour. Alpine NW shall assume responsibility for the correct fit of cabinets designed and verified on site. Finished wall, floor, and ceiling cladding must be in place. Appliances are excluded.
Site verification of all measurements, including walls, cabinets, doors, windows, appliances, and clearances, is the responsibility of the Client or Contractor. Any corrections to design measurements must be submitted in writing within five (5) working days of the design date. After five (5) working days without written requests for corrections, measurements are understood to be correct as designed. Changes or corrective work performed to the design after five (5) working days of the design date will be billed at $105 per hour and can be added to the final invoice. Alpine NW is not responsible for errors resulting from measurements provided by others.
No, but we will work with you to find new ideas and options to get you what
you need!
No, we reserve this type of service for cabinetry that we build.
Yes, and we will have our suppliers make a match to the color, brand, and sheen of your choice.
Yes, we will work directly with you, the client, though we find for most people having a knowledgeable builder helps save time and money.
Storage of cabinets, equipment, or materials is not included. Pickup must be scheduled within three (3) business days upon notification of completion.
After three (3) business days without an approved pickup date, a storage fee of $25 per day may be added to the final invoice. After ten (10) business days, Alpine NW may arrange delivery at the Client’s expense. Cabinetry will not be released without full payment or an executed written payment agreement.
We do make solid Wood tops and occasionally plywood countertop parts.
Yes, we will build just the doors or drawer fronts (finished or un-finished), drawer boxes only, or provide the cabinet parts and hardware Ready To Assemble by you on your site.
Glossary
Our default is a frameless cabinet built without a face frame on the front of the box making it both more affordable and a more efficient use of space. Building frameless cabinetry requires modern high-tech equipment to produce at the level we do.
In traditional American-style cabinetry, there is usually a solid wood frame attached to the front opening of the cabinet box. A frameless cabinet removes that frame, so the doors and drawer fronts attach directly to the cabinet sides.
Clean, modern appearance – smooth lines with minimal gaps between doors and drawers called “Reveals” requires more accuracy to produce.
More usable interior space – the opening is wider and taller because there is no face frame taking up room. On a typical 3 drawer base cabinet you can gain 4” or more of drawer storage depth over a face frame cabinet.
Full-overlay doors – doors usually cover nearly the entire front of the cabinet leaving a 1/8” Reveal between fronts.
Concealed hinges are mounted inside the cabinet and clip or unclip without tools from the hinge plate which is firmly mounted on the ¾” plywood cabinet sidewall. These hinges and plates have the most adjustability available and typically are not visible. We use Blum’s soft closing hinges to slow the door so it closes silently time and time again.
Our Standard Drawer guide is the Blum’s “Tandem,” a full extension, soft closing, undermounted drawer guide that is rated for 100lbs per drawer.
Or upgrade to Blum’s “Movento” for the smoothest drawer guide in the industry with all the above features and a load rating of 125lbs per drawer.
Thicker cabinet box material – usually 3/4″ plywood or furniture-grade panel materials are used for strength, making a stronger, longer lasting cabinet.
Face frame cabinetry is cabinet construction that uses a solid wood front frame attached to the cabinet box to provide strength, alignment, and a finished appearance. This Face Frame is costly, so many manufacturers will save money on the cabinet carcass materials, making the actual cabinet quite flimsy. Often, hinges are only mounted to the edge of the ¾” face frame. Drawer guides mount to the face frame and the cabinet back, often a thin piece of material.
We use our Face Frame cabinetry when asked or when it works best. A typical example would be a built-in, open, finished interior, bookshelf or some kind of display cabinet.
Flush inset cabinet construction is a style in which the doors and drawer fronts are designed to fit within the face frame opening, allowing the front surfaces to sit flush with the surrounding frame. This creates a smooth, seamless, custom furniture-style appearance.
Why does it cost more?
Flush inset cabinetry requires both a face frame and the accuracy of a frameless cabinet’s fine reveals.
A finished exposed cabinet side in which the cabinet’s side panel itself serves as the finished end, rather than using a separately applied decorative end panel.
Often used to save space or when an appliance, like a Hood fan is touching the side.
Our default is a separate finished decorative panel attached to the exposed side of a cabinet to create a furniture-style appearance and match the cabinet door and drawer front design.
An applied end is easier to transport, replace, or refinish if needed than an Integral cabinet end.
also known as Upper cabinets “hang” on the wall and are typically 12” deep plus the 3/4” thick Door. All our fronts have 1/8” “bumpers” behind them.
Base cabinets “sit” on the floor and are typically 24” deep plus the 3/4” thick Door.
All our fronts have 1/8” “bumpers” behind them making the typical total base cabinet depth 24-7/8”. Our standard base cabinet has a 4” high x 3” deep Toe Kick notch built into each cabinet. Standard base cabinets are 34-1/2” tall.
Tall cabinets are taller than base cabinets. Tall cabinets can be different heights and depths. If they end a countertop run then we will make them 1” deeper to “capture” the overhang of the countertop. Tall cabinets with a hanging rail inside should be no less than 21” deep for hanging.
Our Closet packages are Ready To Assemble (RTA) and are sent out flat packed with all hardware included. We use Rafix’s “cam lock” device that allows you to assemble the parts with a simple turn of a screwdriver.
Convenience hardware for cabinetry refers to the functional accessories and mechanisms built into cabinets to improve ease of use, access, and organization.
Our suppliers can provide what you are looking for if we don’t build it ourselves!
Common examples include:
- Pull-out shelves or trays – make it easier to access items in deep cabinets
- Lazy Susans and corner pull-outs – improve storage access in corner cabinets
- Drawer organizers and dividers – keep utensils, tools, or other items neatly arranged
- Trash and recycling pull-outs – concealed bins mounted on sliding hardware
- Lift-up door hardware – supports upward-opening wall cabinet doors
- Touch-latch or push-to-open hardware – opens doors without visible handles