Ready To Assemble Vs. Pre Assembled Cabinets, And How To Choose Which Is Best For You!

Ready To Assemble Vs. Pre Assembled Cabinets: Which Is Right for You!

If you’re in the market for a new kitchen, there are a few considerations to consider before making your purchase. One of the essential factors is whether or not the cabinets come already assembled. If you have no experience with assembling furniture and appliances, this can be an overwhelming task. Here, we will explore how to choose between ready-to-assemble or preassembled cabinets so that your decision will be easier on you!

Lots of different factors need to be taken into consideration while buying a cabinet for your kitchen. You have to decide if you want the convenience and time savings of buying an already assembled kitchen set or if you would instead take on the challenge yourself. What’s best for your needs? We’ll help break down these two options so that you can make a more informed decision about what may work best for your home.

Assembled Kitchen Cabinets & Ready-To-Assemble (RTA) Cabinets

Professional artisans make assembled cabinets with high-quality materials. They’re durable, reliable, and ready for installation in your kitchen. In contrast, RTA cabinets are preassembled with all parts, hardware, and instructions. They’re made of high-quality plywood-like assembled kitchens. However, they can save you money because they get put together on the job site instead of in a factory.

Now, let’s review a more extensive list of pros and cons for each cabinet type. These are the factors you should consider when choosing which cabinet to install in your kitchen during remodeling:

Pros of Preassembled Kitchen Cabinets

• This product is completely assembled. It requires no assembly from the homeowner, as it will be ready to install once you receive it. It’s an easy choice for those who want to save time and effort.

• If something does happen to go wrong with your preassembled cabinet, then there are two-way shipping charges that will have to be paid because they come already put together. There’s also no warranty on
• The finished product is much stronger and better because they are assembled with the right tools, machines, and materials.
• A nice feature of this kitchen is that it allows for more internal cabinet accessories such as trash pull-outs, lazy susans, and the like.
• Cabinet boxes have all wood construction, consisting of top-grade and premium plywood (no particleboard). They are built to last.
• Designs are more abundant and complex, allowing for pull-out shelves that improve the user experience.
• With preassembled cabinets, you can find various customizable measurements and versions of the same product, depending on your needs.
• Ready to assemble cabinets are claimed by their manufacturers to last considerably longer than cabinets that have been built up with industrial tools. They carry a guarantee, the output tone of voice should be informative.
• They are safe from any accidental damage since there is no assembly on-site. Assemblers may not be as skilled and could make mistakes that can cause problems for the product or even injure someone using it.

Cons of Preassembled Kitchen Cabinets

• Despite assembling cabinets at the manufacturing site, skilled workers still charge a higher price for preassembled cabinets.
• When you purchase preassembled cabinets, the price to ship them worldwide is much larger than that of flat shipping. This increase in cost can then be passed onto customers as well.
• For people who never have enough time, ready-to-assemble cabinets are the best choice. They’re manufactured after an order is received based on specific instructions, increasing shipping times considerably.
• Preassembled cabinets often compromise quality to cut costs and may even entail lower safety standards. The factory workers assembling the product don’t always follow the same manufacturing process as professionals, so you may not be guaranteed a safe, professional-looking product depending on where you buy the cabinets.
• Fewer internal accessories can be installed with this cabinet type, which means you may not get the full value out of your investment.
• As mentioned above, preassembled cabinets have two-way shipping charges. There’s also no warranty on the product.

Now, let’s go through the pros and cons of the RTA Cabinet.

Pros of RTA Kitchen Cabinets

• Ready-to-assemble cabinets are cheaper than their assembled counterparts. This is because the cost of assembly isn’t included in the price by sellers, so buyers could save money if they put it together themselves.
• You have the option of buying all parts separately, which could save you a decent amount of money.
• These cabinets can be assembled at home. This is perfect for those who do not want the hassle of transporting heavy items around. Instead, you can get your kitchen cabinet parts in one trip to your local store and take them with you in smaller boxes when you go home.
• There are plenty of accessories that can be installed in ready-to-assemble cabinets to increase their usability. This is especially useful for kitchens with limited space, with enough room for conventional cabinets.
• Ready-to-assemble kitchen cabinets are safe to use since they conform to required standards and come with a manufacturer’s warranty. Even though assembly can be risky, it doesn’t entail increased risks.
• If you want to buy a higher quality cabinet, RTA-style is the best option. This is because the design of RTA cabinets corresponds to that of conventional assembled cabinets.
• Preassembled cabinets are manufactured with higher quality materials, so they last longer. Plus, these are sturdy enough for kids to climb on without breaking or tipping over. RTA cabinets cannot address these safety concerns because they’re made from thinner materials.
• Assembling your cabinets is a much safer option for people who have no time to move heavy items or those who want to save money by buying separate parts.
• RTA-style cabinets are likely to last longer than preassembled ones because they go through stricter quality control standards and production processes that ensure their safety.
• Shopping online has its perks when it comes to shipping time. Since cabinets are mass-produced, you can get them in your home sooner if shopping for these items through an e-commerce website.
• Most assembly projects require only essential hand tools and no prior experience with other electronics or wiring. If you need help, there are lots of resources online that will guide you through the process.
• Ready-to-assemble cabinets come with detailed instructions that can be followed by anyone to assemble quickly and easily. It’s also easy to find assembly manuals for specific cabinets on the internet.
• When you assemble the cabinets yourself, they are more flexible in design. You can take off a shelf for extra standing space or adjust them to fit your kitchen layout better.

Cons of RTA- Kitchen Cabinets

• An RTA cabinet has to be assembled on-site, and no matter how good you are at following instructions, there is a chance that something will go wrong.
• If the assembly work is too confusing, you might need to hire a professional. The added expense could end up negating the cost benefits.
• Most of these cabinets are not guaranteed since they aren’t assembled by the companies that built them.
• There is a chance that you will end up assembling pieces wrong and then have to start over from the beginning. This can be time-consuming and frustrating.
• Ready-to-assemble cabinets don’t give buyers complete control over how they want their kitchens to look. For instance, there aren’t many options when it comes to color or material type.
• Preassembled cabinets are the best choice for cabinet durability, quality materials, and safety because they go through stricter inspections than RTA ones. Since you don’t have to assemble these cabinets independently, you can expect great results without any hassle. Preassembled kitchen cabinetry is also more customizable for buyers who want their kitchens to be unique.
• It takes longer for the cabinets to get delivered, which might cause some problems if you’re on a tight deadline. It’s also more expensive to ship preassembled cabinets than RTA ones because there are too many pieces to handle on your own.
• A cabinet might have too many moving parts to be effective, some of which are very small and can easily get lost.
• There are very few options available in terms of design and style for this kind of cabinetry.
• With many products being mass-produced in foreign factories, replacement parts are often difficult to obtain.
• Unfortunately, since these are mass-produced overseas in most cases, and getting a replacement part is tricky.
• Although on-site assembly helps save money and time, it may make cabinets less durable as they cannot take advantage of industrial-strength adhesives.

There are benefits and drawbacks to each type of cabinet design. RTA Cabinets might save you some money, but their quality is often lower than pre-assembled ones since they’re made from cheaper materials. Your kitchen may end up looking more unique if you use RTA cabinets, but these cabinets typically don’t last as long as the pre-assembled ones. Pre-assembled cabinets generally are more durable thanks to their industrial-strength adhesives, but there is the issue of limited design options and difficulty finding replacement parts.

The choice depends on your personal preference. If you have the patience and time to assemble cabinets yourself, buy Ready To Assemble cabinets for a great deal of quality materials. Pre-assembled cabinets will give you an easy installation that comes with luxurious design options, but they are also pricier.

To get the best of both worlds, consider buying semi-pre assembled cabinets for more durability and flexibility in design at a more reasonable price.