Estimate Cabinets, Countertops, and Built-Ins

A. Finished-Project Specification

Quantity: one cost sheet covering every cabinet box, filler, panel, countertop, cutout, hardware item, shelving component, and built-in shown in the approved cabinet plans, elevations, schedules, and countertop details, priced from leveled supplier and fabricator quotations and reconciled against the plan set.

B. Cost-Sheet Component Schedule

Component	Quantity Basis	Source	Contents	Preparation / Purpose
Cabinet box count	1 row per tag occurrence	Section E, Steps 3–5	Tag, room, width, height, depth, handedness, door count, drawer count, accessories	Establishes the base cabinet quantity for pricing and delivery
Filler and panel schedule	1 row per condition	Section E, Step 6	Fillers, scribes, end panels, skins, finished backs, appliance panels, toe kicks, supports	Captures non-box material required to complete the run
Trim and molding schedule	1 row per elevation	Section E, Step 7	Crown, light rail, valance, base trim, decorative molding, furniture ends	Captures finish trim not included in the box price
Hardware count	1 row per hardware type	Section E, Steps 8–10	Shelves, pins, brackets, pulls, knobs, hinges, slides, catches, latches, specialty mechanisms	Confirms hardware scope, performance, and finish
Countertop takeoff	1 row per top	Section E, Steps 11–13	Developed length, area, material, edge length, backsplash, waterfall panels, seams, cutouts, overhangs, supports	Establishes the fabrication and installation quantity
Built-in schedule	1 row per component	Section E, Step 16	Shelving, benches, desks, bookcases, mudroom units, custom components	Captures built-in scope outside standard cabinet boxes
Coordination and allowance log	As required	Section E, Steps 18, 23, 29	Appliance clearances, sink and faucet coordination, allowance inclusions and exclusions	Prevents duplicated or omitted coordinated scope

C. Cabinet, Panel, and Hardware Categories

• Cabinet categories: base, wall, tall, vanity, island, specialty, and utility cabinets, each counted by tag from the approved schedule.
• Specialty storage: sink bases, appliance cabinets, corners, pullouts, trash units, dividers, and other specialty storage identified separately from standard boxes.
• Panel and filler categories: fillers, scribes, end panels, skins, finished backs, appliance panels, toe kicks, and supports, each measured to its own condition.
• Hardware categories: shelves, pins, brackets, rods, adjustable hardware, pulls, knobs, hinges, slides, catches, latches, and specialty mechanisms not included in the box price.
• Non-substitution rule: do not substitute an assumed hardware type, finish, or performance rating for one shown in the approved documents or a recorded owner selection.

D. Countertop Quantity and Cutout Schedule

Quantity	Type	Basis
Developed length	Measured	Actual run length including returns and corners, from approved dimensions or field verification
Area	Measured	Developed length × width, by material and fabrication method
Edge length	Measured	Total length of finished edge, by edge profile
Backsplash	Measured	Height × length, by wall condition
Seams	Counted	Number and location from fabricator layout or approved detail
Cutouts	Counted	Sink, cooktop, faucet, outlet, and appliance cutouts from confirmed appliance and fixture dimensions
Supports	Counted	Brackets, corbels, concealed supports, legs, anchors, and rails from approved details

E. Takeoff and Count Procedure

1. Review cabinet plans, elevations, schedules, appliance information, countertop details, selections, and specifications. Confirm the current revision of each document before counting.
2. Identify cabinet construction, style, material, finish, box dimensions, fronts, overlay, and hardware. Record these on the room-by-room schedule.
3. Count base, wall, tall, vanity, island, specialty, and utility cabinets by tag. Record each tag occurrence on a separate row.
4. Record width, height, depth, handedness, door count, drawer count, and accessories for each tag. Confirm against both the elevation and the schedule.
5. Identify sink bases, appliance cabinets, corners, pullouts, trash units, dividers, and specialty storage. Record each as its own line.
6. Measure fillers, scribes, end panels, skins, finished backs, appliance panels, toe kicks, and supports. Record the condition requiring each.
7. Measure crown, light rail, valance, base trim, decorative molding, and furniture ends. Record by elevation.
8. Count shelves, pins, brackets, cleats, rods, and adjustable hardware. Record by cabinet tag or built-in component.
9. Count pulls, knobs, hinges, slides, catches, latches, and specialty mechanisms not included in the box price. Confirm which hardware is included in the cabinet quotation and which must be priced separately.
10. Confirm soft-close, extension, load rating, finish, and hole spacing for all hardware. Record against the approved specification or selection.
11. Measure countertop developed length and area by material and fabrication method. Use the Section D quantity basis.
12. Calculate edge length, backsplash, waterfall panels, seams, cutouts, overhangs, and supports. Record each against its own line.
13. Identify sink, cooktop, faucet, outlet, appliance, and accessory cutouts. Confirm each cutout dimension against the confirmed fixture or appliance dimension before recording.
14. Do not price field cutting of specialty tops when fabricator work is required. Confirm cutting responsibility from the fabricator quotation.
15. Count brackets, corbels, concealed supports, legs, anchors, and rails. Record against the approved detail requiring each.
16. Measure built-in shelving, benches, desks, bookcases, mudroom units, and custom components. Record each as its own line with material, finish, and dimension.
17. Prepare a room-by-room cabinet and built-in schedule. Consolidate every count from Steps 3 through 16 by room.
18. Confirm appliance dimensions, swings, utilities, wall dimensions, floor level, and clearances. Record the confirmation source for each.
19. Identify shop drawings, field verification, samples, templates, and approvals required before fabrication. Record each as a coordination item.

F. Pricing, Coordination, and Reconciliation Procedure

1. Include delivery, inspection, protected storage, acclimation, unpacking, and disposal. Confirm which party is responsible for each.
2. Include layout, shimming, fastening, scribing, filler cutting, panel installation, trim, and adjustment. Record as labor scope, not material scope.
3. Include countertop template, fabrication, delivery, lifting, seams, setting, support, and polish where quoted. Confirm which of these the fabricator quotation includes.
4. Coordinate sink, faucet, appliance, plumbing, electrical, and backsplash without duplication. Confirm each item is priced in only one trade's scope.
5. Include backing and substrate preparation only where assigned. Do not add backing or substrate scope not shown in the approved documents.
6. Estimate labor separately for stock, semi-custom, custom, built-in, hardware, countertop coordination, and punch. Record each labor category against its own line.
7. Adjust productivity for access, tall units, custom scribing, fragile finishes, and heavy tops. Record the adjustment basis.
8. Price cabinets and tops from dated quotations identifying selections, freight, tax, installation, lead time, deposit, and exclusions. Enter the quotation date and source on every priced row.
9. Level supplier and fabricator proposals to the same scope. Adjust each proposal so quantity, included services, and exclusions match before comparing price.
10. Identify allowances and state their included cost components. Record what each allowance includes and excludes.
11. Reconcile cabinet count against elevations, plans, and appliances. Confirm every tag on the schedule appears once on the cost sheet and every appliance clearance is confirmed.
12. Reconcile countertop area, edge, backsplash, cutouts, and support. Confirm the fabricator quotation's area and cutout count match the takeoff.
13. Prepare the cost sheet by room, tag, accessory, top, labor, delivery, allowance, and total. Enter the reconciled quantities into the workbook cost-code section.
14. Document exclusions and unresolved dimensions, selections, hardware, support, and responsibility. Convert each unresolved item into a clarification, allowance, or exclusion.
15. Complete independent review of boxes, panels, fillers, tops, cutouts, and long-lead items. Have a second reviewer confirm the count and reconciliation before pricing is finalized.