Hit 2000 cabinet doors without a single callback - but now I'm wondering if that means I'm being too safe

I just passed 2000 custom doors delivered over 4 years with zero callbacks for warping or fit issues, which sounds great but has me second guessing myself. I build everything out of quartered white oak with mitered MDF panels and use only polyurethane glue, which is probably overkill for most jobs. Is that level of perfection worth the extra cost, or am I just wasting materials and time that could go to simpler builds?

3 comments

3 Comments

garcia.miles18d ago

2000 doors with zero callbacks and you're worried you're too safe? Bro that's like complaining your parachute opened too perfectly. Most guys would kill for that track record, even if it means you're basically building bank vaults disguised as kitchen cabinets.

michael_wood3218d ago

Agree with you completely man, I've been there. Over-engineered the heck out of my first few dozen jobs because I was scared of that one call back that could wreck my reputation. Ended up using way more glue and bracing than was probably necessary, and it took me a while to realize I was just burning profit for no real reason. What kind of markup are you running to make those premium builds worth it, or are you just accepting thinner margins for the peace of mind?

adams8218d ago

Oh man tell me about it. My first few jobs I used enough glue to probably hold a HOUSE together, not just a cabinet. I think I was just trying to glue away my anxiety at that point. These days I run a 20-25% markup on the premium stuff, mostly because customers who want that level of overbuild are usually the same ones who are happy to pay for it. I figure I'd rather lose a few jobs because I quoted too high than spend a weekend fixing something I should've done right the first time.