A neighbor told me my cabinet prices were too high and I should be ashamed

Last month at a backyard BBQ in Austin, a guy I barely know said I was ripping people off charging $200 per linear foot for shaker cabinets. He claimed his cousin builds the same thing for half the cost out of his garage. Has anyone else had to defend their pricing against people who don't understand what goes into quality work?

3 comments

3 Comments

rowan_ross11d ago

Ha, yeah I feel this in my soul. My own dad told me I was "out of my mind" charging what I do for built-in bookshelves, then asked me to build him some for free. Fast forward a year and that guy with the cousin probably had his cabinets start falling apart or swelling up after one humid summer. Funny how that works out. People see the final price tag but not the hours of sanding, the cost of good plywood vs particle board, or the fact that I actually show up on time and clean up after myself. I once had a customer compare my quote to a big box store and I just laughed and said "good luck with those staples." Honestly if I charged what the "garage guy" charges I'd be broke and my arm would be broken from all the warranty calls. Sometimes I think I should just tell people my cabinets are made of magical wood from a unicorn farm, then maybe they'd understand the value.

zarag1711d ago

My uncle paid a guy $200 to "waterproof" his basement and six months later he had mold growing behind the drywall. It's wild how people will drop money on the cheapest option every single time and then act shocked when it falls apart. This whole "I know a guy" thing is just part of a bigger problem where folks think paying for quality is a scam but cheap stuff is a bargain. They don't realize that saving money upfront just means paying double later when you have to fix it right. You ever notice how the same people who haggle over a bookshelf will drop $80 on a single dinner without blinking?

pat_harris11d agoMost Upvoted

Bought a used car from a guy who knew a guy once. Saved two grand, but I spent that on repairs within a year.