Comparing Wood-Mode to Local Custom

Q.
At 12:19 PM 12/28/2006, you wrote:
I am in the process of doing a total remodel of my 33 year old kitchen including extending kitchen some 200 feet.
I have a quote from a kitchen designer for Woodmode for $83,000.
I also have a quote from a local well respected custom cabinet maker for $43 000.
I am inclined to go with Woodmode for all the reasons you described, but am having a difficult time swallowing the $40,000 gap.
I suspect the difference is due to the kitchen designer's mark-up.
Are there any acceptable benchmarks for Designer mark-ups on Woodmode products?
The arrangement I have with my interior decorator is that I pay her an hourly fee of $100 plus a 10% mark-up over wholesale price.
That arrangement seems very fair to me.
Also we intend to paint the cabinets.
Does that mitigate the problem of the catalytic conversion varnish finish?
Thank you for your help.
This is a difficult subject for an amateur.
Robert

A.
There is absolutely no advantage to buying Woodmode over fine local custom of similar quality if you are ordering Woodmode unfinished. The real reason to buy manufactured cabinets is the finish.
I'd keep your 40K for another purpose IF the cabinet quality is truly comparable.

You can compare by getting the Woodmode specifications http://www.wood-mode.com/main_sections_about_wood-mode/WoodMode_construction.htm (material dimension details are in the catalog) and asking the cabinetmaker to build to them.

Thing is, there are a zillion ways to cut costs in cabinetmaking, and Woodmode is made to their spec.
The only way to find out if the dealer is overpriced (unlikely in the current environment) is to go to another dealer and compare.

Using the shopping template on my web site makes that easy.
Dealers don't typically give interior designers much of any discount unless they are doing ALL of the work the dealer would normally do.

Wow! 200 feet! That's 2/3rds of a football field! :-D

Peggy