Kitchen Cabinets from China: What Buyers Ask First
Three questions come up in almost every first conversation: what a kitchen really costs, whether a small order is possible, and how to check quality from another continent. Below we answer all three with options, process and relative cost guidance. Everything is made in our own 100,000 m² factory in Foshan, where we have produced cabinetry since 2006.
Send your floor plan or BOQ on WhatsApp (+86 133 0284 3989) — a coordinator replies within one working day.
What We Make
We build complete kitchen sets: base and wall units, tall larder and pantry cabinets, islands and peninsulas, sink and appliance housings, drawer packs, end panels, plinths, fillers and cornices. Door styles run from shaker and slab fronts to handleless J-pull, profiled and glass-front designs.
Worktops are coordinated through our stone range — quartz, natural stone and sintered stone — so carcasses, doors and worktops are measured, produced and shipped together.
Door materials: the four main options
| Door material | Look and finish | Moisture resistance | Wear and repair | Best for | Relative cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lacquer (painted MDF) | Smooth matt or high-gloss surfaces, matched to RAL or NCS colours | Moderate — sealed edges and backs are essential in wet zones | Light scratches can be touched up; deep damage needs a new door | Handleless fronts, dark colours, statement kitchens | $$$ |
| Melamine | Matt woodgrains and solid colours with a fine texture | Good when edges are sealed | Very hard-wearing; single doors are cheap to replace | Rental apartments, mid-market developments, distributor stock | $ |
| PET | Clean high-gloss or velvety matt film over MDF | Good — flat surface, sealed edges | Resists fingerprints and daily cleaning; replace the door rather than repair it | High-gloss kitchens without lacquer prices | $$ |
| Solid wood (oak, walnut, ash) | Visible grain, stained to your sample | Needs a stable climate; sealing is essential | Can be sanded and re-oiled locally over time | Villas, classic shaker kitchens, hotel suites | $$$$ |
| Wood veneer | Consistent grain across doors, book-matched panels available | Similar care to solid wood | Repairs are joiner’s work; less tolerant of damp | Grain-matched modern designs, feature islands | $$$ |
Carcass, edge banding and hardware
Carcasses use 18 mm panels: melamine-faced chipboard as standard, or moisture-resistant plywood for sink units, wet zones and humid climates. Edge banding is PVC or ABS — 1 mm as standard, 2 mm on request — and back panels are sealed against moisture.
Soft-close hinges and drawer runners are standard. Blum and Hettich hinges, drawer systems and lift-up mechanisms are available as upgrades and quoted per unit, so you can see the cost of the upgrade line by line.
Configurations
Kitchens are built from the same decision list. Mark what you need in the matrix below and we will return an itemised quotation.
| Element | Standard | Upgrade | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carcass | 18 mm melamine-faced chipboard | 18 mm moisture-resistant plywood | Plywood specified for sink units and wet zones |
| Door material | Melamine or PET | Lacquer, solid wood, veneer | See the comparison above |
| Door style | Shaker or slab | Handleless J-pull, profiled, glass-front | Handles or push-to-open |
| Finish and colour | Standard colour cards | Custom colour to sample, two-tone kitchens | Approved against a physical sample |
| Hardware | Soft-close hinges and runners | Blum or Hettich hinges, drawers, lift systems | Quoted per drawer and per door |
| Sizes | Made to your plan, in millimetres | Angled, curved and non-standard heights | Built to approved shop drawings |
| Worktop | Quartz, natural stone, sintered stone | Mitered edges, waterfall ends | Cut to drawing; fitted on site by your installer |
| Interior fittings | Shelves and one cutlery tray | Bin pull-outs, corner carousels, spice racks, LED strips | LED lighting coordinated with our lighting range |
| Packaging | Flat-packed and labelled by room and cabinet number | Relevant units pre-assembled where space allows | Packing list included in every order |
How to Choose by Project
Villa or private home
Villas usually justify lacquer, solid wood or veneer fronts, full-height tall units and an island with a stone waterfall end. Ask for handleless doors in family kitchens and classic shaker in heritage interiors. Order the kitchen together with wardrobes, doors and stone, so the finishes match and the container ships once.
Apartment development
Cost and repetition matter more than showroom impact. Melamine or PET fronts in one or two colourways, moisture-resistant plywood in wet zones, and identical dimensions across every unit keep installation predictable. Every carton is labelled by unit, room and cabinet number, so your fitters can work floor by floor.
Hotel and serviced apartment
Specify finishes that tolerate daily cleaning, and plan spare doors and drawer fronts into the first delivery. PET fronts and matt lacquer are the usual choices. Colour batches are controlled across production runs, and delivery can be phased per floor if your site schedule requires it.
Distributor stock
Distributors buy repeatable ranges: standard widths, few colourways, flat-packed units, hardware packs included and retail-ready labels. Your brand can be printed on cartons and hardware packs. Kitchen cabinets plus wardrobes or flooring will fill the container and lower your landed cost per unit.
Price Ranges
Kitchen prices are built line by line from your drawings, because a single price per square metre hides most of the cost. The column below ranks each level by relative cost:
| Level | Typical doors | Relative cost | Typical projects |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | Melamine | $ | Rental apartments, distributor stock |
| Mid | PET, standard lacquer colours | $$ | Apartments, mid-range villas |
| High | Solid wood, veneer, premium lacquer with Blum or Hettich | $$$–$$$$ | Luxury villas, hotel suites, feature kitchens |
Five things move the final price:
- Door material and finish — the largest single variable.
- Carcass specification — chipboard or moisture-resistant plywood, 1 mm or 2 mm edge banding.
- Hardware — brand, and the number of drawers and accessories.
- Size and complexity — islands, tall units, angled corners, curved fronts, internal organisers.
- Volume and container utilisation — a shared container spreads freight across categories and lowers the cost per unit.
Design work happens before you commit: our team turns your plan into elevations, shop drawings and 3D references, with up to three rounds of revisions at no extra cost. The design fee is 100% credited back — when your order value reaches 20× the design fee, the full fee is credited against your order, applied automatically.
Send your drawings or BOQ for an itemised quotation: WhatsApp (+86 133 0284 3989) or ivana.li@george.cn — a coordinator replies within one working day.
MOQ and Mixed-Container Loading
There is no artificial MOQ on this page. The practical minimum is the smallest order we can produce and ship economically, and that depends on volume, not on a fixed panel count.
One container can carry several product categories. A typical order combines kitchen cabinets with wardrobes, interior doors, flooring, stone, sanitary ware, lighting, furniture and textiles. We plan the loading scheme in Foshan, protect fronts with foam and corner guards, and consolidate everything into one shipment and one packing list.
How it works:
- You send a brief per type: floor plans, unit counts or a BOQ.
- We quote each category and mark what fits in the container.
- You approve the loading plan before production starts.
- Cartons are labelled by room and unit number; loading photos follow.
For a single apartment kitchen, the container is usually shared with the rest of the whole-home package. For distributor orders, one 20GP or 40HQ of mixed ranges is a common starting point.
Tell us your project size and destination port on WhatsApp (+86 133 0284 3989) — a coordinator replies within one working day.
How We Control Quality: The Evidence Chain
Our work runs in six steps: Share Your Brief → Design & Quotation → Approve the Details → Production & QC → Packing & Shipping → Delivery & Support. Kitchen cabinet quality evidence is collected at five points, and you receive it without asking:
- Approved shop drawings — dimensions, materials, finishes and hardware, confirmed by you before cutting starts.
- In-production photos and video — carcass assembly, edge banding, door finishing and hardware fitting.
- Pre-shipment inspection — the completed, labelled units checked against your drawings before packing.
- A packing list numbered by room and cabinet — every carton marked by room, wall, cabinet number and installation sequence.
- Container loading photos — how your order was actually loaded in Foshan.
You or your agent are welcome to inspect before loading, or to appoint a third-party inspection company. Certificates are shared on request per category — tell us your destination market and we confirm what applies, such as CE and ISO 9001 factory documentation. Panel formaldehyde grades are matched to the standard your market requires.
Colours and finishes are approved against a physical sample. Screens can show colours differently, so product images alone are not used for final approval. On-site installation is not included unless separately agreed; we supply labelled parts and installation files, and your fitter or local team assembles on site.
Lead Time and Shipping
Production is scheduled from the day you approve drawings and pay the deposit. Standard ranges (melamine, PET, standard lacquer colours) take about 30–45 days. Custom colours, solid wood or veneer doors, and orders that include coordinated stone take 45–60 days. Chinese New Year and the September–November peak are the busiest windows, so book production slots early.
We load at Guangzhou or Shenzhen ports and can quote FOB or CIF, or load against your forwarder’s booking. Ocean transit typically adds two to six weeks depending on destination and routing. Documents and evidence travel with the goods: commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin, plus loading photos. Delivery can be phased — kitchens for the first floors first — if your site schedule needs it.
Need a delivery date before you commit? Send your unit count and destination port on WhatsApp (+86 133 0284 3989) — a coordinator replies within one working day.
FAQ
What is the minimum order quantity for kitchen cabinets?
The practical minimum is the smallest order we can produce and ship economically — usually one container, which can be shared across several categories. A single apartment kitchen can ship together with wardrobes, doors, flooring or bathroom items in the same container. Send your list and we will confirm what fits.
How does the design fee credit work?
We design against your plan — elevations, shop drawings and 3D references, with up to three rounds of revisions at no extra cost. When your order value reaches 20× the design fee, the design fee is 100% credited back against your order, applied automatically with no extra request.
How is the price of a kitchen calculated?
Line by line from your drawings: cabinets, doors, hardware, worktops and fittings. The relative cost tiers on this page are for orientation only; the itemised quotation follows the approved specification. The five main price drivers are door material, carcass specification, hardware, layout complexity, and order volume.
Can I mix kitchen cabinets with other products in one container?
Yes — this is our normal way of working. One container can carry kitchen cabinets, wardrobes, interior doors, flooring, stone, sanitary ware, lighting, furniture and textiles. Mixed loading lowers freight cost per unit and gives you a single packing list and one delivery window.
How can I check quality before the container ships?
You receive the approved shop drawings, in-production photos and video, a pre-shipment inspection record, a packing list numbered by room and cabinet, and container loading photos. You or your agent — or a third-party inspection company — are welcome to inspect before loading.
Do cabinets arrive flat-packed or assembled?
Both. Flat-packed units are the norm because they use container space efficiently, and every carton is numbered for assembly in order. Larger units such as islands and tall cabinets can be partly pre-assembled where container space allows.
Which certificates can you provide?
Certificates are shared on request per category. For kitchen cabinets, tell us your destination market and we will confirm the relevant documents, such as CE and ISO 9001 factory documentation, and match panel formaldehyde grades to the standard your market requires.
What is not included in the price?
On-site installation is not included unless separately agreed. Worktops are cut to drawing and fitted on site by your installer. Colours and finishes are approved against a physical sample; images are for reference and are not the basis for final acceptance. Import duties and local delivery depend on your destination and incoterm.
Tell Us What Your Kitchen Needs
Send your floor plan, unit count or BOQ and tell us the destination port. We will come back with an itemised quotation, a recommended specification for your climate and budget, and a container loading plan for the categories you need. George Group Home is part of George Group — 20 years’ industry experience, 10,000+ projects delivered, 50+ countries served, founded in Foshan, Guangdong in 2006.
- WhatsApp: +86 133 0284 3989 (UK line: +44 7719 795480)
- Email: ivana.li@george.cn
- Address: Tower One, No.46 Jihua 3rd Road, Chancheng District, Foshan, Guangdong, China
Your enquiry is handled by Ivana, our senior sales director, who worked in the UK for five years — buyers speak to her directly on WhatsApp. A coordinator replies within one working day.