Cabinet Cut Lists, Materials & Estimating
Build Cabinets Your Way
CabinetCRUNCHER lets you define your cabinet dimensions, construction methods and project requirements to generate detailed cut lists and material information. Build face-frame or frameless cabinets for kitchens, vanities, built-ins, furniture, storage and other custom projects.
- Kitchen & Bath: Base, Wall, and Tall Pantry Cabinets
- Storage Solutions: Closets, Bookcases, and Mudroom Lockers
- Media Centers: Entertainment Centers and Built-in Shelving
- Specialty Units: Corner Cabinets, Wine Racks, and Islands
- Custom Parts: Adjustable Drawer Boxes and Finished Doors
Select your cabinet configuration, enter the overall dimensions and construction settings, and CabinetCRUNCHER calculates the component dimensions and generates the corresponding cut list.
Built to Your Shop Standards
CabinetCRUNCHER lets you define the construction methods, materials and dimensions you use in your shop. Set your preferred joinery, reveals, clearances, material thicknesses and other construction details, then apply those settings to your projects.
- Face-Frame, Frameless: Support for different cabinet construction styles and configurations. .
- Custom Joinery: Configure dados, rabbets, pocket holes, butt joints and other construction methods.
- Hardware Clearances: Set reveals and clearances for hinges, drawer slides and other hardware.
- Material Thicknesses: Define the thicknesses used for cabinet boxes, backs, drawer boxes and other components.
- Global Defaults: Set your shop standards once and apply them to new projects.
Modify every dimension down to the 1/32" or millimeter. Once your standards are set, CabinetCRUNCHER applies them to the calculations throughout your project.
Professional Estimating & Job Costing
Professional Estimating & Job Costing
Calculate Project Costs Before You Build
The Professional Series adds estimating and job-costing tools to CabinetCRUNCHER's cabinet calculations. Track material, hardware, labor and overhead costs, then use the project data to prepare customer pricing and estimates.
- Material Costs: Calculate material quantities and costs for sheet goods, lumber, hardware and other project components.
- Waste Factors: Apply your own waste percentages when calculating material requirements.
- Labor & Overhead: Enter labor rates and shop overhead to include them in your project costs.
- Customer Pricing: Use your project costs to calculate pricing and prepare customer estimates.
- Update Material Prices: Maintain material costs so your estimates reflect your current pricing.
Complete Control Over Every Joint & Detail
Face-Frame Cabinet Cut Lists
Configure Face-Frame Cabinets to Match Your Construction Methods
Generate detailed cut lists for face-frame cabinets based on your cabinet dimensions, construction methods and shop settings. Configure frame components, overlays, reveals, joinery, extensions and other construction details to match the way you build.
- Face-Frame Construction: Configure stiles, rails and frame dimensions based on your cabinet design and construction preferences.
- Overlay, Inset & Reveal Settings: Set door and drawer-front relationships, reveals and other dimensions for your chosen construction style.
- Joinery Options: Configure pocket holes, dados, rabbets, tenons and other joinery methods.
- Frame & Case Details: Control face-frame extensions, case dimensions and other construction-specific settings.
Frameless Cabinet Cut Lists
Flexible Frameless Cabinet Construction
Generate detailed cut lists for frameless and European-style cabinets based on your dimensions and construction preferences. Configure cabinet components, reveals, clearances, joinery and other settings to match your shop standards.
- European-Style Construction: Build frameless cabinets using your preferred cabinet dimensions and construction methods.
- 32mm System Support: Use 32mm-system construction where appropriate for your projects.
- Adjustable Components: Configure sides, tops, bottoms, backs, shelves and other cabinet components.
- Hardware & Clearances: Set clearances and dimensions to accommodate your hinges, drawer slides and other hardware.
How CabinetCRUNCHER Creates Your Cut List
Three Steps From Cabinet Dimensions to Cut List
1. Choose a Cabinet Configuration: Select from thousands of configurations designed to handle any custom project. From simple vanities to complex built-ins, our intuitive 'Opening System' (like the 2L-3R layout as shown) allows you to define exactly how your cabinet is divided in seconds.
- Fully Adjustable Openings: Configure any section of your cabinet with a single click to include:
- Doors: Standard single or double door layouts.
- Drawers: Individual drawers or full banks of any size.
- Open Spaces: Perfect for bookcases, media centers, or wine racks.
Built for Every Application: Seamlessly combine configurations to build professional-grade:
- Kitchen & Bath: Base, Wall, and Tall pantry units.
- Furniture: Entertainment centers, hutches, and built-ins.
- Storage: Closets, mudrooms, and heavy-duty shop cabinetry.
2. Set Your Construction Standards
Your Shop, Your Rules
CabinetCRUNCHER adapts to your specific building style. Instead of forcing you into a 'standard' box, you define the construction methods and tolerances that work for your shop.
Total Customization Control:
- Joinery & Assembly: Specify your preferred methods—from pocket holes and butt joints to dados and rabbits.
- Precision Clearances: Set your exact reveals for hinges, drawer slides, and door gaps to the nearest 1/32" or millimeter.
- Material Optimization: Input your specific plywood and solid wood thicknesses to ensure every part fits perfectly.
- Face Frame or Frameless: Toggle between traditional face frame or modern Euro-style (32mm) construction with a single click.
Once your preferences are set, the software automatically recalculates every part dimension. Change a reveal or a material thickness, and your entire cutlist updates instantly.
Detailed Cabinet Cut Lists & Project Reports
Everything You Need to Plan and Build Your Cabinets
CabinetCRUNCHER turns your cabinet dimensions and construction settings into detailed project information in Excel. Review cabinet components, quantities, dimensions, materials and other construction details, then sort and filter the results to organize your cutting and assembly.
1. Precise Production Lists
- Organized Cutlists: Part-by-part breakdowns for every cabinet carcass.
- Project Summaries: A high-level master list of every cabinet in the job.
- Material Requirements: Exact totals for sheet goods and solid lumber.
2. Component & Assembly Reports
- Facings & Panels: Dedicated lists for doors, drawer fronts, and applied end panels.
- Drawer & Rollout Trays: Detailed sizing for all drawer boxes and interior pull-outs.
- Hardware Schedules: Itemized lists of hinges, slides, and pulls—including individual costs.
3. Business & Estimating Tools
- Job Costing & Pricing: Professional-grade software to calculate your total project value.
- Labor & Overhead: Integrated tools to ensure your custom bids stay profitable.
- Total Project Estimates: Comprehensive cost summaries to share with clients or for your own records.
Professional Cabinet Cut Lists in Excel
CabinetCRUNCHER transforms your project dimensions into an itemized master cut list. Every cabinet rail, stile, panel, and carcass component is automatically calculated with exact quantities, material types, and thicknesses.
The Excel Advantage: Leverage the familiar power of Microsoft Excel to organize your workflow exactly how you work. With just a few clicks, you can customize your data for maximum shop efficiency:
- Smart Filtering: Focus on one part type at a time, such as face frame stiles or drawer parts.
- Instant Sorting: Arrange lists by length (longest to shortest) to optimize your lumber breakdown and minimize waste.
- Custom Printing: Format and print only the data you need to take to the bench.
The Result: Eliminate the 'clipboard and calculator' headache. You get a versatile, precision-engineered cutting list that combines Excel’s flexibility with professional cabinet-making logic.
Cabinet Material Lists & Cost Calculation
Eliminate the guesswork and the 'extra trip' to the lumberyard. CabinetCRUNCHER instantly translates your design into a comprehensive shopping list, providing exact quantities and costs for every material in your project.
Precision Material Counting:
- Sheet Goods: Know exactly how many plywood sheets are required for your carcasses and panels.
- Solid Lumber: Get instant totals for board footage or linear footage needed for face frames and trim.
- Smart Waste Factors: Apply your own customizable waste percentages to ensure you have enough material for every part, without overspending on excess stock.
The Bottom Line: By totaling quantities directly from your automated cutlists, CabinetCRUNCHER provides a 100% accurate material summary. You’ll know your exact project costs before you ever make the first cut.
Door & Panel Schedules
CabinetCRUNCHER automatically creates a master schedule of doors, drawer fronts and applied end panels. For detailed door and drawer-front calculations, see DoorCRUNCHER.
Drawer & Rollout Schedules
CabinetCRUNCHER automatically creates a master schedule of drawer boxes and roll-out trays. For detailed door and drawer-front calculations, see DrawerCRUNCHER.
Cabinet Hardware Lists
The small details can make or break a project's budget. CabinetCRUNCHER automatically itemizes every piece of hardware required for your build—from hinges and drawer slides to pulls and specialty fasteners—ensuring nothing is forgotten during the bidding or ordering phase.
Complete Cost Recovery:
- Itemized Requirements: Automatically calculates the total count of hinges, mounting plates, and slides based on your cabinet configurations.
- Unit Cost Tracking: Assign specific prices to your hardware to see exactly how much your "small parts" are contributing to the project's total cost.
- Custom Hardware Sets: Easily add specialized items like lazy susans, waste bin pull-outs, or lift systems to ensure your shopping list is 100% complete.
The "Bottom Line" Benefit: Never let a missing hinge or an un-billed drawer slide eat into your profits again. Print a clean, organized hardware list and hand it to your supplier for a fast, accurate quote.
Consolidated Project Management
Go beyond individual designs and manage your entire build from a single source of truth. CabinetCRUNCHER compiles every unit in your project into an itemized master list, tracking sizes, locations, and components for total shop-floor clarity."
The Power of Project Consolidation:For larger jobs, our "Global Merge" feature combines every cabinet into one unified project data set. With a single click, the software generates:
- Unified Master Cutlists: A single, optimized cutting list for the entire job.
- Master Material Reports: Total counts for every sheet of plywood and board foot of lumber needed.
- Comprehensive Component Schedules: Every door, drawer, and rollout tray categorized and ready for production.
- Full Project Hardware Lists: A complete "buy list" of every hinge, slide, and fastener for the entire job.
The "Pro" Advantage: Whether you are building a single vanity or a whole-house kitchen and bath package, you’ll have 100% accurate material management and cost tracking at every step. It’s the ultimate tool for scaling your output without increasing your effort.
Cabinet Estimating & Job Costing
Stop guessing and start bidding with confidence. CabinetCRUNCHER turns your project data into a professional financial roadmap, ensuring every hour of labor and every scrap of material is accounted for in your final price.
Complete Financial Clarity:
- Dynamic Job Costing: Automatically syncs with your material and hardware lists to provide a real-time view of your project expenses.
- Labor & Overhead Tracking: Factor in your shop’s unique labor rates and overhead percentages to protect your margins on every job.
- Customizable Pricing Models: Choose between "Cost-Plus" pricing or "Value-Based" bidding to match how you do business.
- Professional Client Quotes: Generate clean, itemized estimates that look as professional as the cabinetry you build.
The "Bottom Line" Benefit: Winning a bid is only half the battle—making a profit is what keeps your shop open. With CabinetCRUNCHER, you eliminate under-bidding and ensure that every custom project is a financial success.
Win More Bids with Professional Proposals
First impressions are everything in custom cabinetry. CabinetCRUNCHER includes a polished, customizable proposal engine that transforms your internal data into a professional client-facing estimate in seconds.
Tailored for Your Business:
- Flexible Project Scope: Easily adjust the level of detail your client sees—from high-level project summaries to transparent, itemized material breakdowns.
- Custom Branding: Tailor the layout to reflect your shop's unique brand, ensuring every quote you send looks as high-end as your craftsmanship.
- Integrated Pricing Logic: Because the proposal is synced with your job costing data, you can present "accurate-to-the-penny" estimates without the risk of manual entry errors.
The "Competitive" Edge: Stop sending handwritten notes or messy spreadsheets. Deliver clear, comprehensive, and professional proposals that give your clients the confidence to say 'Yes' to your bid.
Flexible Cabinet Base Construction & Toe-Kick Options
Precision-Engineered Cabinet Bases for Faster, Easier Installation
Your cabinet foundation should be dictated by the design requirements, not by the limitations of your software. Whether you prefer the rapid installation of a Ladder Base, the refined look of a Pedestal, or the modern efficiency of Adjustable Legs, CabinetCRUNCHER gives you total engineering control. Simply select your construction style from our easy drop-down menus, and the software instantly calculates every part dimension—automatically optimizing for material yield and assembly speed.
Extended Side Panels (No Base)
This method extends the side panels 4–5" below the bottom shelf to create a built-in toe-kick area. It’s a popular choice for free-standing bookcases or utility cabinets.
- Best Use: Stand-alone units where a separate base isn't required.
- Construction: A kick plate can be added at any height or depth via the drop-down menus.
- Pro-Tip: While this style is easy to assemble, it can increase plywood waste. For example, a 36" side panel limits you to two pieces per "rip length" on a sheet of plywood. By switching to a Pedestal or Ladder Base in the software, you can often fit three panels per rip length, significantly reducing your material costs.
Pedestal Base Construction
A pedestal base is a dedicated, separate assembly mounted underneath the cabinet’s bottom panel. This is often the preferred method for custom vanities, kitchen islands, and high-end built-ins.
- Best Use: Applications requiring custom toe-kick depths or specialized furniture styling.
- Total Flexibility: Use the drop-down menus to instantly set unique toe-kick clearances for the front, back, or either side.
- Pro-Tip: Pedestal bases are a major "material saver." Because the cabinet side panels stop at the bottom shelf, they are shorter than "extended" panels. This allows you to fit more parts onto a single sheet of plywood—often increasing your yield from two panels to three per ripped length.
Ladder Base Construction
A ladder base is a long, continuous frame typically built on-site to support an entire run of cabinets. This is the industry-standard method for professional kitchen installations.
- Best Use: Large kitchen layouts where multiple cabinets share a single, continuous toe-kick.
- Easy Installation: Once the ladder base is leveled and secured to the floor, the cabinets simply sit on top—eliminating the need to level every individual cabinet box.
- Pro-Tip: Like the pedestal base, ladder bases significantly improve material yield. Since your side panels don’t extend to the floor, you can maximize your plywood sheets, often getting 33% more parts per board compared to integrated toe-kick designs.
Adjustable Legs or Casters
This modern construction method uses heavy-duty leveling legs, decorative fixed legs, or industrial casters. It is the go-to choice for European-style "Frameless" cabinets or mobile shop storage units.
- Best Use: Contemporary kitchens (using clip-on toe kicks), bathroom vanities, and mobile tool cabinets.
- Mobility & Precision: Perfect for uneven floors where height adjustment is critical, or for workbenches that need to roll across the shop.
- Pro-Tip: This method offers the highest material yield. Because the cabinet box is a simple, rectangular unit without an integrated base, you can nest parts more tightly on your plywood sheets, significantly reducing waste and cost.
Back Panel Engineering & Joinery Options
Advanced Back Panel Joinery & Construction Styles
The back panel is the "spine" of your cabinet, providing the structural rigidity needed to prevent racking. CabinetCRUNCHER gives you total control over how these panels are integrated, allowing you to prioritize either assembly speed or maximum structural strength.
- Flush-Mounted Backs: The fastest assembly method. The back panel butts directly to the rear of the cabinet frame—ideal for utility cabinets or units installed between walls.
- Dadoed Backs: The professional standard for durability. The back panel is "trapped" within a machined groove, creating a rock-solid box that stays perfectly square during transport and install.
- Rabbeted Backs: Combines a clean, recessed look with a high-strength mechanical joint. This method hides the raw plywood edges and provides a large surface area for glue and fasteners.
- Independent Side Control: Use our easy drop-down menus to apply different joinery to the left or right side panels. This is a game-changer for "end-of-run" cabinets where one side is a finished "show" end and the other is hidden.
Flush-Mounted Back Panels
Flush-mounted construction is the most efficient method for rapid assembly. The back panel is butted directly against the rear edges of the cabinet carcass, making it a favorite for high-volume projects or simple shop storage.
- Best Use: Utility cabinets, shop storage, or kitchen units installed between other cabinets where the sides are not visible.
- Assembly Speed: This is the quickest method to build; it requires no dado or rabbet machining, allowing you to move from the saw to the assembly table faster.
- Pro-Tip: While this method is fast, it leaves the raw edge of the back panel visible from the side. If your cabinet has a Finished End, use our drop-down menus to easily switch that specific side to a Rabbet joint to hide the edge while keeping the rest of the cabinet flush.
Flush-Mounted Configuration Options
- Standard Flush: The back panel is sized to butt flush against the side panels, bottom panel, and top stretcher.
- Full-Height Flush: The back panel extends the full height of the cabinet, staying flush with the very top and bottom edges of the side panels.
- Integrated Cleats: Easily add internal or external Nailers (Cleats) via the software to provide solid anchoring points for wall-hanging installations.
Dadoed Back Panels
The dadoed back is the hallmark of high-quality cabinetry. By "trapping" the back panel within a machined groove, you create a mechanical interlock that provides immense structural strength and ensures the cabinet remains perfectly square.
- Best Use: High-end kitchen cabinets, heavy-duty shelving, and any unit that will be transported or subjected to heavy loads.
- Structural Integrity: The dado joint provides superior "racking resistance," meaning the cabinet won't twist or lean once it’s loaded with heavy countertops or contents.
- Pro-Tip: Using a 3-Sided Dado (sides and bottom) allows you to slide the back panel in from the top after the box is assembled. This is a massive time-saver in the shop, allowing you to square up the cabinet before the back is even installed.
Dado Configuration Options
- 3-Sided Dado: Grooves are cut into the Side Panels and Bottom Panel; the back panel slides in smoothly from the top.
- 4-Sided Dado: The back panel is fully encased by grooves in the Sides, Bottom, and Top (or Stretcher) for the ultimate "locked-in" box.
- Side-Only Dado: A specialized option where the sides are dadoed, but the back remains flush with the top and bottom panels—perfect for specific hardware or venting requirements.
- Automatic Offsets: Simply enter your desired Dado Depth and Inset in Excel; the software automatically calculates the exact part sizes so the back panel fits perfectly every time.
Rabbeted Back Panels
Rabbeted joinery provides a professional "recessed" look, hiding the raw edges of the back panel while providing a dedicated "seat" for superior glue strength. It offers a perfect middle ground between the speed of a flush back and the strength of a dado.
- Best Use: High-end cabinetry with finished ends, where you want to hide joinery but maintain a strong, mechanical connection.
- Alignment & Accuracy: The rabbeted notch acts as a "stop," making it nearly impossible to assemble the cabinet out of square once the back is seated.
- Pro-Tip: This is where CabinetCRUNCHER’s flexibility really shines. Using our independent side control, you can rabbet the "show side" of a cabinet to hide the joint, while leaving the hidden side flush to save machining time.
Rabbet Configuration Options
- 3-Sided Rabbet: The sides and bottom are notched, allowing the back panel to sit perfectly flush with the rear plane of the cabinet.
- 4-Sided Rabbet: Provides a full perimeter recess (Sides, Bottom, and Top/Stretcher) for a completely encased back panel.
- Independent Side Rabbeting: A unique "pro-feature" that allows you to specify a rabbet on just the left or right side panel—perfect for the end of a cabinet run.
- Customizable Depth: Use the drop-down menus to set the exact depth and width of your rabbet; the software automatically adjusts the back panel dimensions to ensure a perfect "snap-fit" every time.
Streamline Your Workflow
Select Cabinet Configuration
Select cabinet styles and enter your project requirements.
Input Dimensions
Adjust your construction preferences.
Audit Cutlists
Instantly generate accurate parts lists and material reports.
Start Building
Take your error-free plans to the shop floor with confidence.
Professional Face Frame Construction & Joinery
Total Command Over Every Rail, Stile, and Joint
The face frame is the defining feature of a custom cabinet, and your software should never limit your design. CabinetCRUNCHER gives you total engineering control over how your frames interact with the cabinet case. Simply use our easy drop-down menus to set your scribe overlaps, choose between dadoed or butted joints, and automatically calculate tenon lengths—ensuring every frame is a perfect fit for your shop’s unique building style.
- Best Use: Traditional American-style cabinetry where a solid wood frame is required for door mounting and structural rigidity.
- Total Customization: Use the drop-down menus to instantly control how the frame interacts with the cabinet case—including scribe overlaps, rail heights, and custom extensions.
- Pro-Tip: Take advantage of the Face Frame Extension setting for "Built-In" units. This allows the frame to extend past the top or sides of the box to accommodate crown molding or to be scribed perfectly to an out-of-plumb wall.
Flush or Overlap Configuration
Control exactly how the face frame stiles and rails sit in relation to the plywood box.
- Scribe & Overlap: Set a specific "Stile Overlap" on the left or right side panels (typically 1/4") to allow for job-site scribing against walls.
- Rail Alignment: Adjust the rail overlap for the top and bottom panels to accommodate specific flooring transitions or under-cabinet lighting valances.
Face Frame Joinery (Dado vs. Butt Joint)
Choose how the frame is attached to the carcass for the perfect balance of assembly speed and cabinet strength.
- Dadoed Attachment: Cut a groove into the back of the face frame stiles and rails to "lock" the plywood panels in place. This ensures a rock-solid bond and makes alignment during glue-up effortless.
- Butt Joint Attachment: A faster, streamlined method where the frame is glued and nailed directly to the front edges of the panels.
Advanced Tenon & Beading Options
For shops using specialized joinery methods, the software handles the complex math of part lengths automatically.
- Face Frame Tenons: Automatically add extra length to rails and center stiles to accommodate traditional mortise-and-tenon joinery.
- Beaded Frame Support: Configure your settings to account for the extra material needed when using mitered beads or haunched joints.
- Independent Stile Control: Just like our back panels, you can configure the left and right stiles independently to handle different installation scenarios (e.g., one side against a wall and one side exposed).
Precision Internal Architecture: Partitions & Shelving
Advanced Interior Engineering: Partitions, Dividers & Shelving
The internal layout of a cabinet—how it is divided and shelved—defines its functionality. CabinetCRUNCHER provides the surgical precision needed to engineer these internal components for maximum utility and strength.
- Best Use: Custom pantry units, entertainment centers, and specialized closet organizers that require complex internal divisions.
- Dynamic Engineering: Use the drop-down menus to instantly add vertical or horizontal partitions. The software automatically recalculates all surrounding part sizes to ensure a perfect fit within the carcass.
- Pro-Tip: When building wide cabinets, use the Fixed Shelf Dado setting. By "locking" a shelf into a dado in the side panels or partitions, you significantly increase the lateral strength of the cabinet, preventing the sides from bowing over time.
Vertical & Horizontal Partitions
Configure the internal "skeleton" of your cabinet to match your specific storage needs.
- Butt or Dado Joinery: Choose whether partitions are simply butted against the top and bottom panels or housed in precision-cut dados for superior weight-bearing capacity.
- Flush or Recessed: Control the depth of your partitions in relation to the face frame or the back panel to accommodate specific wiring or hardware requirements.
Fixed & Adjustable Shelving Options
Whether you need high-strength permanent shelving or the versatility of adjustable hole patterns, the software handles the math.
- Fixed Shelving: Set your shelves to be butted or dadoed. The software automatically calculates the exact shelf length based on your chosen joinery depth.
- Adjustable Shelving: Specify the lateral clearance between the shelf and the cabinet side. CabinetCRUNCHER will automatically deduct the necessary clearance (e.g., 1/16" or 1/8") from your cutlist to ensure the shelves slide in and out with ease.
- Edge Banding & Trim Offsets: Automatically account for front-edge setbacks if you are adding solid wood nosing or edge banding to your plywood shelves.