Skip to content

Process Guide

Our Design-Build-Install Process

When one shop designs, builds, and installs your cabinetry, the project runs on a clear set of stages. Here is what each one looks like and what it asks of you.

6 min read

Stage 1 — Design consultation

We begin with a conversation about how you live and cook, the look you want, and a realistic budget, then measure the space. You’ll see wood species, door styles, and finishes against real samples. We translate all of it into a layout with elevations. Because we build what we draw, the design stays honest to what’s actually manufacturable and installable.

  • What we need from you: your priorities, inspiration, and a target budget
  • What you get: a measured layout, elevations, and material direction

Stage 2 — Shop drawings & approval

Once the direction is set, we produce the detailed shop drawings your cabinetry will be built from and walk you through dimensions, materials, and finishes. This is the decisive checkpoint — it is far cheaper to move a cabinet on paper than after it is built, so we don’t begin fabrication until you approve.

Stage 3 — Manufacturing in our Idaho shop

Your cabinetry is built to order in our Treasure Valley shop: plywood cases, dovetailed drawer boxes, and doors milled and finished to the species and color you approved. This phase happens off-site, so your home isn’t under construction during it, and building locally keeps quality and schedule in our own hands.

Stage 4 — Installation

The same team installs the finished cabinetry — scribing to your walls, setting consistent reveals, and adjusting every door and drawer. As a licensed Idaho contractor (RCE-6681702), we handle the work as a registered contractor, and because we built the cabinetry, any site surprise is resolved on the spot rather than routed back to a factory.

How you keep it moving

The two things that most affect your timeline are both on the front end: making selections promptly and approving the shop drawings without repeated reversals. Custom work rewards decisiveness early.

Frequently Asked Questions

How involved do I need to be?

The key moments are the design consultation and the shop-drawing approval. After you sign off, manufacturing and installation are on us — we keep you updated but don’t need you to manage the trades.

Do you handle permits and other trades?

As a licensed Idaho contractor we lead cabinetry-driven remodels and coordinate the trades that touch the cabinetry. The exact scope is set during design so everyone knows who owns what.

Ready to talk specifics?

Alderwood designs, builds, and installs custom cabinetry in-house across the Treasure Valley. Tell us about your project and we’ll start with a design conversation.

Request a Consultation

Let's Build Something for Your Home

Every Alderwood project begins with a design conversation. Tell us about your space and we'll take it from there.